Grants for farmers and ranchers to turn atmospheric carbon into soil carbon.

Full eligibility requirements are outlined on pages 2-3 of our Grant Guidelines, but if you’re a farmer producing food for human consumption in California, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington, the chances are good you’re eligible!

Applications for growers in OR & WA are open through September 17th, 2024 (just scroll up!).

The application period for CA & CO closed on August 20th, 2024.

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The application is designed to be filled out on your own. Technical assistance is, however, required on each project for validation that practices are carried out in accordance with NRCS standards.

Yes, the Restore Grant will pay for the Technical Assistance for awarded projects and in addition to the grant bid.

Eligible Technical Assistance Providers include any NRCS office, any Conservation District, or any individual or organization with an established history of providing technical assistance to farms and/or ranches for conservation practices and/or climate-smart agriculture. There are great registries online, such as the USDA directory, that can get you started in your search. If you’re unsure if your Technical Assistance provider would meet these requirements, contact us; we would be happy to assist!

We use the COMET Planner tool to model projected Carbon Sequestration. You can access this as a link in the application. On the right-hand side of the chart, you’ll find a column titled “Total CO2 Equivalent,” this is the number you’ll input into your application for each practice. You’ll also hit “Download Results” and upload the PDF version of the COMET planner with all the practices you’re applying for to your application. Practices and acreage for each should be consistent in your application and your COMET planner.

Applicants can cost share to make their application more competitive. Cost-sharing funds can come from various sources, such as a government grant or the applicant’s own funds. We just ask that you disclose the source of these funds in your application. For questions about matching funds from a third party, send us an email at grants@zerofoodprint.org.

For applicants who can’t apply online, we offer a PDF application that can emailed to us directly. If you are unable to fill out the application or require assistance, we are happy to receive submissions over the phone. Please leave us a message at (813) 575-3949 with your name and phone number, and state that you require assistance with the Restore application.

Please note: the application period for CA & CO closed August 20th, 2024. Applications in OR & WA are open through September 17th, 2024.

Yes, you may so long as you have completed the project validation from your last grant and you have not exceeded the lifetime award of $75,000.

Compost Connector is restricted to California farms and ranches and consists of reimbursement for a portion of your compost purchase. Restore is our grant program for numerous conservation practices. It has a lengthier application with a competitive selection process based on modeled sequestration of CO2.

Grant funds may be used for any supplies, labor, services, or equipment which are required for the completion of the practice(s) awarded. If unsure whether an expenditure is eligible to be covered by grant funds, don’t hesitate to contact us.

We only fund projects which would not have been carried out without grant funding. This is to ensure we’re making an environmental impact that is additional to the “status quo.”