The Perennial Promise Growers Cooperative is a new farmer-owned co-op pioneering the commercialization of Kernza, a new perennial grain crop that can improve water quality. The co-op was recently awarded a $50,000 Matching Equity grant from CoBank; CDS was the champion for their application.
Now in its third year, the Matching Equity Grant program honors CoBank’s mission to support rural America by encouraging new and innovative cooperative approaches to the needs of rural communities. This program provides grants of up to $50,000 to match equity raised by start-up businesses who have the potential to have a tangible positive impact on the food system and rural America. These grants are to be used for start-up related activities such as feasibility studies, inventory acquisition, and marketing expenses.