Small Farm Government Grants
A small farm can receive government grants from many sources. The U.S. Department of Agriculture oversees multiple entities that can assist you with technical and monetary funding to improve, innovate and experiment with. Small farms should contact their local USDA offices often for up-to-date information of programs, as new programs are being initiated on a monthly basis.
SARE Grant Program
The USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) grant program has been in existence since 1988. The program sponsors grants and outreach to advance sustainable innovations in American agriculture. It is administered through four regional councils, and farmers and ranchers can apply for the grants, which range from $500 to $15,000.
The program is slightly different in each of its four regions with different requirements and deadlines. Categories for grants include "On Farm Research/Partnership," "Graduate Student" and "Farmer/Rancher On-Farm Experiments."
NIFA Grant Programs
The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has several grant categories available that individuals may apply for. Grant requests range from Specialty Crop Research, to Plant Feedstock, to the Agricultural and Food Research Initiative. Each of the grant programs has different deadlines and different criteria.
Grants range from $500 to over $1 million. These grants are not for buying property, but for developing new ways of creating sustainable agriculture. One example of a grant, awarded to the University of Georgia, was "Improving Alfalfa as a Biofuel Feedstock."
NRCS Grants
One of the easiest ways to improve your small farm is to visit the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). There are many forms of grants through the NRCS that you just have to apply for. The service's cost-share programs are perhaps the easiest type of grant for small farmers and ranchers to receive.
The NRCS will work with you to determine the best way to save natural resources. For example, if you raise cattle, they can help you design pastures so that the land is not overgrazed. Once both you and the NRCS agree on what needs to be done, the NRCS will cost-share the projects with you.
If you need to build interior fences, the NRCS will pay 60 percent and you pay 40 percent. Since their prices are determined by the installed price, if you are willing to do the labor, they will pay for the fencing materials and you end up with a free fence!
Grants through the NRCS can run up to $360,000, and eligible parties can re-apply every ten years.
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