Alameda County Conservation Partnership
2015 Urban Farm Conservation Mini-Grant Program
Funding provided by the Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District
Application Packet
Grant applications are due August 21, 2015
BACKGROUND
The Alameda County Conservation Partnership is happy to announce the second round of its new
mini-grant program designed to support conservation on urban and urban-edge farms while
improving yields and enhancing overall production. Mini-grant funds are intended to support farm or
garden improvements that will enhance soil and water quality and conservation, as well as habitat,
both on-site and in the surrounding community. Click here for more information.
WHAT TYPES OF CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES WILL BE FUNDED?
Grants will cover the following types of activities:




Erosion control and runoff reduction measures e.g. bioswale, rain garden or filter strips utilizing
native, drought tolerant or other appropriate plantings, straw wattles for storm drains, mulching,
cover crops, rainwater collection systems*
Conservation and habitat plantings e.g. cover crops, hedgerows, bee and owl boxes, drought tolerant
or native plantings
Water quality and efficiency improvements e.g. irrigation system improvements, compost
acquisition, compost systems or compost covers
Informational Signage e.g. placards explaining the purpose of a rain garden or filter strip; a sign
describing various run-off/erosion mitigation practices and how this supports water quality in an
adjacent creek or channel.
This list is just a sample and applicants should feel free to propose additional conservation activities
that will benefit water, soil, or habitat resources and support production. For additional information
on conservation practices click here.
Applicants may request technical assistance with design or implementation of conservation practices
and the Conservation Partnership will do its best to provide support or match you with a qualified
technical service provider. Please specify any technical assistance needs in the application below.
*Rainwater collection systems are recommended only if sufficient roof surface area is available and
cisterns can be safely and effectively located. To learn more about design considerations click here.
GRANT SIZE
Funding requests are not to exceed $3,000 and the Conservation Partnership reserves the right to
partially fund projects. A diverse, four member workgroup will select projects to be funded.
The Alameda County Conservation Partnership is a collaboration between the Alameda County Resource Conservation
District (RCD) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) of Alameda County
MONITORING
Applicants agree to evaluate initial & anticipated success of conservation activities via a Final Report
due June 10, 2016. Evaluation might include estimated gallons of water saved per month; gallons of
run-off averted from storm drains; lbs of fertilizer avoided through use of compost; success of native
plantings etc. Applicants will be asked to describe their monitoring plan in the application.
ELIGIBILITY
Eligible applicants include urban farms, gardens and organizations with urban farming programs.
Project sites must be located within Alameda County Flood Control District Zones 2, 2A, 3A, 4, 5, 6, 9,
12 & 13, including Oakland, San Leandro, Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, Hayward, Fremont, and Newark.
Projects located in Zone 7 are not eligible to apply. For more detail on eligible locations in click here.
Previous grant recipients may re-apply provided that the proposed project clearly builds-on or
enhances the prior project’s conservation benefits and/or addresses different conservation issues.
WHAT COSTS WILL THE GRANT COVER?
Covered
Not Covered
 Materials and supplies for the project
 Food/Drinks
 Equipment rentals
 Farm equipment or other big ticket items not
directly related to the project (e.g., rototiller,
 Signage
tractor implement, computer, etc.)
 Wages or salaries for labor (no more than 25%
of total grant funds may be spent on labor)
 Other project expenses on a case by case basis
IMPORTANT DEADLINES
Proposals due: August 21, 2015 – 5pm
Applicants notified, contracts and invoice templates sent out: Sept 11, 2015
 Grant funds will be disbursed within 30 days of receipt of a signed contract & invoice.
Final report due including photos: June 10, 2015 – form will be provided
 Final grant payment will be disbursed within 30 days of receipt of a final invoice.
75% of grant funds will be made available upon completion of a contract agreement and submittal of
an invoice from the grantee. The remaining 25% will be disbursed upon adequate completion of the
project and submission of a Final Report. Awardees must submit before/after photos of the project
site(s) with their Implementation Report.
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS



Farm sites near, adjacent to or containing a storm drain, creek, channel, or body of water to
which farm run-off is likely to flow during a significant storm event will be given priority
Efforts by the implementing organization/entity to outreach to the public about the benefits
of the newly implemented conservation activities are encouraged.
Re-submission of prior unsuccessful applications will be given extra consideration provided
that reviewer feedback is reflected in the revised application.
The Alameda County Conservation Partnership is a collaboration between the Alameda County Resource Conservation
District (RCD) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) of Alameda County
The Urban Farm Mini-Grant Program is supported by the Alameda County
Flood Control District and water conservation district.
Urban Farm Conservation Mini-Grant Application
Please complete the following application. Information must be typed below or cut and pasted into
the form. Use additional pages as needed. Be brief but provide enough information about your
project so we have a clear picture of what you plan to accomplish and how you plan to do so. Please
contact Susan Ellsworth at susan.ellsworth@acrcd.org or 925-371-0154 ext. 103 with any questions.
Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Project Title:
Organization/Farm Name:
Property Owner:
Project Director:
Website:
Fiscal sponsor (if applicable):
Email:
Address:
Phone:
Best way to reach you: Phone  Email 
1. In a few sentences, describe the mission of the applicant farm, garden or organization
2. How many sites are managed by the applicant organization/entity? Estimate total area (square
footage or acreage) under cultivation.
3. Describe the location where conservation activity will take place. Include address or nearest
intersection and estimated square footage or acreage at that site. A map of the location is
encouraged and can be attached at the end of the application (snapshot from Google Maps with
the site highlighted is fine).
4. Please describe the conservation activities that you plan to implement with support from this
grant.
The Alameda County Conservation Partnership is a collaboration between the Alameda County Resource Conservation
District (RCD) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) of Alameda County
5. How will these practices be implemented? Please describe the staff/volunteers/consultants
necessary to carry out the work and provide a timeline for completion.
6. Do these activities stand to improve water quality or minimize run-off into storm drains or nearby
drainages? Yes  No  If so, please describe.
7. Do these activities stand to improve soil quality or beneficial habitat? Yes  No  If so, please
describe
8. Describe how you will monitor and evaluate the success of your conservation activities.
9. Are you interested in technical assistance with the implementation of your conservation project?
If yes, what kind of technical assistance?
10. Would you like to host a volunteer day at your project site to assist with implementation or other
conservation related activities? Yes  No  If yes, would you like assistance from the
Conservation Partnership in setting this up?
11. How do you plan to share information about your conservation activities with program
participants, staff, volunteers or the general public?
12. Is your farm/garden within 50’ of a storm drain? Yes  No 
13. Is your farm/garden within 250’ of a creek, channel or other waterbody? Yes  No 
14. Is there potential for run-off from your farm/garden into a stormdrain or waterway during a large
storm? Yes  No 
15. Do you need permission/permits to carry out the conservation activities? If so, please describe
your plan for securing this permission.
The Alameda County Conservation Partnership is a collaboration between the Alameda County Resource Conservation
District (RCD) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) of Alameda County
Project Budget: In the worksheet below, show the breakdown of estimated projects costs for:
 Labor (not more than 25% of project budget, for implementation) and materials, supplies,
services, rental costs to be paid for with grant funds
 Match includes volunteer (unpaid) labor, donated materials, supplies, services or rental costs
 Note: Match is not required. However, if it demonstrates your collaboration with other
organizations you may want to list them.
 Note: Grant monies cannot be used to purchase food, ongoing crop production materials or
farm equipment not directly related to the grant-funded project.
Grant Funds
Grant Funds
Optional Match
Item/Services
Materials, services,
etc. purchased with
grant funds
Paid labor and staff
time (estimated hrs
and total cost)
Materials,
services, labor
donated
Example: Native plants and seeds
Example: Refreshments for
planting event
Example: Project manager’s time
to oversee implementation
$500.00
Subtotals
TOTAL REQUESTED GRANT FUNDS
$500
$860
$40
12 hrs ($360)
$360
$40
Agreement with The Conservation Partnership: applicants selected for funding will sign an agreement
with the Conservation Partnership including a Liability Release Waiver form.
Applicant Signature – Please print and sign below. Copies should be scanned and emailed to Susan
Ellsworth at susan.ellsworth@acrcd.org by 5pm Friday, August 21, 2015.
_________________________________
Signature of Applicant
___________________________
Date
Program Contact:
Susan Ellsworth
Alameda County Conservation Partnership
3585 Greenville Rd. Suite 2
Livermore, CA, 94550
The Alameda County Conservation Partnership is a collaboration between the Alameda County Resource Conservation
District (RCD) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) of Alameda County