2012 Community Grants
2012 was the first year of the Red Ants Pants Foundation Grant cycle.
Below is the list of highly-deserving grant recipients. We encourage you to explore their websites and support them any way you can.
Prairie Heritage Farm
The RAP Foundation grant will help purchase a made in the USA stone mill to grind heritage grains grown on the farm into fresh ground flour, which is more delicious and nutritious. The freshly ground flour will be available to CSA members, customers at farmer’s markets and bakeries and restaurants. This grant will help a small farm family expand markets, diversity the revenue base and increase the long-term viability of the business.
Gallatin Valley Farm to School
The RAP Foundation grant will help expand the Farm to School Champions Network, which connects organizers of farm to school related projects to share resources and ideas. The grant will support bi-annual meetings and workshops, develop a quarterly newsletter and recruit new members.
Beck Creek Gardens/Northwest Connections
The RAP Foundation grant will help fund a full time farm intern position which will help expand efforts to employ local farmers, train future farmers, and create a local food network that supports the community.
Field Day Farms
The RAP Foundation grant will help complete the installation of the drip line and aerial irrigation system on the new acreage and in the farm’s greenhouses. The irrigation system will increase extend the growing season and increase crop yield and total production.
YWCA GUTS!
The RAP Foundation grant will help fund an AmeriCorps VISTA to expand the Montana GUTS! Girls Leadership Initiative in rural communities. The VISTA will help develop new partnerships, which entail hosting annual community trainings and providing continual support via an online community discussion forum.
Cloud Nine Farm
The RAP Foundation grant will help fund attendance of one-year online Permaculture Design Certificate Course with the end goal of teaching and training interns, volunteers and interested community members. Permaculture is a design science that incorporates many diverse elements to achieve land restoration, biodiverse, self-sustaining farming enterprises, and the wise use of resources within nature’s operating framework for the achievement of multiple yields.
Stevens Youth Center
The RAP Foundation grant will help fund the development of a community garden, including supplies and programming surrounding plant growth and development, growing techniques, pest management and other agriculture related topics.
Madison Farm to Fork
The RAP Foundation grant will help fund a reliable system for managing a self-sustaining greenhouse operation. This goal is to create a business plan that includes a tracking system, analysis of profit and loss, revenue forecasts, and recommendations on how to proceed.
Crazy View Farm
The RAP Foundation grant will help fund an on-site cooler to store organic produce before distribution.
Southwest Montana Sustainable Growers’ Union
The RAP Foundation grant will help establish a Saturday farmers market in Livingston. This market will be open to farmers and ranchers within 100 miles of Livingston and will only feature food producers.