The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has announced $250,000 in grant funding for urban youth agricultural education or urban agriculture community development.

The AGRI Urban Agriculture grant program is available to for-profit businesses, non-profit organizations, schools, Native American tribal communities, and local government entities.

“The AGRI Urban Agriculture grants offer an exciting opportunity to introduce kids and youth to agriculture before they leave the K-12 school system,” said grant administrator Erin Connell in a press release. “Urban Ag funds can be used in a wide variety of ways as long as they teach youth in urban areas about agriculture, or assist in community development through agriculture. It would be great to see people using funds to build teaching labs, facilitate on-the-job ag-related training, or even to start an urban 4-H club or FFA chapter.”

Applicants may request up to $50,000 per project, and up to 100 percent of the total project cost may be covered by the grant. Half of the award may be requested as an advance.

Applications are due by 4 p.m. on April 19. The Urban Agriculture Grant is part of the Agriculture Growth, Research and Innovation (AGRI) Program.

For more information about the AGRI Urban Agriculture Grant visit www.mda.state.mn.us/grants/grants/urbanaggrant or contact Erin Connell at erin.connell@state.mn.us.