Seeds of Change Initiative

To Build Sustainable Community Food Systems

The Seeds of Change Initiative, a new multi-year, multi-million dollar grant and technical assistance initiative of Heifer International United States Program builds on the emerging local foods movement to foster economic development and improve access to nutritious, locally-produced food among food insecure populations. The initiative will work with broad-based coalitions to design and implement sustainable community food systems projects that create jobs in sustainable agriculture and community food enterprises for low-income families; improve access to healthy food; and improve the environment by supporting responsible agricultural practices.

How much are the grants?
Phase I: Organization, Assessment and Planning Grants will not exceed $125,000. Successful Phase I awardees may be eligible to submit their plans for Phase II: Implementation and Evaluation Grants that will not exceed $1,000,000 over four years.

Who is eligible?
The initial funding cycle is open to coalitions who may represent a broad geographic territory. Coalitions must have a significant portion of their work and leadership come from within some of the following counties in:

• Arkansas Delta - Arkansas, Chicot, Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Desha, Drew, Greene, Lee, Mississippi, Monroe, Phillips, Poinsett and St. Francis counties.
   
• Southern Appalachia - Alleghany, Ashe, Watauga and Wilkes counties in North Carolina, and Johnson County, Tennessee.

Define Sustainable Community Food Systems?
A sustainable community food system is a collaborative network that integrates sustainable food production, processing, distribution and consumption in order to enhance the environmental, economic and social health of a particular place. Farmers, consumers and communities partner to create a more locally based, self-reliant food economy.

What types of projects will be considered?
Successful interventions will include participation in planning and implementation by a broad range of stakeholders, including community members from low-income areas; improved access to locally grown, healthy foods; economic viability and sustainability beyond Heifer's funding support and; collection and dissemination of data to measure the impact of the system on hunger, poverty and the environment.

How to Apply
One original application, including original signatures, must be submitted in hard copy to Heifer International U.S. Program no later than 4:00pm Central Time, Monday, August 15, 2011. An electronic version must also be submitted via email by the same deadline to the address listed below.

All inquiries and application submissions should be addressed to:
Seeds of Change Initiative, Heifer International U.S. Program
1 World Avenue
Little Rock, Arkansas 72202
Email: SeedsofChange@list.heifer.org
Phone: 501-907-8877

Access the Frequently Asked Questions

Notification of Funds
Phase I awardees will be announced on September 1, 2011.

Application Packet:
Request for Application - Delta
Request for Application - Appalachia