The Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (HDOA) is currently accepting applications for the Micro-Grant for Food Security Program (MGFSP). 2023 marks the third year of the grant program, which provides support for small-scale gardening, herding and livestock operations to increase the quantity and quality of locally grown food in food insecure communities. A total of $2 million is available for this year’s program which was provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the 2018 Farm Bill.

This year’s program is open to:

• Individuals, including backyard farmers – up to $5,000
  • Applicants must be a Hawai`i resident, at least 18 years old and head of the household.
  • Those previously granted awards under the MGFSP are ineligible

• Organizations that are registered to do business in Hawai‘i, including Native Hawaiian, non-profits, federally funded educational facilities – up to $10,000
• Organizations receiving awards will be required to provide matching funds of at least 10 percent of the grant award. The matching funds cannot be derived from other federal sources.

The online application form and program information for individuals are available at the HDOA Market Development Branch website at: https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/add/md/.  The Request for Proposals for organizations is posted on the State Procurement Office website at: https://hands.ehawaii.gov/hands/opportunities/opportunity-details/22883

The application deadline is June 15 at noon.

Consideration will be based on the description of the project, the number of beneficiaries, and whether the applicant received an award in the previous programs. Preference will also be given to the level of food security in the location of the household or organization’s project plan as indicated on the Food Insecurity Index, calculated by Conduent Healthy Communities Institute using data from Claritas, 2022. The index which maps food insecurity by zip code may be found at: https://www.hawaiihealthmatters.org/indexsuite/index/view?alias=foodinsecurity

Examples of the types of activities that may be funded under this grant include:

• Small-Scale Gardening – purchase tools or equipment, soil, seeds, plants, canning equipment, refrigeration, composting equipment, towers, hydroponic and aeroponic farming.
• Small-Scale Herding and Livestock Operations – purchase animals, buy, erect or repair fencing for livestock.

To assist interested parties with the application process, a Zoom webinar has been scheduled for:

Wednesday, May 17, 2023, 10 a.m. Hawai‘i Standard Time

To join the webinar, click on: https://zoom.us/j/96925183234

Webinar ID: 969 2518 3234

The Zoom session will also be recorded and posted on the HDOA website at: https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/add/md/

Questions regarding the application process may addressed to HDOA’s Market Development Branch at (808) 973-9595 or via at email: hdoa.md.microgrants@hawaii.gov