The Farm Transition Grant Program is a competitive matching grant program for Connecticut farmers and agricultural cooperatives to support the diversification of existing farm operations, transitioning to value-added agricultural production and sales, and other venues in which a majority of products sold are grown in the state.
Categories include New Farmer Micro Grants, Infrastructure Investment Grants, and Research and Development Grants, ranging from $5,000-$49,999. Deadline: Wednesday, January 10, 2024, at 4:00pm. For more information, visit the Farm Transition Grants Website.
Launched in 2020, the New England Farmer Microgrants Program (NEFMP) is a grant program that provides direct financial support to farmers across New England. The program seeks to address some of the key barriers faced by farmers in the region: access to farmland, farm succession/transfer planning, and the adoption of regenerative farming practices.
The program’s Farmland Access, Succession, and Transfer Support Grants provide direct financial assistance to farmers for projects that facilitate farmland access, succession, or transfer. Some examples of eligible projects include: farmland purchase or leasing transaction costs, consultant and attorney fees, surveys, appraisals, agriculture conservation easement fees.
ELIGIBILITY: For the 2023-24 cycle, eligibility for FAST grants is limited to farmers located in Maine, Rhode Island, or the Eastern counties of Massachusetts (Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Plymouth, Bristol, Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket). Click here to see the grant guidelines.
Deadline extended: Applications for the 2023-24 FAST cycle will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis until January 31st, 5:00pm.
Second Round of MA Farm Resiliency Fund
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the opening of the financial assistance application process for eligible farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination in USDA farm lending programs prior to January 2021. Section 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) directs USDA to provide this assistance. Since the law’s passage, USDA has worked diligently to design the program in accordance with significant stakeholder input.
“The opening of the application process is an important step in delivering on our commitment of providing financial assistance to those who faced discrimination in USDA farm lending, as swiftly and efficiently as possible,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “USDA will continue to work with our national vendor partners and community-based organizations to make sure eligible farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners have clear information about what is available to them, how to apply, and where to obtain assistance with their questions at each step of the way.”
The program website, 22007apply.gov, is now open. The website includes an English- and Spanish-language application that applicants can download or submit via an e-filing portal, information on how to obtain technical assistance in-person or virtually, and additional resources and details about the program.
Farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination by USDA in its farm loan programs prior to January 1, 2021 and/or are currently debtors with assigned or assumed USDA farm loan debt that was the subject of USDA discrimination that occurred prior to January 1, 2021, are eligible for this program. You can read the Press Release Here.
USDA Designates 10 Massachusetts Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas from May Freeze, 7 Massachusetts Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas from July Rain and Flooding
This natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability.
Triggering Disaster: Freeze occurring from 5/17/2023 – 5/18/2023
Application Deadline: March 11, 2024
Primary Counties Eligible: Berkshire, Bristol, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Worcester
Triggering Disaster: Rain and Flooding from 07/09/2023 – 07/16/2023
Application Deadline: 03/31/2024
Primary Counties Eligible: Berkshire, Bristol, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Norfolk, Worcester
For more information on Flooding Relief click here.
For more information of Frost Loss Relief click here