Issue 43 · Week of July 24, 2026 Grant Harvester Weekly funding alerts for the rural entrepreneur |  |
This week: less about hunting for a giant new federal grant and more about catching several real opportunities before the calendar gets away. USDA has three August FSA dates worth checking, Iowa opened statewide cover-crop cost-share, Minnesota has two unusually farmer-direct grant opportunities, and Missouri, Wisconsin and Utah all have newly opened or newly relevant funding. States are increasingly putting dollars behind nutrient efficiency, soil health, local food infrastructure and equipment modernization — smaller than federal awards, but often far more usable by an individual farm. |
Build your own tailored list of Grants & Programs! Tired of sifting through thousands of grants and reading hundreds of newsletters to find what is out there specific to your operation? Click on the link below, fill out a survey, and have our algorithm build a curated list of programs specific to your project. |
Farmer Trivia | Since 1948, has total U.S. farm output increased about 25%, 75%, or nearly 200%? And did farmers need anything close to three times the total inputs to do it? Answer near the end. |
| Federal Grants & Programs | |
Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF)Aug 7
$1.625B one-time bridge payments based on reported 2025 planted acres · Pre-filled applications ready; only one application required nationwide Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP)Aug 12
Stage 1 & Stage 2 open for 2023/2024 weather-related crop, tree, bush and vine losses · Payment factor increased from 35% to 70% · Stage 2 reaches non-indemnified, uninsured and quality losses ARC/PLC Base Acre ReviewAug 31
Congress authorized up to 30M additional base acres · Review the FSA Base Allocation Summary and correct missing or inaccurate planting history · First base-acre addition since 2002 Farm Storage Facility Loan ProgramStill Open
Low-interest FSA financing for grain bins, hay storage, cold storage, drying systems and handling equipment Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)Still Open
NRCS cost-share for nutrient management, soil health, water, livestock systems and other eligible practices · Applications continuous; state ranking dates determine consideration Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)Still Open
Payments for producers who maintain existing conservation and add new activities · Continuous application; state ranking dates apply Organic Certification Cost Share ProgramStill Open
Reimbursement for eligible organic certification expenses through participating state agencies or FSA · Apply by Dec 31 for 2025/2026 program years FSA Farm Operating & Ownership LoansStill Open
Direct and guaranteed financing for operating capital, equipment, land and farm ownership · Especially relevant for beginning farmers and borrowers who cannot obtain sufficient commercial credit |
Iowa Cover Crop Cost-Share · New · Enrollment opened Jul 7 in all 99 counties · $30/acre first-time; $20/acre returning · 160-acre cap · Extra incentives for no-till/strip-till and nitrogen inhibitors
Beginning Farmer Tax Credit · Still Open · State income-tax credit for asset owners leasing qualifying agricultural assets to eligible beginning farmers |
Illinois Ag Invest · Still Open · Linked-deposit program through participating lenders reduces borrowing costs for eligible agricultural borrowers; financing, not a grant
I-COVER · Watch Next Cycle · 2026 application period closed May 1; keep on planning list for next window |
Minnesota Electric Farm Equipment Grant · Deadline Aug 11 · ~$6.6M available · $1,500–$150,000 grants · 25% cash match required · Genuine farmer-direct opportunity
Down Payment Assistance Grant · New · Up to $20,000 for first farm purchase · $1.64M available · Deadline Aug 31 · Lottery with priority criteria |
Missouri Food Insecure Cost-Share Grant · New · Up to $50,000 per project · 75% reimbursement · Farmers markets, community production, processing kitchens, storage and ag learning centers · Due Aug 26 |
North Dakota Ag Products Utilization Commission (APUC) · Upcoming · Oct 1 quarterly deadline · Farm diversification, marketing/utilization, research, technical assistance, agritourism, prototype development · Only first 15 qualifying applicants invited to present
Agriculture Diversification & Development Fund · Still Open · Grant/interest-buydown for value-added agriculture projects; relevant for processing, new products or market expansion |
South Dakota Specialty Crop Block Grant Program · 2026 Materials Posted · Eligible applicants include businesses and individual producers; projects must enhance specialty-crop competitiveness broadly
Beginning Farmer Bond Program · Still Open · Tax-exempt bond financing for land, buildings, equipment and breeding livestock for qualifying beginning farmers |
Kansas Conservation Financial Assistance · Check Local District Now · State funds allocated to county districts July 1 · Addresses water resources, nonpoint-source pollution, riparian/wetland work · Signup timing is local — call the district
Riparian & Wetland Cost-Share · Still Open · 80% cost-share up to $10,000 annual landowner limit for eligible riparian forestry practices · Applications ranked monthly |
Michigan NextGen Crop Insurance Pilot · New / 2027 Pilot · Announced Jul 21 · Corn and soybean producers in Huron, Saginaw, Sanilac and Tuscola counties using cover crops, crop rotation and no/low till · After 4 years, growers could receive dividends from unused coverage
MDARD Grants & Funding Hub · Still Available · Centralized MDARD list of current opportunities; verify status of specific programs before applying |
Utah Food Security Grant · New · Open Jul 21–Aug 31 · Up to ~$9.27M available · Microgrants, startup awards and standard awards up to $1M · Agricultural production, processing, storage, distribution and market access
LeRay McAllister Working Farm & Ranch Fund · Still Open · Conservation easements on working agricultural land · Fall batch deadline Aug 31 · Grazing improvement grants open through Dec 31 |
Texas Texas Agricultural Finance Authority (TAFA) · Still Open · State agricultural financing tools for eligible producers and agribusinesses · Worth checking for expansion projects where conventional financing is the constraint |
| Private & Foundation Opportunities | |
Soil and Water Outcomes Fund (SWOF) — 2027 Crop Year
Enrollment active for returning farmers; new farmers can join waitlist · Pays for measured outcomes including carbon and water-quality improvements · 2024 average: $33/acre · Confirm acreage availability before assuming enrollment North Central SARE Farmer Rancher Grants
Opens Soon · Call expected in August · Individual grants up to $15,000; team grants up to $30,000 · Producer-led research, demonstration and education · Start outlining your project now FACT Fund-a-Farmer
Watch November · Applications for 2027 grants begin November 2026 · 2026 round distributed ~$280,000 to 75 farms for animal-welfare improvements and related investments |
| Tax Credits, Carbon & Financing | |
| 1. | Specialty-crop growers should check their ASCF application now. The Aug 7 deadline is close and this is direct payment support — not a grant you apply for cold. | | 2. | Anyone with 2023–2024 weather losses should revisit SDRP Stage 1 and Stage 2 before Aug 12, especially if insurance did not trigger a payment or you had a quality loss. | | 3. | Landowners with ARC/PLC farms should review the Base Allocation Summary before Aug 31. This is the first base-acre addition opportunity in more than two decades — don't sit it out. | | 4. | Minnesota producers should treat the Electric Farm Equipment Grant (Aug 11) and Down Payment Assistance Grant (Aug 31) as the same-week screen — both are unusually farmer-direct. | | 5. | Kansas producers should call their county conservation district. New state-year conservation funds were allocated July 1, but local signup timing varies county by county. | | 6. | North Central farmers with a good on-farm experiment should start outlining the project now. SARE's Farmer Rancher call is expected in August — individual grants up to $15,000. |
ARC/PLC Base Allocation — First Base-Acre Addition Since 2002 Congress authorized up to 30 million additional ARC/PLC base acres nationally. Landowners have until Aug 31 to review the Base Allocation Summary and correct acreage history before allocation. USDA FSA — ARC/PLC Base Allocation |
Payment Eligibility — Entity and Ownership Changes Matter FSA expanded payment-limitation and payment-eligibility provisions for 2026, including changes affecting certain pass-through entities. Operations with entity or ownership changes should ensure FSA operating plans and eligibility documentation are current. USDA FSA — 2026 Payment Eligibility |
Farmer Trivia — Answer | USDA Economic Research Service updated its agricultural productivity data this week. Total U.S. farm output in 2023 was nearly three times its 1948 level — without anything close to a tripling of total inputs. That growth was driven overwhelmingly by productivity: better genetics, equipment, technology, management and farming practices. Agriculture probably doesn't tell that story often enough. |
| Watch List / Looking Ahead | |
| North Central SARE Farmer Rancher Grant | Call expected in August; current call not yet open | | Nebraska NiRIA and NUE | 2026 enrollment closed; watch DWEE and local NRDs for next nitrogen-incentive cycle | | Wisconsin NOPP | 2026 awards made; watch for next application cycle | | FACT Fund-a-Farmer | 2027 applications expected to open in November | | Michigan NextGen Crop Insurance | 2027 pilot open for participating corn/soybean farms in four eligible counties | | ARC/PLC 2026 election & enrollment | FSA says dates will be announced after the base-allocation process closes Aug 31 |
Programs change quickly. Confirm eligibility, funding availability and current deadlines with the administering agency before applying. Grant Harvester · Issue 43 · Week of July 24, 2026
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