HOWARD TOWNSHIP — A Howard Township farmer needs your vote.

No, Larry Eckler, owner of Eckler Farms located just south of Dowagiac, is not running for political office. He has applied for a grant to help him expand his in-demand pumpkin seed business. The grant is awarded by the not-for-profit program Cultivating Change.

However, the program does not pick the winner. Instead, they award applicants based on who receives the most public votes on the Cultivate Change website.

“It’s a contest for agricultural advancement,” Eckler said. “They put out grants to help farmers purchase new equipment or to advance their food safety. There are about 100 different contestants. I was looking last night where the contents are from. There are only three from Michigan, and the rest are from all around the country.”

According to the contest website, Cultivating Change is a grant program designed to help agriculturists grow. Grants are awarded for projects to upgrade operations, invest in food safety and implement sustainable technology.

Cultivating Change is funded through Greener Fields Together, an organization focused on sustainability. For every package purchased through Greener Fields Together, 5 cents is donated to the Cultivating Change initiative.

Past grants have ranged from $3,000 to $13,000, and have funded a variety of projects throughout the country.

This year, $20,000 will be awarded to grant applicants winning the most votes. First-place receives $10,000. second place $5,000, third place $3,000 and fourth and fifth place applicants will each be granted $1,000.

A panel will also award a total of $55,000. One grant will be awarded in the amount of $20,000. Two $10,000 grants will be awarded, and three $5,000 grants will be awarded.

Eckler bought a pumpkin harvester a year ago and quickly realized how much effort and resources it takes to dry the seed. That is why he hopes to use the grant to help purchase pumpkin seed drying equipment.

“We need an efficient way to dry the seeds after we harvest them,” Eckler said. “This grant would help us to purchase seed drying equipment for our new pumpkin seed product at our roadside market.”

In total, the dryer the farm needs will cost around $45,000. If Eckler is awarded a grant, it will not be anywhere near that amount, but the earnings would put a dent in the price tag.

“It’s not going to pay for it all, but it’s going to help,” Eckler said.

With only 100 acres of land dedicated to agriculture, Eckler’s farm is relatively small compared to some of the other applicants — a few of which have over 10 times the amount of land.

Eckler Farms grew pumpkins on 70 acres last fall. For the most part, the only pumpkins that were processed for their seeds were the ones that people did not pick for Halloween.

To process the pumpkins, farmers place the harvester on a tractor, which then separates the seeds from the pumpkin shells and cleans them. It then deposits the shell and other pieces of the pumpkin back into the soil to enrich it with organic matter.

In addition to pumpkins, Eckler grows other types of produce that the local community desires.

“We’ve grown produce for over 55 years for this local area,” Eckler said. “We produce in the summer, fresh produce on nearly 100 acres.  We try to grow everybody’s favorites in vegetables, fruits, and berries.”

Voting for Cultivate Change started on Jan. 5 and continues through Jan. 31. To vote for Eckler Farms or check out any of the other contestants, visit cultivatingchange.org/vote.