USDA Farmer Grants and Other Funding

Posted on October 15, 2019 by Taylor in Farming Resources, Funding, Sustainable Agriculture // 0 Comments

USDA Farmer Grants and Other Funding Resources Recently Announced: USDA, SARE, FACT and Others

USDA Farmer Grants Support Projects for Underserved Farmers and Ranchers
USDA has announced the award of $16.2 million to provide training, outreach, and technical assistance to underserved and veteran farmers and ranchers through the Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program (also known as the 2501 Program). A list of grant recipients and project summaries is available online at the link above.

FACT’s 2019 Fund a Farmer Grants
Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT) awards competitive grants to working, independent U.S. family farmers who raise beef cattle, broiler chickens, dairy cows, goats, laying hens, pigs, sheep, and/or turkeys. This year there are three types of grants offered: Animal Welfare Certification Grants, Capacity Building Grants, and Pasture Improvement Grants. A What Type of Grant Should I Apply For? Infographic and a grant info webinar on October 29, 2019, provide additional information.
Applications are due December 2, 2019.

NCR-SARE Farmer Grants Program
North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (NCR-SARE) is accepting Farmer Rancher Grant proposals to explore sustainable agriculture solutions. Proposals should show how farmers and ranchers plan to use their own innovative ideas to explore sustainable agriculture options and how they will share project results. There are three types of competitive grants: individual grants ($9,000 maximum), team grants for two farmers/ranchers from separate operations ($18,000 maximum), and group grants for three or more farmers/ranchers from separate operations ($27,000 maximum). NCR-SARE expects to fund about 40 projects in the 12-state North Central Region. A total of approximately $720,000 is available.
Proposals are due on December 5, 2019.

Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Initiative Business Grants
Vermont’s Working Lands Enterprise Board makes essential, catalytic investments in critical leverage points of the Vermont farm and forest economy and facilitates policy development to optimize the agricultural and forest use of Vermont lands. For the Fiscal Year 2020 grant cycle, the Working Lands Enterprise Board plans to award a total of $1.15 million to $1.2 million in Business Grants ranging from $5,000 to $150,000. The total includes $500,000 in legislatively mandated funds for dairy-focused projects. Vermont-based businesses and nonprofits are eligible to apply.
Pre-applications are due by November 3, 2019.

For more information on funding opportunities for farmers including USDA Farmer Grants and more, visit https://www.beginningfarmers.org/funding-resources/