New York Watershed Micro Grants Program

The Economic Viability Mini Grants Program encourages the implementation of activities that can enhance the economic viability of farm and forest businesses in the NYC West of Hudson Watershed.

Four categories of reimbursement grant are available:

• Training

• Marketing

• Event/Mileage

• Staffing

Any NYC West of Hudson Watershed ‘farm operation’ as defined by Agriculture & Markets (AGM).

Small reimbursement grant — you pay first, then get paid back.

• Cap: "Applicants may apply for up to $5,000 in grant funding. There is a $5,000 cap per applicant per fiscal year."

• One category only: "Total amount you can apply for: $5,000 in one category only."

• Reimbursement, not upfront cash: "These are reimbursable grants. Closeout packages must provide necessary documentation per each category before reimbursement is issued." WAC pays you directly after reviewing your closeout package against the approved application.

• No match or cost-share is published.

• Mileage is paid at the federal rate: "WAC will reimburse applicants at the current federal mileage reimbursement rate." Round-trip Google Maps directions are required, calculated from your business address.

• Timing rules bite: only activities occurring after the approval date are eligible, and training "must occur within six months of the approval date."

• Categories: Training (paid on the training invoice), Marketing (farm signs, labels/packaging, logo, webpage, ad design and placement — no re-application for the same marketing service), Event/Mileage (a one-time offset for attending a new event/fair/market in New York State, not continual attendance), and Staffing (new positions only, at least minimum wage, with pay stubs and hour tracking at closeout).

• Preference: "Preference will be given to WAC participants."

Verify the amounts before applying. These figures come from the Watershed Agricultural Council's own Micro Grants Program page, but the most recent copy reachable in this pass was an archived one; the live site was unreachable from this session. Call WAC to confirm the current cap and open categories.

Apply online at this link.

• Info Page

• NYC West of Hudson Watershed Boundary Line Map

• WAC Micro Grants Application Tips