Transportation and Marketing

Micro-Grants for Food Security Program

Fiscal Year 2022

Description of Funded Projects

Number of Grants Awarded: 5

Amount of Funds Awarded: $5,000,000.00

For more information, please visit the grant program's website: https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/mgfsp

NOTE: The below project descriptions were provided by the grant recipients.

Alaska 

Recipient: Alaska Division of Agriculture

Palmer, AK

Project Type: Initiative

Award Amount: $2,285,714.29

Alaska 2022 Micro Grants for Food Security Program Award

The Alaska Division of Agriculture will conduct a grant proposal opening for the 2022 Micro-Grants for Food Security 

Program (MGFSP.) The MGFSP grants are available to all individuals, Indian Tribes or tribal organizations, qualifying 

nonprofits, and federally funded educational facilities. As in 2021, the Individual awards are arranged by project type, and 

will be fixed amount awards, prioritized by Census Areas of greatest food insecurity, as ranked by the SNAP food assistance 

program. Organizations will apply with a project proposal as usual, and both types of applications will be scored by a Review 

panel of experts familiar with Alaskan agriculture and regions, using the measures of census area food insecurity rank, and 

direct and indirect beneficiaries. Projects and qualifying activities in 2022 are grouped under the broader the categories 

Gardening, Greenhouse, Livestock/Poultry, and Subsistence.

American Samoa 

Recipient: American Samoa Government Department of Agriculture

Tafuna, AS

Project Type: Initiative

Award Amount: $142,857.14

American Samoa 2022 Micro Grants for Food Security Program Award

American Samoa Government Department of Agriculture (ASG DOA) proposes to utilize the Fixed Amount Award to 

administer the micro grant project to initiate poultry farming to better assist ASG DOA with monitoring the project and will 

also provide the local residents and farmers the opportunity to gain insight, collaborate, collect and provide data to ASG 

DOA of their small-scale poultry farming progress. In two years, the ASG DOA's project in poultry farming will have 

improved and increased. Currently, there is but one registered poultry farm in American Samoa. It is a locally family-owned 

and operated farm that provides eggs to the different local retail stores. The ASG DOA is encouraged to initiate poultry 

farming within the territory; this type of farming somewhat dissipated throughout the years due to the lack of supplies, 

feed, and chickens that could not be sustained. ASG DOA proposes the initiation of poultry farming within the territory to 

grow its small-scale farming for poultry to improve and increase the territory's position for food security. Poultry farming 

includes both chicken layers and broilers for meat production with anticipation to substitute imported chicken meat with 

the locally produced chicken meat after initiating, producing, improving, and increasing production for import substitution. 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 

Recipient: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands(CNMI)Division of Agriculture

Saipan, MP

Project Type: Initiative

Award Amount: $142,857.14

CNMI 2022 Micro Grants for Food Security Program Award

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Division of Agriculture (CNMI DOA) will use multiple methods to 

identify and reach eligible entities. The staff will develop a list of local entities that meet program requirements, including 

individual farmers, ranchers, food pantries, and federal funded educational institutions such as head start, public school 

systems, Northern Marianas College (NMC) Community Research and Extension Services (CREES). CNMI DOA will 

communicate to these entities to explain the program and encourage them to apply once the Request for Proposal is 

announced. The entities are all located in CNMI and are managing farm or agriculture businesses or programs on the islands 

of Saipan, Tinian and Rota. DOA staff will also utilize KKMP Radio to disseminate information about the program. They will 

request an hour of airtime to talk about the program, including its requirements, deadlines and other important 

information. This will ensure the greatest number of eligible entities are reached, as the radio station usually interviews 

guest speakers during morning commute hours. Furthermore, the staff will conduct virtual workshops via Zoom to explain 

the application process and requirements, making it easier for eligible applicants to apply to the program who are residing 

on the neighboring islands of Tinian and Rota.

Guam 

Recipient: Guam Department of Agriculture

Hagatna, GU

Project Type: Initiative

Award Amount: $142,857.14

Guam 2022 Micro Grants for Food Security Program Award

Guam Department of Agriculture (DOAG) will administer a competitive Request for Proposals to award federal funds to 

increase the quality and quantity of locally grown foods. The goal is to support food-insecure communities that import a 

significant amount of food. The funds will provide grant funding to qualifying applicants over a one to three-year period. 

Micro-Grants for Food Security Program (MGFSP) provides opportunities for Guam-based individuals and organizations, 

commodity associations, agricultural cooperatives, producer groups, and other non-profit organizations related to 

agriculture to engage in activities that will increase local food sustainability for Guam. Activities funded under the MGFSP 

will assist eligible farmers with small-scale gardening, herding, and livestock operations by competitively distributing sub 

awards to eligible entities.

Hawaii 

Recipient: Hawaii Department of Agriculture

Honolulu, HI

Project Type: Initiative

Award Amount: $2,285,714.29

Hawaii 2022 Micro Grants for Food Security Program Award

The work to be performed under this project will increase the quantity and quality of locally grown food in Hawaii's 

geographically isolated, food insecure communities. Hawaii imports over 80 percent of the food that is consumed in the 

state and this project will provide funding for individuals, organizations, and federally funded educational facilities in Hawaii 

to grow more food. Based on the projects submitted in earlier grant cycles, for FY22, priority will be given to 1) protecting 

crops with fencing; 2) expanding an area under cultivation with high tunnels and non-permanent structures; and 3) 

purchasing or building vertical grow towers, hydroponic and/or aquaponic farming systems.