Prepare A Grant Application
Take care that you include all of the information requested by the agency to which youre applying. For example, Simply Organics 1% Grant is looking for applicants who are interested in farms and projects relating to organic agriculture. The American Sheep and Goat Center points out that the National Sheep Industry Improvement Center advises you to create a proposal that is broken up into sections containing vital information.
Define your project by listing your goals, including an executive summary in which you make a brief but strong case that you should receive funds. Your proposal should feature a description of your project, a listing of your partners, a prospective timeline for your farm and a budget where you estimate costs in the short- and long-term.
Economic Development And Business Support
Through our Business and Cooperatives Program, rural small businesses are given the financial tools to develop and succeed. We’ve helped save or create more than 375,000 rural jobs since 2009 and provided assistance to nearly 75,000 rural businesses and entrepreneurs. Our Rural Energy for America Program has helped generate an estimated 9.8 million megawatt hours of energy.
Many rural areas suffer from persistent poverty, and Rural Development has made a concerted effort to focus staff resources in 700 persistent poverty counties across the nation to promote economic development through our Strike Force Initiative. We are also working on regional community development strategies, providing resources and facilitating cooperation between federal, state and private agencies to leverage economic investment in rural areas.
Planning Your Farm Business
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Find Your Local Service Center
We are committed to delivering USDA services to Americas farmers and ranchers while taking safety measures in response to the pandemic. Some USDA offices are beginning to reopen to limited visitors by appointment only. Service Center staff also continue to work with agricultural producers via phone, email, and other digital tools. Learn more at farmers.gov/coronavirus.
USDA Service Centers are locations where you can connect with Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, or Rural Development employees for your business needs. Enter your state and county below to nd your local service center and agency offices. If this locator does not work in your browser, please visit offices.usda.gov.Visit the Risk Management Agency website to nd a regional or compliance office or to nd an insurance agent near you.
Federal State Marketing Improvement Program
This matching grant program, also known as FSMIP, provides matching funds to State Departments of Agriculture and other appropriate State agencies to assist in exploring new market opportunities for food and agricultural products, and to encourage research and innovation aimed at improving the efficiency and performance of the marketing system.
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Researching Available Government Grant Opportunities
Grants And Loans For Farmers
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. DOE.
The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office funds solar energy research and development projects through competitive solicitations known as funding opportunities, as well as prizes. You can view all current funding opportunities here.
USDA. NAL. Alternative Farming Systems Information Center.
Describes programs and resource guides that serve as starting points for identifying funding opportunities.
USDA. Farm Service Agency. and National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
This 2017 guide details USDA programs, arranged by Agency, “that have been created to help farmers succeed.” Each program description “provides helpful information on who’s eligible, what a program helps farmers do, and where to go to get more information.” Note: Includes “Special Set-asides for Organic, Beginning, Socially Disadvantaged, and/or Military Veteran Farmers and Ranchers” program matrix .
United States Department of Agriculture.
USDA offers numerous programs to help farmers, ranchers, and businesses access the organic market. This page describes and links to USDA loan programs, conservation assistance, crop insurance, and marketing programs that support organic agriculture.
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Applying For A Grant Reporting Results
- Yes. It is most often called honey farming.Thanks!
Can I Combine Funding From Multiple Sources
You may be able to receive multiple grants for the same project, a process referred to as stacking. Many grant providers will often include compatible grants with similar eligibility in the fine print of the grant description. For larger projects, its worthwhile to do your research or talk to a grant coordinator to figure out how to maximize the amount of grant funding you can receive. Note that some grants cannot be applied with other grant funding, so make sure to read the fine print!
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Grant And Financing Resources For Women Farmers
Farm grants for women farmers are rare, but that doesnât mean that they arenât out there. Below, weâve listed both federal and local grants and financing resources that are specifically for women, as well as other options that are available for all farmers. A lot of farming grants are dedicated to farmers who are either interested or currently practicing sustainable agriculture, so you may want to keep that in mind as you go through this list.
Secondly, if you are having trouble finding grants as a woman farmer, we highly encourage you to join agricultural organizations that are dedicated to helping female farmers such as the National Women in Agriculture Association or the American Agri-Women. These organizations are fantastic because not only do they help you with educational and networking opportunities but they can also help connect you to financial resources.
Historically Underserved Farmers And Ranchers
We offer help for the unique concerns of producers who meet the USDA definition of historically underserved — beginning, socially disadvantaged, limited resource, and military veterans. In addition, women in agriculture are helping to pave the way for a better future. Use this self-determination tool to determine if youre a limited resource producer.
If you inherited land without a clear title or documented legal ownership, learn more about how USDA can help Heirs Property Landowners establish a farm number to gain access to a variety of programs and services.
If you are a producer with disabilities, organizations like Agrability offer services that can help adapt and modify farm equipment to be more accessible.
USDA has been helping more and more farms and gardens in urban centers. Learn about our Urban Farming funding and resources.
If you are an organic farmer, you can apply for the same loans and programs as conventional farmers. You may also apply for USDA to pay a portion of your certification through the FSA Organic Certification Cost Share Program.
For specific conservation assistance that may interest you, check out NRCS Assistance for Organics.
The USDA National Organic Program has resources from a comprehensive list of organic farms to certification information.
Learn more about USDA programs, services, and resources available for organic farmers.
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Agriculture And Food Research Initiative Grant
This grant can be very beneficial for future horse farmers. They can award up to 750,000 dollars to horse farmers who work on animal health, production of horses, and animal products. However, you must be willing to focus on Childhood Obesity Prevention and provide documented research on how your farm has positively affected this prevention.
More Resources For Small Farmers
The resources below aren’t grants, per se, but they’re great powerhouses of information and education that will help you on your way as you learn the ropes of small farming. They also include an extensive list of links to additional resources.
- The Small Farms Program is offered through Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and is funded by the USDA’s Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development Program. It offers online courses, a website full of resources, including a guide to farming in New York, farming videos, and host events. Although based in New York, it is reaching out to form collaborations with other organizations in the Northeast.
- The New England Small Farm Institute offers a course called Exploring the Small Farm Dream, geared toward getting new farmers off on the right foot with their business. Even if you’re not in New England, you can work through the book in a self-study format for free.
- The USDA website has many resources for new farmers including financing information and a comprehensive farming tutorial for those who are brand new to small-scale farming.
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Southwestern Ontario Development Fund
SWODF offers funding to support projects that involve investing in new capital equipment, developing skills, enhancing productivity, and developing new infrastructure. Read More
- Amount: Up to 15% of eligible expenses to a maximum $1.5 million in non-repayable grant funding for projects with budgets up to $10 million. Projects with budgets that exceed this amount may be eligible to receive a combination of grants and loans of up to $5 million.
- Eligibility: Applicants must be established for at least three years, have 10 or more full-time employees, and operate in Southwestern Ontario. Projects must be completed within a two- to- four-year timeline and create at least 10-15 new full-time positions depending upon project size and company size.
Developing A Farm Business Plan
2. Business Plan Preparation: Tools for Writing Business Plans. Stephen Lawrence, Frank Moyes. Boulder, CO: University of Colorado Leeds School of Business.
3. Farm Business Plan Worksheet: Balance Sheet. FSA2037. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency, 11-04-10.
4. Farm Business Plan Worksheet: Projected/Actual Income and Expense. FSA2038. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency, 08-19-14.
5. Business Guide. Washington, DC: U.S. Small Business Administration.
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Educational Resources And Outreach
USDA has created a Learning Guide Series for small and mid-sized producers to help them navigate available USDA resources. The first in this series will be for small and mid-sized livestock and poultry producers. Additional Learning Guides will be released later this year and will be available on the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food website. USDA field staff and StrikeForce teams will increase outreach to small and mid-sized producers using the Learning Guides.
In addition, the Natural Resource Conservation Service has launched Small Scale Solutions for Your Farm, a series of educational resources designed for both small livestock and fruit and vegetable producers, including tips on simple management activities such as planting cover crops to complex structural practices such as animal waste management systems or innovative irrigation devices.
Newfarmers.usda.gov also serves as a one stop shop for beginning farmers and ranchers to learn about how to get started. While not all small and midsize producers are new or beginning, many do start out small.
Affordable And Safe Housing
One of the three divisions of Rural Development, the Housing and Community Facilities Program, invests in providing safe, clean and modest living for those who live outside our urban centers. Whether it’s through a loan or loan guarantee to purchase a home loans and grants to provide necessary repairs or even rental assistance and financing to build affordable apartment complexes for families or seniors – the housing program ensures that housing is available and affordable in rural communities. Since 2009, we’ve helped more than 625,000 rural families in more than 21,000 communities buy, repair or refinance a home, and provided funding for more than 1,000 housing developments.
Communities also need facilities that benefit the population. Whether it’s a fire station or a food bank, a senior center, hospital or city hall, the Community Facilities loan and grant program can be a financial partner to help provide essential community services. Since 2009, Rural Development has financed nearly 8,000 community facilities projects. Among these projects are more than 900 education facilities, 475 libraries, more than 1,000 health care facilities, and more than 3,400 public safety facilities.
Learn more about Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Programs and Community Facilities Guaranteed Loan Program.
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Additional Resources And Support
The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program provides grants to organizations that train, educate, and provide outreach and technical assistance to new and beginning farmers on production, marketing, business management, legal strategies and other topics critical to running a successful operation.
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative focuses on developing models to assist small farmers in their decision making with respect to management strategies, new technologies, sustainability, and competitiveness and viability.
Value Added Producer Grants can help farmers and ranchers develop new products, create and expand marketing opportunities, and increasing producer income. Priority is available for small and mid-sized family farms, beginning and socially-disadvantaged farmers, and veterans.
The Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program supports development and marketing activities for farmers markets, food hubs, roadside stands, agri-tourism activities and other producer to consumer markets. This support can help small and mid-sized farmers access markets.
Local and regional food systems can be a profitable sector for small and mid-sized farmers. The Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Initiative coordinates USDA’s work in local and regional food systems and is a centralized resource for learning about USDA opportunities in this industry.
Search Tools For Farm Grants In Canada
There are many more opportunities available for new farmers than the ones listed below! AgPal is a great place to look for additional grants and funding opportunities for farmers. One of the best features of AgPal is it allows you to filter results by region, what you produce, who you are, etc. The government of Canada also has a handy Business Benefits Finder, which also allows you to input specific details about your business and your needs and then provides you with a tailored list of funding opportunities, including grants, tax credits, wage subsidies, and more.
The UBC Small Business Accelerator also has a list of funding and grant opportunities, as does Awesome, a Prairies based network for women entrepreneurs. The BC government also has its own funding and grants search tool. The Columbia Basin Trust has a lengthy directory of grants and programs available to farmers in the Columbia Basin. Agro-Demarrage is an amazing, comprehensive resource for Quebec producers looking to access funding.
Last but not least, check the UMAP, Wage Subsidy and Funding pages on our website regularly for timely funding opportunities!
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