Two Strategic Approaches

Choose the right RFSP grant strategy for Mobile County
🎯 Mobile County Problem Convergence
The Challenge: "You can throw a rock anywhere in Mobile County and find a food desert" + widespread flooding/drainage problems. Our Solution: Target the confluence of storm drainage failures and food access gaps with dual-purpose rain gardens that feed communities while managing stormwater.
The Simple Plan
Implementation Project
$750K - $1M Request
"Implement proven rain garden technology at scale. Create jobs training people in green infrastructure while solving municipal flooding and food access problems simultaneously."
Core Components
  • Flood Area Identification: Map chronic flooding locations in Mobile County
  • Dual-Purpose Gardens: Convert problem areas to vegetable-producing rain gardens
  • Farm-to-Market Pipeline: Direct sales from garden sites to community
  • Green Infrastructure Training: Train workforce in bioretention, stormwater management, and urban agriculture
  • Municipal Cost Reduction: Replace expensive drainage projects with food-producing alternatives
  • Job Creation: Full-time positions in garden management, harvesting, and green infrastructure maintenance
Sustainability Strategy
Build revenue stream from produce sales + municipal stormwater budget savings to create self-sustaining operation before grant funding ends.
Discuss Simple Plan
The Technology-Enhanced Plan
Implementation + Innovation
$750K - $1M Request
"Everything in Simple Plan PLUS cutting-edge quality verification and market expansion technology to maximize farmer income and community trust."
Enhanced Components
  • All Simple Plan Elements: Foundation of proven rain garden and food production systems
  • Hyperspectral Imaging: Instant pesticide residue and quality verification for produce
  • Blockchain Provenance: Seed-to-market tracking with smart contracts
  • AI Soil Analysis: Build proprietary database of regional soil conditions and optimal growing methods
  • Farmer Market Expansion: Technology enables local farmers to reach broader markets with verified quality
  • Regional AI Training: Develop Mobile County-specific agricultural AI for increased yields and revenue
Technology Revenue Model
Multiple revenue streams: produce sales + municipal savings + technology licensing to other farmers + premium pricing for verified quality produce + soil analysis services.
Discuss Tech Plan
Which Plan Fits RFSP Best?

Simple Plan Advantages:

  • Lower risk - uses proven technologies and methods
  • Faster implementation timeline
  • Easier to demonstrate measurable outcomes
  • More resources available for direct food production
  • Simpler partnership coordination

Technology Plan Advantages:

  • Higher potential revenue and sustainability
  • Addresses food quality concerns that drive people to distant grocery stores
  • Creates intellectual property and competitive advantages
  • Positions Mobile County as agricultural innovation leader
  • Technology can be shared with other rural communities facing similar challenges
June 12 Strategy: Present both plans to USDA Office Hours and get their input on which approach they prefer. Both create the same number of jobs and address the same municipal problems - the difference is technology sophistication.
Proven Rain Garden Models

Existing Successful Programs:

  • Philadelphia Water Department: Green City, Clean Waters program - 1,000+ rain gardens managing stormwater citywide
  • Portland Environmental Services: Food-producing rain gardens in schools and community centers with documented cost savings
  • Seattle Public Utilities: RainWise program - residential rain gardens with vegetable components, $7M annual stormwater savings
  • Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District: Growing Power integration - urban agriculture + stormwater management
  • Baltimore Department of Public Works: Blue-Green Infrastructure with community gardens, documented flooding reduction

Reference Point: We're not proving the concept works - we're implementing proven technology in Mobile County's specific context of widespread flooding + food desert convergence.