Hello! I am writing to invite participation from growers/producers/permaculture enthusiasts on a series of grants I am writing with the new nonprofit Eden Regeneration Alliance for a technology platform that eliminates the knowledge barrier preventing more people from planting food forests. This is a Conservation Innovation Grant through the National Resource Conservation Association. We are seeking 20 producer partners (can be located anywhere in the U.S.) who would like to use/test the technology to design their food forest and track progress implementing the design. Participants must be eligible for funding under EQUIP which means "Owners of
land in agricultural or forest production or persons who are engaged in livestock, agricultural or forest production on eligible land and that have a natural resource concern on the land may participate in EQIP." and you must not receive more than $450K/year in EQUIP funding. If you have dreamed of planting a food forest but haven't started, or have started but still would like to participate and expand this grant may be of interest to you.
As a producer/farmer/grower you agree to contribute 72 Hours over 9 months to using/pilot testing the GrowCo.Club platform (8 hours/month or 2 hours/week). Over this period you will complete a plan for a food forest at your location by entering in basic information about your site and selecting plants.
• 2 Hours Introduction to
project and platform
• 5 Hours Initial GrowCo platform testing
• 10 Hours Utilizing GrowCo platform to create food forest plan for my site
• 20 Hours participating in the GrowCo site tracking progress of my plants, adding knowledge content, uploading photos, etc.
• 9 Hours leaving feedback for other site users, groups, and businesses
• 6 Hours completing project evaluation
• 18 Hours additional use/testing/contribution to GrowCo over 9 month testing period
Further grant funding is being pursued to create seed funding for purchasing plants and materials needed to implement the food forest plan created by you and GrowCo. By participating in this initial grant funding opportunity through National Resource Conservation Association - Conservation Innovation Grant, you will receive:
• $450 stipend
• credit/acknowledgment as pilot GrowCo.Club member on GrowCo.Club member profile
• credit/acknowledgment as pilot GrowCo.Club member on GrowCo.Club press release
• acknowledged/credited for contributing 54
volunteer hours to Eden Regeneration Alliance ($1,350 contribution value)
• Free lifetime membership to GrowCo.Club
• First opportunity for inclusion in future Eden Regeneration Alliance/GrowCo.Club grant projects
The deadline for this grant is approaching quickly on Tues eEb 4. If you are interested in being included as a producer/pilot tester of this technology please respond to me at kristen "at" missioneden.net as soon as possible and I can send you a pdf that explains and shows the concept and proposal in greater detail. All we need from you before Tues is a simple letter or email confirming your participation and signed with your full name, title, and if you are an individual or affiliated with a farm, community group, etc. It would be helpful if this letter contained a statement about your interest in the project and a bit about the site/location you intend to plant a food forest.
Their are at least 3 more grants we are applying for on this project and the next one is not due until June so there will be more time to meet and collaborate with interested parties before then. For now, those who are committed to participating in this project have a unique opportunity to help bring
permaculture to the masses in a user-friendly format and to get assistance planning and establishing a food forest that may include seed money for plants and materials (this part is to be included in the next grant application due in June).
Brief overview of technology/project:
GrowCo.club draws upon the latest online technologies connecting people with plants, and plant-related services, to people without. GrowCo eliminates the knowledge barrier that prevents people from planting multi-crop
perennial food forest systems by simplifying the planning process and allowing users to easily generate food forest plans with plants that grow well in their area, and connects users to providers of their selected plants. Users can also share cultivation tips and successes, and can manage a
local campaign for planting a community food forest or a similar tree-planting campaign. Users can collect volunteer pledges and promote their campaign through GrowCo.club. Users can also offer their plants and skills for “Share” or for sale creating new job opportunities for growers,
permaculture designers, and laborers. GrowCo also provides a useful platform for students to interact with and research plants, add to the knowledge pool, and experiment with plant guilds.
