USDA Innovative Agriculture Micro-grants for Chicago (IAM-Chi) *

* SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, May 8, 2024 – The United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency Outreach Office and Illinois FSA Office, in cooperation with University of Illinois Extension, announces an opportunity for urban farmers and producers, beginning farmers, historically underserved producers, and food entrepreneurs in Chicago, Illinois to apply for an IAM-Chi grant. 

These grants are designed to fund innovative, forward-thinking, and novel projects to advance urban agriculture in Chicago.  Grants must not trigger environmental assessments or evaluations. 

Grants will support: 

• Conservation practices which improve soil quality; 
• Cost-sharing for infrastructure and on-farm equipment;
• Improvements in supply chain issues; and 
• Other innovative projects that support urban agriculture. 

IAM-Chi grants are:

• Small, one-time allocations that will require verification of expenses; 
• Available from $1,000 (minimum) to $25,000 (maximum) in funding;
• Awarded to eligible producers for projects that will be completed within 3 months; 
• First-come, first-serve competitive basis, beginning now until November 30, 2026; and 
• Available as soon as possible or within 2 months after grant submission if selected for funding. 

Assistance is available for answering questions about the IAM-Chi grant application process. 
Applicants who are not able to receive funds in one year, may be considered for funding in a future year, depending on available funds.  To obtain more information, please contact University of Illinois Extension at iam-chi-grant@illinois.edu, and to download a grant application, please go to go.illinois.edu/IamChiGrant.