MENDOCINO COUNTY, CA, 7/26/22 – The Good Farm Fund, a community organization supporting small farms and working to increase food security in Mendocino and Lake counties, received $50,000 from the California Fire Foundation in July to support fire relief and prevention at local farms. Applications for funding will open in November, according to a news release from the organization.
California Fire Foundation is an organization that offers emotional and financial assistance to families of fallen firefighters, firefighters, and the communities they protect.
“The Good Farm Fund generally prioritizes funding for food producers’ applications which will create a substantial positive impact for both the business and the surrounding community,” Good Farm Fund Project Coordinator Caroline Radice told The Mendocino Voice in an email. “The businesses should also demonstrate environmentally beneficial farming practices and a commitment to providing food access for all members of our community, including underserved community members.”
In May, the Good Farm Fund awarded similar grants for fire readiness and resilience to eight Mendocino and Lake County farms.
“Two years after the Sulphur Bank Fire burned through my property, I was still struggling to get my head above water when the Covid-19 pandemic hit,” said Jeannie Elizabeth Kelly of Coming Home to Country farm in Clearlake in a press release. “Had it not been for the Good Farm Fund grant to provide the big boost I needed, I don’t know how my farm would have survived.”
Radice said the Good Farm Fund updates its eligibility requirements with each grant cycle, and that the next applications for funding will be open for about a month online in November.
“We are grateful for this incredible support of local farms!” Good Farm Fund representatives wrote in a news release.