TIE Award Applications are now closed. Thank you for applying.

2026 Awardees:

• Lucky Dogs Farm (Foster, RI) - Funding will be used to retrofit an existing tunnel with roll up sides and exclusion netting to combat cucumber beetles and allium pests. New trellising materials and specialized greenhouse cucumber varieties will also be purchased to make this high value space efficient and profitable.

• Berry Hill Farm (Westport) - Berry Hill Farm will customize a tow behind spraying machine to implement a regenerative foliar and soil fertility program on our 2 acre blueberry orchard and future plantings. This mineral and biological fertility spray program will be measured to improve quality of blueberries and reduce pest pressure from SWD, Japanese Beetles, etc.

• Old Earth Orchards, LLC (East Taunton) - We will use TIE funding to purchase native North American persimmon trees to plant within the existing hedgerows on our farm. At a minimum, this project will improve plant biodiversity, increase pollinator and wildlife forage, provide fodder for our pigs, add a nutritious and shelf-stable fruit crop to our produce offerings, and establish a bank of North American persimmon genetics for us to share with other farmers in our region. Fully realized, this project could produce locally adapted improved persimmon varieties that could provide revenue for our farm as well as improved genetics for production and/or ecological stewardship. 

• Aeonian (Westport) - Funding will be used to improve germination of summer crops that experience thermal dormancy, and to trial an innovative new model of an essential bed preparation tool, the tilther. Improving our summer greens offering will help bring in more revenue during peak demand, and the Neversink model tilther has a novel motor kit that replaces the drill powered standard. Replacing the drill powered model will increase operation time and put an end to costly power drills that have a short shelf-life when used for bed preparation.

• Tree Talk Natives, LLC (Rochester) - Proper irrigation of native plants displayed on tables has been a persistent challenge at our nursery, leading to wasted water, excessive labor, and inconsistent plant health. This project will trial engineered ebb-and-flow display tables that water plants from below, improving efficiency, reducing labor time, and producing healthier, more attractive plants. The system will improve long-term sustainability and provide practical insights for other small native plant nurseries.

• Pea Shoot Farm, LLC (Foster, RI) - This grant will allow us to purchase a large glass-doored refrigerator, which will double as our primary cooler and a produce display for on-farm sales. By tripling our cold storage capacity, we will be able to get more produce to market and directly to customers. It will also reduce labor by eliminating a harvest day, as we will be able to store multiple days’ worth of market harvest at once for back-to-back markets. 

• Zeiglers Market Garden (Norfolk) - We will use the funding to purchase a water wheel transplanter for our compact category 1 tractors. This will be used primarily for planting transplants through plastic mulch, but we also plan to implement it in our no-till beds to speed up planting time and provide a more ergonomical way of setting out our long season crops. The model 1816 has a 60 gallon water tank, 2 seats, and holds ten seedling trays. 

   

2025 Awardees:

• Groundwork Somerville (Somerville) - The TIE award will allow us to repair and improve our greenhouse, extending our season and increasing the variety of unique vegetables we can grow on our farm. 

• Hands for the Needy Farm (Seekonk) - We propose to construct an 8' deer fence around half of our farm to prevent crop loss and wasted work.

• Hocus Pocus Farm (Seekonk) - Incorporate the use of a walk-behind tractor into our bed preparation process and by funding tractor repairs and the purchase of a rotary plow and necessary wheel accessories. This project will help us to create raised beds for improved crop production and soil health.

• Southside Community Land Trust (Providence, RI) - Two of the most challenging issues in urban farming are 1) animal (non-insect) pest pressure and 2) perennial rhizomatic weeds. We will create and maintain a library of small tools and supplies, some tested and some new to our network, to deal with these issues. Urban market growers will be able to use and borrow them.

• Tiani Gardens (Lakeville) - Rotary tiller for tractor to enhance pre-and post-planting soil preparation

• West Meadowbrook Farm (Foster, RI) - Construct a permanent deer fence tol allow the farm to expand operations, provide lasting crop protection, and reduce labor spent on maintaining electric fence lines.

2024 Awardees:

• Common Acre Farm (Mansfield) – permanent fencing for wildlife exclusion and addition of sheep and chickens
• Freedom Food Farm (Raynham) – mower for maintaining fence lines in rotationally grazed fields
• Fruit Fair Farm (Chicopee) – closed loop irrigation system and greenhouse monitoring equipment
• Herb Hill Farm and Micro-Dairy (Pepperell) – construction of a gathering space for educational on-farm workshops
• Late Bloom Farm (Haverhill) – high tunnel trellising system for tomatoes and cucumbers, and insect netting
• Moonrose Farm (Rehoboth) – electric deer fencing to make a new piece of farmland viable
• Muck and Mystery Farm (Seekonk) – electric deer fencing to expand crop production
• The Neighborhood Farm (Westport) – low tunnel system for frost protection, insect exclusion, and summer shade
• Nilsa’s Herbal Teas and Botanicals (Dartmouth) – shade cloth, storage bins, and shelving for expansion of dried flowers and herbs
• Old Earth Orchards (Taunton) – compost tea brewer and sprayer for natural orchard fertility management
• Padanaram Oyster Farm (Dartmouth) – oyster tumbler for efficient sorting and cleaning of harvested oysters
• Sibling Organic Crops (Lakeville) – rotary tiller attachment for first tractor, to efficiently prepare and cultivate 10 acre field
• Zeigler’s Market Garden (Norfolk) – permanent wash station to improve food safety protocols