Helping Producers Navigate Funding Sources

Grants can be a great resource to provide additional funds needed to take on larger projects, but they’re often under-utilized because they can be time consuming and involve quite a bit of paperwork. To help Northeast agricultural producers navigate funding options, Farm Credit East recently released an update to its report, Grants and Incentives for Northeast Agriculture.

This report identifies 186 different funding opportunities — from federal, regional and state grants, to loan guarantees and other financial incentives available to assist Northeast producers of all types and sizes. It is not a comprehensive compilation of all grant opportunities that may be available to Northeast producers, but seeks to highlight the opportunities that Farm Credit East believes are the most relevant to farms in the region.

What kinds of funding opportunities are included in the report?

Funding opportunities such as grants, loan guarantees, tax credit programs, rebate programs and other financial incentives are included. The report highlights funding opportunities specifically available in the eight states served by Farm Credit East: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. Federal, regional and multi-state programs are divided into broad categories according to their main focus: Beginning Farmers; Conservation, Environment, and Forestry; Energy; Fisheries and Aquaculture; Organic; Rural Business Development; and Research, Education and Promotion.

Who is eligible for these opportunities?

Grants and funding opportunities included in this report are targeted toward Northeast agriculture businesses, nonprofits and other organizations. Grants with specific eligibility requirements have the eligible recipients listed underneath the description of the grant opportunity. Readers can visit the links below each description to find more information about eligibility criteria.

How much funding is available?

If the funding opportunity has a specific limit of funding available per recipient, that amount is listed beneath the description of the opportunity. Please visit the links below each description to find more information about funding amounts. Available funding amounts may be subject to change each year.

How to apply to these opportunities?

Please visit the links below each funding opportunity description to find more information about the opportunity and how to apply. The report also features links to additional resources that might be beneficial to help apply for these opportunities, such as Farm Credit East’s Grant Writing Services.   

When are these opportunities available?

The report features grant opportunities that are open at various points throughout the year. In some cases, the application deadline has passed for this year, but it is still included in the report if Farm Credit East has reason to believe the program will continue in future years. Please visit the links below each description for due dates and other information about each grant program.

Where to find more opportunities not featured in the report?

Interested parties should consult other sources such as their state department of agriculture, or the sponsor and agency websites mentioned in the report to identify other potential sources of grants and incentives.

Where to find this report?

To view this latest Farm Credit East Knowledge Exchange report, titled Grants and Incentives for Northeast Agriculture, visit Agriculture Grant Writing Services | Farm Credit East or download a copy below. 

For more information, contact Chris Laughton at (800) 562-2235 or Chris.Laughton@farmcrediteast.com.