Northeast BIPOC Farmer Relief Fund

Emergency relief funding for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) agricultural workers in the Northeast impacted by COVID-19 economic hardship.

Geographic Scope: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington DC, and tribal lands in the region

Total Funding Pool: $100,000 (allowed 200 applicants × $500 each)

Eligibility Requirements

• Must identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color)
• Must work on a farm, ranch, in agriculture, or as a fisherperson
• Must live in eligible Northeast states or tribal lands
• Must have been economically impacted by COVID-19 pandemic
• Do not need to: own a farm/business, prove specific loss amounts with documentation, share immigration status information, speak/read English, or apply online

Evaluation Criteria

Applications meeting basic eligibility were rated on:

• Farming practices: Priority for sustainable, regenerative, or environmentally sound practices
• Community contribution: Priority for those demonstrating community connectedness or reaching food-insecure populations
• Geographic diversity: Balance between rural, suburban, urban, and tribal locations
• Income dependency: Priority for those whose financial wellbeing depends on farming

Fund Details

• Relief payments: $500 per recipient
• One payment per household (multiple people in same business could apply if different households)
• No spending restrictions or reporting requirements
• Fund provided by Farm Aid

Collaborating Organizations

Black Dirt Farming Collective, Black Farmer Fund, Black Urban Gardeners and Farmers of Pittsburgh, Cooperative Dreaming, Out Loud Farm Alliance, Farm Fresh Rhode Island, Just Food, Land For Good, National Young Farmers Coalition, Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust, Northeast Organic Farming Association chapters (NJ, NY, VT), Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG), PASA Sustainable Agriculture, Rural Vermont, Soil Generation, The Carrot Project, Urban Tree Connection

Application Process

Online Application:

• Visit pasafarming.org/relief to submit application
• Estimated completion time: 10-15 minutes
• Available in multiple languages: Nepali, Bengali, Haitian Creole, French, Somali, Arabic, Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Tagalog/Pilipino, Spanish, Kirundi/Kinyarwanda

Phone Application:

• Contact Jen Himes at Pennsylvania Sustainable Agriculture (PASA)
• Phone: 814.349.9856 x701
• Hours: 8am-5pm Eastern, Monday-Friday
• For non-English phone applications, contact Melanie Allen at melanie@blackfarmerfund.org to arrange interpretation

Application Questions:

• For a list of questions before applying, email tracy@nesawg.org

Key Dates (Historical)

• Application deadline: August 10, 2020
• Applicant notification: August 24, 2020 or earlier
• Check mailing date: September 6, 2020