Interested in learning whether your project is eligible for PVGrows funding?
All projects must align with the PVGrows mission of strengthening and expanding the local and regional food system of the Connecticut River Valley in Massachusetts and its surrounding regions.
To that extent, eligible projects must demonstrate a positive Farm and Food System Impact (see section 1 below). Eligible projects may also demonstrate positive economic/social and environmental impacts (sections 2 and 3), however PVGrows does not expect your project to meet ALL of the following criteria. Your application should describe the areas your project will positively impact.
PVGrows recognizes that farmers, business owners, and farm laborers who come from historically marginalized/disadvantaged groups such as non-white people, immigrants, and low-income communities face structural barriers that may prevent them from meeting these criteria right away. If you identify with any of those groups and have been affected by those barriers, you are encouraged to apply. PVGrows and its partners provide advice and connections that can help you meet the eligibility criteria that make sense for your farm or local food business.
1. Farm and Food System Impact: Having a positive impact on the continued viability and growth of farms in the Connecticut River Valley in Massachusetts and its surrounding regions.
Examples of Agricultural System Impact:
- agricultural product/inputs are produced locally
- value-adding activities take place locally
- extends production season
- benefits multiple farms/farm-related businesses
- provides key piece of ag-related infrastructure
- includes post-harvest activity such as handling, packing, processing, storage or distribution
- creates new market for local food
2. Economic and Social Impact: Having a positive impact on the economic, social, and/or nutritional health of the Connecticut River Valley in Massachusetts and its surrounding regions.
Examples of Economic and Social Impact:
- ownership structure encourages long-term community control
- ownership focuses on providing community-centered benefit
- more local food to local community
- increases food access for underserved communities; expands supply and distribution channels for underserved communities
- increases healthy/nutritional food access for local community
- retains and creates new jobs at or above fair market wages
- creates new high-quality jobs that include benefits, job training and/or living wages
- encourages food sovereignty and food justice through ownership and more equitable consumer food access
- connects farmers and eaters through education or community-building
- supports the next generation of farmers by providing opportunity for young and/or beginning farmers
- provides an opportunity to build wealth for BIPOC and/or disadvantaged farmers
3. Local Environmental Impact: Having a positive impact on the environment.
Examples of Local Environmental Impact:
- improves farm-sector environmental practices and climate resiliency
- improves farm-sector carbon footprint of energy use
- re-uses pre-existing facilities
- creates energy-efficient production processes for business
- promotes land conservation, e.g. farm located on APR land
- located in an environmental justice (EJ) community
- fosters community-engaged solutions
- increases resilience to extreme weather events
- improves ecological footprint and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by reducing food miles
PVGIF Criteria for Non-Farm Consumer-Facing Businesses (including but not limited to: Restaurants, Value-added producers, Markets)
Non-farm enterprises that do not directly participate in the activities of Section 1 can show their Food and Farm System Impact by demonstrating that they source a significant amount of product locally*. A “significant amount” can be defined as at least one of the following:
- Your business purchases at least 50% of its products locally (measured by volume, weight, or value) OR
- Your business purchases 25% or more of its products locally AND operates at a larger scale (has an annual revenue of $500,000 or more) OR
- Your business purchases 25% or more of its products locally AND sources a variety of local products (at least 4 types of local products, including vegetables, fruit, meat, dairy, eggs, grain, and value-added products made from local ingredients (e.g. maple syrup, honey, jam, etc.)) OR
- Your business purchases 25% or more of its products locally AND sources from at least 6 local farms
The criteria listed above are examples of how businesses can demonstrate significant local sourcing, however they are not meant to be an exhaustive list. All may not apply, but you are welcome to submit an application and let us know the ways you have a positive impact on the regional farm and food system. We will review any application that meets the spirit of these criteria.
Start-ups
A start-up business must include these local purchasing commitments, identifying specific farms to purchase from within the next three years, explicitly in its business plans. Help is available to applicants that need assistance identifying and making connections with farms for sourcing.
* LOCAL is defined as the four counties comprising western Massachusetts (Hampshire, Hamden, Franklin, and Berkshire), plus the counties contiguous to your business location. For example, a business located in Franklin County purchasing from southern Vermont meets these criteria. If the business itself is located outside of western Massachusetts, local is defined as the business’s county or its contiguous counties (e.g. a business in Essex County purchasing from Southern New Hampshire).