FAQs

• Are after school programs eligible?
  Answer: Yes, after school programs are eligible.
• Can a container farm grant be granted if the container will be physically located in New York
  Answer: No, we cannot make an award to an entity that would locate the container out of state, even if it's sold to a CT school.
• Can a regional educational service center apply for multiple projects involving different districts?
  Answer: Yes, regional educational service centers may apply on behalf of multiple districts for different projects.
• Can a short-term loan or financing arrangement (i.e. payment plan) be entered into for the shipping container?
  Answer: Yes, a short-term loan or financing arrangement can be used to purchase the unit as long as the terms end and the unit is paid off within the contract period. Grant funds cannot be used towards interest payments.
• Can family childcare providers apply individually?
  Answer: Family childcare providers may apply individually or through a network.
• Can home childcares get a shipping container too?
  Answer: Home childcare providers are eligible to apply, though we want to really emphasize the significant time and financial investment long term that a container is to operate. Also, a shipping container growing may not be the most appropriate learning outlet for very young children to engage with. If home childcare providers are interested in hydroponic growing, we encourage you to explore activities that are more appropriately scaled to the population you are serving such as utilizing tower gardens or a small PVC unit.
• Can individual public schools apply for the grant, or does it have to be submitted at the district level?
  Answer: Individual schools may apply to the grant.
• Can you give us an estimate of how long it could possible take to complete the application process?
  Answer: The microgrant application is a very simplified process that would like take 1-2 hours to complete providing that you have an idea ahead of time. The larger grant application will likely take at least twice as long as you need to complete a full budget and answer questions in more length. Budget additional time for the shipping container project as you will likely need to do fairly extensive research to get quotes and accurate budget figures for all your needs.
• Could you apply for a track 1/2 grant and also the shipping container program?
  Answer: No, you may only apply to one track per applicant. However, a district may submit multiple applications involving different schools.
• Do we need to have programs identified prior to applying?
  Answer: Yes, you would need to have programs identified prior to applying.
• Do you have a cap in each track for grants?
  Answer: No there isn't a cap for funding in each grant track.
• Does the shipping container grant require year-round growing or is seasonal OK?
  Answer: You would need to sufficiently explain the use of the shipping container - year-round growing would be more of a competitive application than just seasonal growing.
• How much of the product needs to be sold to/utilized by schools? Can product be sold through other markets?
  Answer: A majority of the product grown needs to be sold to/utilized in schools. Other market outlets may be utilized to sell/distribute leftover product, particularly if the income generated helps to make the operation more self-sustaining.
• If an applicant only received one of the last two rounds of grant funding, are they eligible to apply this year?
  Answer: If funding was received only one out of the last two rounds of funding, they are eligible to apply again. It is only if funding was received BOTH rounds that the group is ineligible.
• If I apply for a container grant, and subsequently hit an issue with my zoning board or an outside force, and I cannot complete my project, can I just fail to even use the grant?
  Answer: You must be able to demonstrate that you have approval for the sitting of the shipping container at the time of submitting the application. A letter of support from the town may suffice for the grant application. If awarded a grant, funds will not be advanced until after contract execution and the submission of full approval from the town’s zoning board.
• If we do tastings for children using produce we purchase from farms, do we fall into Track 1?
  Answer: Typically, a project that focuses on taste tests for students would fall under Track 2 Experiential Learning as it should include educational programming for students. Track 1 should not be used to direct purchase farm product, but rather to conduct projects that facilitate in the purchase and/or processing of farm products as the school/district level.
• Is there a definition of a "shipping container system"? I.e. If an applicant wants to build their own system, what type of container/structure would be eligible?
  Answer: The definition of shipping container system is in the guidance document, which says, "A shipping container growing unit is a form of climate-controlled agriculture in which products are typically grown hydroponically (can be vertical or horizontal) in the retrofitted shipping container. Shipping container units can be effective ways to grow year-round on limited land and may have significant water savings. " If you want more guidance on applying to build your own system, you should email Cyrena for more specific information.
• Is there a directory of schools or ECE centers looking for farm products?
  Answer: Check out Put Local on Your Tray There are resources for schools looking for produce, for farmers looking to connect with schools, and how to find farms in your area. They have a directory as well of the districts that have taken the Tray Pledge. If you are a producer looking to connect with an ECE provider or school, please contact Cyrena for guidance.
• What does the relationship with a school need to look like for this grant? How do I demonstrate this?
  Answer: If the applicant is not a school, there needs to be a clearly demonstrated purchasing and education relationship in the application. This can be laid out in the narrative as well as through letter of support/commitment from the school(s)/district(s) that you will be partnering with to sell product and conduct educational programming. The more specific information you can provide on how you will engage the schools and students, the better.
• What is an Alliance District?
  Answer: The Alliance District program is a unique and targeted investment in Connecticut's 33 lowest-performing districts. 2023-2024 Alliance districts can be viewed here.
• What is the total amount of money available is across all tracks?
  Answer: Up to $900,000 is available in funding for tracks 1-4 with an additional $2 million available for track 5.
• Who should letters of support be from?
  Answer: Letters of support should be from project partners or organizations who will be a part of your project. The letters can also be from beneficiaries of your proposed project showing a need for the project. If you are planning to purchase from a specific farm, a letter of support from that farm is recommended to include as well.
• Will this grant cover expenses to cover certifying my daycare as a nature explore classroom. and would this cover putting goats and chickens on my property to provide learning experiences for kids.
  Answer: This grant is meant specifically for projects that are focused on farm to school experiences. If a component of the nature explore classroom is focused on agriculture, that could be eligible but this grant does not cover general outdoor education expenses.