Agriculture Youth Mini Grant Program

Agriculture Youth Mini Grant Program is sponsored by Oregon Women for Agriculture. This program supports agriculture-related missions or special projects for youth up through college-age within Oregon. A university's agricultural extension programs or youth outreach initiatives in ecology and data science could be eligible.

Agriculture Youth Mini Grant Program - Oregon Women for Agriculture Agriculture Youth Mini Grant Program Grants for agriculture education projects in Oregon Supporting Youth in Agriculture The Oregon Women for Agriculture Youth Mini Grant Program is an opportunity for students, student organizations, non-profit organizations, classrooms, clubs, etc. located within the state of Oregon to apply for funds to support agriculture related missions or special projects.

During the Oregon Women for Agriculture Auction, donors from the agriculture community contributed to this fund. Applications are closed for our 2025 cycle and will reopen in Summer 2026 pending available funds. Complete the interest form below to be alerted when applications open.

Frequently Asked Questions Students, student organizations, non-profit organizations, classrooms, clubs, etc. located within the state of Oregon are eligible to apply for funds in support of agriculture related missions or special projects. Projects must directly benefit youth (up through college-age) and be aligned with Oregon Women for Agriculture’s mission of “Working Together to Communicate the Story of Today’s Agriculture”.

What is the timeline for awards? Pending available funds for 2026. Applications will be due October 15, 2026.

After the application deadline, our committee will review all of the applications. Applicants will be notified no later than December 1, 2026 and funds will be dispersed by January 15, 2027. Projects must be planned between January 1, 2027 and September 1, 2027.

What are the reporting requirements? Applicants are required to submit a simple follow-up grant report at the completion of the project. Failure to complete the grant report will result in future disqualification.

Recipients may be asked to report at an OWA meeting or event. Do you have any tips for the application? In 2024 we received 63 applications and were only able to fund 13.

The most competive applications clearly identified where the mini-grant funds would be spent and were projects appropriate for the small nature of this project! Where can I ask additional questions? You can email our committee at grants@owaonline.

org . 4-H FunDaze Afterschool Program, Lincoln City — $499 Provides youth with hands-on learning in sustainable bucket gardening and willow propagation to explore agriculture, ecology, and environmental stewardship. Ashbrook Independent School Green Team, Corvallis — $300 Establishes a school composting and worm farm system to reduce cafeteria food waste and support sustainable garden practices.

Banks Public Library, Banks — $600 Supplies youth participating in summer reading with materials to grow vegetables, connecting literacy with hands-on food production. Creekside Community High School (Ag-Ventures Program), Tigard — $800 Supports high school students in creating agriculture learning kits for elementary classrooms to build leadership and agricultural literacy.

Enterprise Elementary School, Enterprise — $850 Funds raised garden beds to protect crops and expand hands-on plant science and sustainability education. Jefferson County Middle School, Madras — $700 Supports a Farm to Table initiative where students grow food and prepare meals, learning the full journey from planting to plate.

Liberty Elementary School Parent Teacher Club, Albany — $900 Provides supplies and equipment to complete a school greenhouse and launch a hands-on garden education program. Lundy Elementary School, Lowell — $488 Enhances a developing school garden with infrastructure and materials to expand agriculture education for elementary students.

Oakland FFA, Oakland — $630 Launches a student-led agriculture podcast to build leadership skills and share local agricultural stories with the community. Oregon Dairy Princess Ambassador Program, Statewide — $900 Upgrades educational presentation tools to strengthen statewide outreach and dairy education efforts.

OSU Extension – Benton County 4-H, Corvallis — $613 Funds production and distribution of an interactive biosecurity game to educate youth on animal health and disease prevention. Phoenix School Farm and Garden Program, Roseburg — $790 Completes garden fencing and restores beekeeping activities to provide hands-on education in pollination and sustainable farming.

Polk County 4-H Program, Dallas — $600 Restores the Embryology Program by purchasing incubators and supplies for hands-on chick hatching and life science education. Tillamook Junior High School Agriculture Program, Tillamook — $460 Installs worm composting systems to recycle garden debris and teach sustainable soil and food production practices.

Yamhill County Youth Services Center, McMinnville — $900 Expands the Learn to Earn program with greenhouse support to teach job skills, agriculture, and food donation stewardship.

Lincoln Elementary School, Corvallis Newby Elementary School, McMinnville North Albany Elementary School North Albany Middle School Phoenix School of Roseburg Sheridan High School AG/ CTE Ascension School Camp and Conference Center, Cove: outdoor school field trips to woman-owned farms in Union County.

Banks High School Agriculture Program, Banks: purchasing materials to establish a classroom cavy project for use in Companion Animal Science and Vet Science courses. Catalyst High School, Newberg: funds from OWA will help the development of a garden which will be the center of the hands-on learning style classroom.

Community Roots School, Silverton: continuation of large school garden’s consumable needs like seeds, compost, chicken and duck feed, tools and materials for educational projects. Dufur School, Dufur: the purchase of materials for 6-12th grade students to build raised garden beds for K-5th grade classes. Elgin School District, Elgin: purchase of raised beds for produce production in district greenhouses.

Future Involvement in Agriculture, Klamath Community College: funds for agriculture field trips for Klamath Community College students to engage in industry and learn of career opportunities. Kalmiopsis Elementary School, Brookings: revival of a Monarch Butterfly Garden to support classroom lessons about the importance of pollinators.

Klamath County Extension, Klamath Falls: development of three insect collections to be used as teaching aids for 4-H/FFA, Master Gardeners and Klamath Community College students. Muddy Creek Charter School, Corvallis : repair and improvement of outdoor learning spaces, specifically improvements to their chicken coop and sprinklers for summer watering needs.

Reynolds High School, Portland: field trips and an egg incubator for a new Agriculture Science class. Sauvie Island School, Portland: the addition of climate control amenities for greenhouses to enable year-round vegetable production. Springwater Environmental Sciences School, Oregon City: the purchase of five new wheelbarrows for use by students in their school garden.

View 2023 Project Reports