Marin County Parks has added a grant category for community and school gardens in this next phase of the FARE Program.
Grow your own is taking on a whole new meaning in Marin, as county officials are making roughly $1.4 million available for community gardens and other food-access initiatives. The grant funds are part of a Marin County Parks program called Food, Agriculture and Resilient Ecosystems, or FARE.
The 2025 grants are intended to support projects and programs that enhance food systems, promote climate-beneficial management and increase natural resource values on Marin’s working lands, according to a county announcement of the grants. FARE will prioritize programs that traditionally benefit populations experiencing inequity with food security and health—examples include community gardens, local food supply sustainability, increasing access to farmland for underserved communities, carbon-capture farming practices and more.
This year’s program has added a new community and school gardens grant category, according to program coordinator Rachel Lane.
Last year’s FARE grants benefited:
- Fibershed’s collaboration with tribal communities to plant 1,800 flood sedges (wetland-friendly plants similar to tall grass) for traditional basketry with local students
- The North Bay Children’s Center creation of new educational garden facilities
- Kitchen Table Advisors building land lease pipelines to connect underserved specialty crop growers with agricultural landowners
Online submissions are accepted through Sept. 12 via Submittable.com.
