Robert Ray

Once you perfect the perfect roast chicken you should try chicken baked in heavy cream. Cut up chicken and cover with heavy cream, you can add vegetables if you want but I usually just use onions salt and pepper the cream thickens and develops a crust on its own. I don't like sugary sweet potatoes so I do the same thing for a sweet potato dish on holidays.

The salt and drying the skin seem to be the crispy factor. I use a lemon in the body cavity. I also sometimes slip herbs under the breast skin..

The number one thing you will see mentioned is nitrate transport in ground water. A good thing to look for and simple to test for. Nitrate is very soluble and a good indicator of the septic plume that spreads from a septic system. Challenges to the dangers of nitrates from 1940's studies are becoming more prevalent.
Caffeine another simple and cheap test is something that is probably more undeniably a human waste byproduct that allows mapping of septic plumes.
However pharmaceutical are far more varied and just what does one look for, which ones? What is the long term effect of low dosages of my neighbors anti cancer treatment? Are superbugs becoming more resistant to antibiotics present in waste water. Opiates? Hormones?  
 Expensive filtration in a rural area is not going to be a viable option at present. Constructed wetland some times refered to as green machines a more Permie approach have been used for septic treatment and appear to do better in pharmaceutical remediation than standard systems or current ATT systems legal in Oregon.

Pharmaceuticals in groundwater is something I think needs to be looked at a little harder.
Septic systems in rural areas do little to filter out many pharmaceutical inputs.
Constructed wetland treatment systems show promise in remidiation. Hot composting is not something I have looked at.
Reclaimed water used in irrigation has been shown to have residual pharmecuticals.
Just what is the impact going to be in the long run?

The "ASK" is often the most difficult part when looking for donations I am really uncomfortable with it personally. For me a grant is a little easier since the ice is broken with an outline of the project.
I would suggest some deep research into Community Gardens and Food Forest successes to reference and bolster your "ASK".
The plan should include land acquisition or commitment from a land owner for the projects life. Costs?
Maintenance requirements initially and for the life of the project. Costs?
Interested community members and commitments of labor and material from those community members. If you have a location and can begin initial startup, being able to show the interest and need or desire for your project that would be a plus. Any work or donations should be clearly documented and tracked for use as in kind donations. Since some grants are wanting that equivalent monetary or portion of community commitment.
Harvest plan?
Who will benefit?
Tracking of success, community involvement. Could this be piggy backed with a youth or troubled youth program? Senior outreach? Being able to assist another organization or do additional good works and tracking that aspect of the project would be separate but maybe an additional selling point.
Is it solely (souly) religious in nature? Is it open to everyone without having ministry involved. It might matter.
How will you maintain and continue to flourish?
Budget throughout initial start up, during and up to harvest.
Those are my suggestions for beginning your request outline. I'm sure that others will have suggestions. Break out that legal pad: people need food...people need affordable food...people need good food...with a food forest.....

The "ASK" is often the most difficult part when looking for donations I am really uncomfortable with it personally. For me a grant is a little easier since the ice is broken with an outline of the project.
I would suggest some deep research into Community Gardens and Food Forest successes to reference and bolster your "ASK".
The plan should include land acquisition or commitment from a land owner for the projects life. Costs?
Maintenance requirements initially and for the life of the project. Costs?
Interested community members and commitments of labor and material from those community members. If you have a location and can begin initial startup, being able to show the interest and need or desire for your project that would be a plus. Any work or donations should be clearly documented and tracked for use as in kind donations. Since some grants are wanting that equivalent monetary or portion of community commitment.
Harvest plan?
Who will benefit?
Tracking of success, community involvement. Could this be piggy backed with a youth or troubled youth program? Senior outreach? Being able to assist another organization or do additional good works and tracking that aspect of the project would be separate but maybe an additional selling point.
Is it solely (souly) religious in nature? Is it open to everyone without having ministry involved. It might matter.
How will you maintain and continue to flourish?
Budget throughout initial start up, during and up to harvest.
Those are my suggestions for beginning your request outline. I'm sure that others will have suggestions. Break out that legal pad: people need food...people need affordable food...people need good food...with a food forest.....

The reason I suggested the Wal-Mart Community Grant was because they have resources to walk you through the process. "Access to Food" requires a letter of inquiry but all of this practice helps in future aplications.
In Oregon and I would guess Washington the Casino's are an outlet for many Grant opportunities. Our local kitchen has been the recipient of substantial assistance from that source. Your local library may have a resource book similar to what we have in Oregon that lists requirements and specific limitations to available grants.
A clear concise plan to begin with. Many times matching funds or in kind donation of labor or material will be required. Sometimes much like a house construction loan proof of work towards the end goal/forward progress determines release of funds.
Ghost writers sometimes apply on behalf of an organization for grants and receive a percentage of the organizations final award.

James, look at WalMart Community Grants it sounds as if your efforts would qualify for one.

I made a coffee Spoon for the wife and these sell nicely for me. The Mountain Ring is a quick sell as well. The little garden trowel came about from series of tools I made for promoting a local Faerie House and Garden Art Tour. The garden folk liked them and they were a perfect size for earrings or a necklace.

I dislocated my shoulder in High School and can definetly tell when the barometer is dropping or rising, quite a bit more accurate than the local weatherman.