Massachusetts Urban Agriculture Program

The purpose of the MDAR Urban Agriculture Program is to advance Commonwealth goals and objectives, leverage collective resources, and support commercial projects designed to increase the production, processing, and marketing of produce grown and sold in urban centers across the Commonwealth. Expenditures will promote strategies to address food insecurity and to increase access of fresh, local produce in urban neighborhoods with a high concentration of low-moderate income residents.

• Must be located in Massachusetts and operate or support a commercial urban agriculture enterprise or community food production initiative in an urban area.

• Eligible: municipalities, federal or state recognized Tribal governments, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, public or nonprofit educational institutions, and commercial urban farms with at least three years of documented urban farming experience.

• Community garden and community food production projects may only be submitted by municipalities or nonprofits.

• You must have legal site control (ownership or a lease of at least five years).

• Not eligible: home or personal gardens, school gardens or education-only projects, food trucks and restaurants.

• There is no minimum acreage or gross income requirement.

• Grants up to the maximum for the project category, never more than $100,000. Category maximums: land $100,000; soil management, equipment, green infrastructure, climate change infrastructure, innovative growing technology, and marketing/distribution $50,000 each; community urban farming $25,000.

• Cash match: commercial urban agriculture and community food production projects need a 25% cash match for requests over $15,000. Land acquisition needs a 25% cash match at any amount. In-kind contributions and other state or federal grants don't count.

• Funds pay for capital improvements only, on a reimbursement basis. Costs incurred before the contract is signed aren't eligible.

• FY27 projects must be completed and reimbursed by June 30, 2027, with no extensions.

MDAR posts a Request for Response (RFR) on COMMBUYS each year. The FY27 round closed at 4:00 PM on May 18, 2026. Download the RFR and its required Attachment A application form from the COMMBUYS bid page, then follow the RFR's instructions. Proposals may not exceed six double-sided pages, not counting attachments.

Questions: Rose Arruda, Rose.Arruda@mass.gov, (617) 851-3644.

• FY2024 Application Portal and Info