CULTIVATORS FUND

 

For 2025 growing season we were able to offer 45 grants of $500 through our Cultivator’s Fund Micro Grant program - unrestricted funding that can be applied to equipment, space, seeds, infrastructure, gatherings, educational courses, certifications, materials and more.

The sky is the limit for dreams and ambitions around changing our food systems, caring for the land, and building resilience and tradition that will feed generations to come. 

If you applied this year and did not receive funding, we encourage and invite you to apply to next year’s 2026 Cultivator’s Fund! We are so grateful for the interest and energy all of our applicants offered in this year’s process. 

Like last year, we selected recipients through a random lottery system. In keeping with our organization's goals and principles, we are funding projects that center: 

‣ Community engagement

‣ Sustainable growing practices

‣ Cultural Seed Saving

‣ Cultural preservation & sharing

‣ BIPOC farmers, gardeners, and communities learning from each other 

‣ Urban, suburban and rural farmers

‣ Farmers who live and farm in MN, WI, ND, SD, MI, OH, IN, IL, IA

In the 2025 growing season, we are excited to learn more about how the Cultivators Fund is useful to our community! 

We will be connecting Cultivators individually through a virtual or in person visit to see the important work being done this year. We’ll use these connections and visits to highlight the amazing work from farmers of Color, fundraise for our next cycle, and give other farmers ideas for what the fund supports. 

History of the Cultivators Fund:

Midwest Farmers of Color are helping heal climate change and food apartheid. When we have emergent needs, we need quick & accessible support. This fund began in 2022 as a way to help support our farmers with critical, early season investments each year. In 2023 MFCC gave out 19 mini grants, contributing to things like soil improvements, fencing, value added product development, seed purchasing and more. We're so proud of the Cultivators Fund and will continue to share more of what farmers of color in the Midwest get out of it!  

2024 Cultivator's Fund Photos