Data last verified
Farm Grants: What's Really Open Right Now
As of October 2026, 6 national or regional grants for farms and agricultural businesses are open in WinAGrant's registry, plus 7 agriculture-related state programs limited to one state. Most USDA help for new farmers is a loan or cost-share, not a grant, and USDA's own farmers.gov site says it does not offer grants for purchasing land. So the number below is small on purpose: we count programs still taking applications, not closed cycles, not loans. The funder's own page, linked on every row, is the authority on whether it is taking them today.
Farm grants open right now
Every program in this table is open now, is open to farms anywhere in the country or across a stated region, and links to the funder's own page. The Status column shows a closing date where there is one and marks a program as rolling where there is not. Each row shows the date we last checked it against the funder's own page. 7 more open programs are tied to a single state. Those are on the live agriculture page with every other farm program we track.
| Program | Amount | Status | Open to | Who it's for | Official link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Northeast SARE Farming Community Grant Program Northeast SARE Verified Oct 9, 2026 | Typically $250,000 to $500,000 per project; approximately $1,500,000 allocated this cycle | Closes Oct 26, 2026 | Connecticut, Delaware, District Of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia only · Agriculture | A grant supporting multistate and regional proj… | |
Western SARE Local Education and Demonstration (LED) Grants Western SARE Verified Oct 3, 2026 | Up to $60,000 per project (1 to 3 years) | Closes Oct 28, 2026 | Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming only · Agriculture | Western SARE grants up to $60,000 to support de… | |
Northeast SARE Farmer Grant Northeast SARE Verified Oct 9, 2026 | Awards range from $5,000 to $50,000 | Closes Dec 4, 2026 | Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, District Of Columbia only · Agriculture | Annual USDA-funded grants for farmers in 12 nor… | |
Western SARE Farmer/Rancher Grant Western SARE Verified Oct 9, 2026 | Up to $35,000 | Closes Oct 28, 2026 | Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming only · Agriculture | USDA-funded grants of up to $35,000 for farmers… | |
North Central SARE Farmer Rancher Grant North Central Region SARE Verified Oct 9, 2026 | Up to $15,000 (individual); up to $30,000 (team of 2+ farms) | Closes Dec 3, 2026 | Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin only · Agriculture | USDA-funded grants for farmers and ranchers in… | |
Southern SARE Producer Grant Southern SARE Verified Oct 9, 2026 | Up to $20,000 (individual farmer); up to $25,000 (farmer group) | Closes Nov 6, 2026 | Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia only · Agriculture | USDA-funded grants for farmers and ranchers in… |
SARE: the farm grants that pay for research
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) is a USDA program run through regional offices, and each region runs its own farmer grant with its own amounts, deadline and rules. The SARE farmer and producer grants in the table above are the ones open now. These grants pay for on-farm research and education projects. Between them, the regional calls rule out day-to-day operating costs, starting or expanding a farm, buying land, and permanent improvements, so check your region's list. Payment terms differ too: some regions pay part of the award up front, and at least one pays by reimbursement only. Use the official link on each row, because the eligible states are listed in the region's own call for proposals.
Most USDA money for new farmers is not a grant
USDA's own farmers.gov site says it does not offer grants for purchasing land, and that most of the grants that do exist are small or for very specific purposes. What USDA does offer new farmers is mostly loans and cost-share:
Loans. The Farm Service Agency runs beginning farmer and rancher loans. Its Direct Farm Ownership Down Payment Loan is the one FSA loan that requires beginning-farmer status. FSA describes it as the buyer putting at least 5 percent down, with FSA financing 45 percent (up to a cap) and a commercial lender, private lender, cooperative or seller covering the rest. It is a loan, so it is paid back. Rates and limits change, so check FSA's page for today's numbers.
Cost-share. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) pays back part of the cost of approved conservation practices. It is reimbursement for specific work, not cash for general use. By law, USDA is directed to use 5 percent of EQIP and Conservation Stewardship Program funds, to the extent practicable, for beginning farmers and ranchers, and NRCS offers historically underserved producers, including beginning farmers, a higher payment rate and an advance payment option.
Grants that are not for you directly. The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program is a grant, but NIFA funds collaborative networks and partnerships that train new farmers, and applications from individuals are excluded. It can still help you indirectly: the programs it funds are worth asking your state's extension office about.
A farmer grant that is closed. The Value-Added Producer Grant helps producers add value to what they grow, and beginning farmers can get priority consideration. Its most recent application window closed on April 22, 2026, and as of October 2026 USDA had not announced the next one. We list it here so you stop chasing a closed page, not because it is open.
Definitions also differ. USDA generally counts a beginning farmer as someone who has operated a farm or ranch for less than ten years, but FSA and NRCS each set their own tests. Check the definition on the program's page before you assume you qualify.
Worth getting ready for
These farm programs are between application windows right now. The date is the funder's own signal for the next cycle, and an application that is ready when it opens is one that could win.
| Program | Amount | Status | Open to | Who it's for | Official link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Small Farm Infrastructure Grant Washington State Department of Agriculture Verified Sep 26, 2026 | up to $75,000 (Equipment Plus) or up to $750,000 (Large Projects) | Next window Summer/Fall 2027 | Washington only · Agriculture, Food & Restaurant | Grant supporting local food supply chains and m… | |
AgPro (Texas Agricultural Grant Program) Texas Department of Agriculture / Texas Agricultural Finance Authority Verified Oct 8, 2026 | $5,000 to $500,000 (10-30% cash match) | Between cyclesUsually opens around April 2027, based on past rounds | Texas only · Agriculture | Competitive grant for Texas farmers, ranchers a… | |
Local Food Infrastructure Grant Program Illinois Department of Agriculture Verified Sep 26, 2026 | up to $250,000 (collaborative) or up to $75,000 (individual) | Between cycles | Illinois only · Agriculture, Food & Restaurant | The Local Food Infrastructure Grant Program pro… | |
California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program California Department of Food and Agriculture Verified Oct 4, 2026 | Producers and food hubs: $20,000 to $200,000 (Track 3); school districts up to $1 million and technical-assistance groups up to $1.5 million; up to $38 million in total (draft Cohort 4 RFA) | Next window 2027 | California only · Agriculture, Food & Restaurant | A state grant program supporting farm-to-school… | |
AGRI Meat, Poultry, Egg, and Milk Processing Grant Minnesota Department of Agriculture Verified Oct 3, 2026 | Up to $150,000 (reimburses 50% of the first $50,000, then 25% of costs above that) | Between cycles | Minnesota only · Agriculture, Food & Restaurant, Manufacturing | A grant offered through the Agricultural Growth… | |
Agricultural Businesses Energy Incentive Program Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) Verified Oct 2, 2026 | Up to $50,000 (100% match required) | Next window Fall 2026 | Michigan only · Agriculture, Food & Restaurant | Farms and agricultural businesses | |
Brighter Future Fund: National Farm Viability Grant American Farmland Trust Verified Oct 8, 2026 | up to $10,000 | Between cyclesUsually opens around June 2027, based on past rounds | All states · Agriculture | Direct $10,000 grants to farmers and ranchers n… | |
Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT) Verified Oct 1, 2026 | Up to $3,500 | Next window November 2026 | All states · Agriculture | Grants of $3,500 to small and mid-sized livesto… | |
NYS Beginning Farmer Competitive Grant NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets Verified Oct 2, 2026 | Varies | Between cyclesUsually opens around Spring 2027, based on past rounds | New York only · Agriculture | A competitive grant program providing funding t… | |
Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) California Department of Food and Agriculture Verified Sep 26, 2026 | Varies | Between cyclesUsually opens around Fall 2027, based on past rounds | California only · Agriculture | Annual competitive grant program supporting pro… |
Help that isn't a grant: SCORE, SBDCs and your state coordinator
SCORE is a nonprofit network of volunteer mentors, and the SBA says its mentors give advice at no cost. Small Business Development Centers, listed on the same page, offer counseling and training to small businesses, and the SBA's page doesn't list a cost for SBDCs, so ask when you call. Nothing on that SBA page is farm-specific. For farm questions, USDA also lists a Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coordinator in each state. None of these sends you a check, but each can help you sort out what applies to your operation.
Open to any owner, farms included
3 open programs in our registry have no industry or ownership restriction, so a farm competes for them on equal footing with any other small business. Use the 3-minute quiz to see which ones fit your state and stage.
Beyond the farm list
A lot of farm owners qualify under another category too. If your operation is women-owned, veteran-owned or minority-owned, each guide is built from the same registry and the same checks. State programs have their own pages too, starting from our grants finder.
Grants found is only half of it. When you're ready to write, see what a grant writer costs and the grant tools worth using so you go in knowing your options.
Every verified grant deadline in the next 90 days is on one page: the live deadlines list.
Straight answers
Do farm grants have to be paid back?
No. A grant is not a loan, so you don't repay it as long as you spend it the way the grant agreement says. Money left unspent or used outside the agreement can have to be returned. Farm grants often ask for progress and final reports, and some pay in installments or by reimbursement after the work is done. Anything that has to be repaid is a loan, whatever the headline calls it, and most USDA help for new farmers is loans and cost-share.
Can I get a grant to start a farm?
Rarely. USDA's own farmers.gov site says it does not offer grants for purchasing land. Of the grants on this page that pay cash, most fund a specific project, not the cost of running or starting a farm, and the SARE programs say they do not fund starting a farm. Starting a farm is usually paid for with savings, loans and cost-share, with a grant covering one project.
Are there grants for beginning farmers?
Some programs favor beginning farmers, but most are loans or cost-share, not cash grants. The USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program is a grant, but it funds organizations that train new farmers, and individual farmers cannot apply. What counts as a beginning farmer differs by program, and 10 years of farming or less is a common cut-off.
Is EQIP a grant?
No. The USDA Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) pays back part of the cost of approved conservation work, so it is cost-share, not a cash grant. By law, USDA is directed to use 5 percent of EQIP funds, to the extent practicable, for beginning farmers and ranchers, and beginning farmers can receive a higher payment rate and an advance payment. Check NRCS for current rules.
Are there federal grants for farmers?
A few, and they are narrow. The USDA Value-Added Producer Grant helps producers add value to what they grow, but its most recent application window closed in April 2026. The SARE programs fund on-farm research and education projects by region. Most federal money for farms comes as loans, cost-share and payments rather than grants.
What are the odds of actually winning one?
Most funders don't publish a win rate. What you can check is on the funder's official page, linked on every row: the application format, any fee, and the number of awards if the funder states it.
Where can I get help with a grant application?
SCORE, a nonprofit network of volunteer mentors, advises small business owners at no cost, per the SBA. The SBA's Small Business Development Centers offer counseling and training, and the SBA's page doesn't list a cost for SBDCs, so ask when you call. USDA also lists a Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coordinator in each state. None of these is a grant.
How do I find grants that match my farm?
This page covers programs open to farms across the country or a region. WinAGrant's 3-minute quiz matches your state, your farm business, and how it is owned against the full verified registry plus live federal grants from Grants.gov, and shows you where you stand.
Related reading
Somewhere, a farm that qualifies for one of these will never hear about it.
Don't be that farm. The 3-minute quiz matches your state, your farm business, and how it is owned against every verified program in the registry, and shows you where you stand.
See how many grants fit my businessNot ready to buy? See which grants fit you and why. No account needed.
Already found a grant? We can write the application for it →