May 14, 2020
By: Jim Frankowiak
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the availability of $900,000 for local governments to host a Community Compost and Food Waste Reduction (CCFWR) pilot project for the 2020 fiscal year.
These cooperative agreements will support projects that develop and test strategies for planning and implementing municipal compost plans and food waste reduction plans. The agreements are offered through the USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production.
USDA will accept applications on Grants.gov until midnight on June 26 2020. Projects should span two years with a start date of October 1, 2020, and completion date of September 29, 2022.
Priority will be given to projects that anticipate or demonstrate economic benefits; incorporate plans to make compost easily accessible to farmers, including community gardeners; integrate other food waste strategies, including food recovery efforts, and collaborate with multiple partners.
A webinar scheduled for June 4 from 2 to 4 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time will provide an overview of the cooperative agreements’ purpose, project types, eligibility, and basic requirements for submitting an application. Webinar information is available at farmers.gov/urban and includes how to register, participate, and listen to the webinar.
Questions and comments can be sent to UrbanAgriculture@usda.gov within 90 days and should include “Community Compost and Food Waste Reduction Project” in the subject line.