The roadside.market Homestead Improvement Fund (RHIF)

Putting Money Back Into Local Agriculture

Supporting a roadside farmstand shouldn't stop at buying a dozen fresh eggs. It should mean investing directly in the person who raised them.

At roadside.market, our mission is to empower local farmstands and homesteaders. We believe that small-scale agriculture is the backbone of sustainable communities, and we wanted our platform to do more than just put stands on a map.

That's why we created the roadside.market Homestead Improvement Fund (RHIF).

How It Works

We've pledged that 90% of all net profits from any purchases on the site go directly into the RHIF. This includes every revenue source on our platform:

• The Digital Honor Box (direct contributions & subscriptions)
• The roadside.market Shop (stickers, verification kits, merch)
• Custom Trails
• Any future revenue streams we introduce

This 90/10 split is calculated strictly on our net profit—meaning after we have paid out all essential overhead, including Stripe credit card processing fees, taxes, shipping costs, and the Cost of Goods Sold (COG) for any physical merchandise. The remaining 10% of that net profit is kept to cover the basic operational costs of maintaining and hosting roadside.market itself.

The RHIF is reserved exclusively for distributing micro-grants directly back to eligible stand owners on our platform. These grants (currently capped at $250 per award) are designed to help homesteaders and farmers with tangible improvements and general operational expenses, such as:

• Building or repairing physical farmstands and physical honor boxes
• Upgrading signage or purchasing display materials
• Investing in new seeds, tools, packaging supplies, and general farm operations
• Expanding local marketing efforts

Applying for a Grant

We are currently finalizing the application process and schedule for the first round of RHIF micro-grants. Once the fund reaches our initial milestone, anyone can apply for a grant directly through their roadside.market Dashboard as long as they meet the following eligibility rules:

• You have a claimed stand on the map.
• Your stand details have been updated within the last 30 days prior to the voting phase.
• Your business profile is fully filled out and up to date.
• Your user account is in good standing.

Grants will be awarded through a combination of eligible stand applications and community voting, letting neighbors champion the stands they love most.

Keep an eye on the Almanac for official announcements on the upcoming application schedule, and thank you for supporting local agriculture!