Issue 52 · Week of September 25, 2026 Grant Harvester Weekly funding alerts for the rural entrepreneur |  |
This week: emergency-food cold-chain funding, Iowa’s public water-access cost share, two North Dakota agriculture-development funds and Farm Credit’s four-state Working Here Fund all close between September 30 and October 1. The closed New York Dairy and Pennsylvania rounds have dropped off, while emergency citrus research, tribal college grants and the strongest November opportunities stay in place. |
Grant Snap We recently started using a satellite imagery tool called Sentinel Ag that records nutrient deficiency in our fields. We didn’t even realize that we were able to apply for EQIP 590 until we used Grant Snap. Grant Snap is a free tool that automatically generates a list of programs available specific for your operation. Try it out now! |
Farmer Trivia | What share of U.S. farm producers in 2022 were women?
A) About 16% B) About 26% C) About 36%
The answer is near the bottom of this issue. |
🌿 Fresh Dirt Alert · Sponsored | | | PFI Cover Crop Cost-Share Program Cover crops can be hard to justify when you’re staring at the input cost with no guarantee of return. Practical Farmers of Iowa’s cover crop cost-share program removes that barrier: $15/acre on an unlimited number of acres of fall-seeded cover crops, plus one-on-one agronomic support. Eligible for conventional corn and soybean farmers in Iowa and select counties in Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Enrollment is first-come, first-served and closes when acres fill. Cover crops must be seeded by December 1. The program stacks with EQIP, state cost-share programs and Farmers for Soil Health. Funded by PepsiCo and Cargill.
To maximize what you get from this program, Sentinel Ag is a tool you can leverage. Satellite imagery helps you time seeding windows, verify establishment and document your practice adoption for stacked programs like EQIP — giving you and your agronomist real field-level evidence rather than guesswork. | | |
| Federal Grants & Programs | |
Illinois EQIP · Open · Continuous applications accepted; fall ranking dates control funding rounds — submit now for fall consideration
Ag Invest · Open · Below-market linked-deposit financing for operating, equipment, livestock, long-term investments and value-added projects
Illinois Pollution Control Facility Tax Certification · Ongoing · Property-tax treatment for qualifying pollution-control facilities, including eligible manure storage, lagoons and agrichemical containment structures |
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| Private & Foundation Opportunities | |
Farm Credit Northeast AgEnhancement Grants
December cycle open · Due Dec 1 at 4 p.m. ET · $500–$10,000 · Organizations strengthening agriculture, forest production or commercial fishing in New England, NY and NJ · Individual farms and capital projects ineligible Farm Credit Services of America Working Here FundSep 30
Nonprofits in IA, NE, SD, WY · Up to $5,000 by Sep 30; $15,000 or $25,000 requests due Dec 31 Beginning with Compeer Grant
Open · Up to $1,500 based on lending relationship plus up to $500 for qualifying multi-year training · Beginning farmers in Compeer territory AgCountry Rural Community Grant Fund
Due Oct 31 · Up to $50,000 · Western North Dakota community-development needs including infrastructure, housing, health, safety, environment and education |
Section 179 Expensing — 2026
$2.56M maximum deduction · Phaseout begins when qualifying property placed in service exceeds $4.09M · Coordinate asset classification and timing with a tax professional 100% Bonus Depreciation
Available for certain qualifying property acquired after January 19, 2025 · Eligibility depends on asset type, acquisition and placed-in-service rules Federal Fuel Tax Credit — Farm and Off-Highway Use
Qualifying nontaxable farm and other eligible off-highway business fuel use may generate a refundable federal credit · Retain fuel-use records and use current IRS filing instructions Farm Credit Services of America Young & Beginning Producer Financing
Specialized financing for qualifying young and beginning producers in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming, including a Development Fund with financing up to $250,000 for eligible uses |
| 1. | Iowa public entities should finish Water Recreation Access Cost-Share applications before the September 30 midnight deadline and document the required local share. | | 2. | Eligible nonprofits in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming should complete Working Here Fund requests up to $5,000 by September 30. | | 3. | Nonprofits with competitive subaward capacity have until October 1 to apply for USDA Cold Chain funding; prospective food-bank equipment recipients cannot apply directly at this stage. | | 4. | North Dakota applicants should finalize APUC and Agriculture Diversification and Development submissions for the October 1 presentation-cycle deadline. | | 5. | Eligible Tribal colleges face the October 7 Education Equity deadline. Rural-energy applicants should submit PART letters of interest by October 9 at 11:59 a.m. ET. | | 6. | Maui County healthcare and food-access organizations should line up producer partners and reimbursement cash flow before the two October 15 local-food deadlines. |
FSA Entity & Payment-Limitation Changes — September 15 Deadline Passed The September 15 farm-operating-plan deadline for affected pass-through entities has passed. Qualifying LLCs, S-corporations and similar entities that did not file should contact their FSA office now about their filing status. FSA details |
ARC/PLC Payment Limit Increased to $155,000 The ARC and PLC payment limit increased from $125,000 to $155,000 beginning with crop year 2025, with future inflation adjustments under the new rules. FSA details |
Farmer Trivia — Answer: C) About 36% | C) About 36%. USDA NASS counted 3,374,044 U.S. farm producers in the 2022 Census of Agriculture, and women represented 36% of that total. The question: What share of U.S. farm producers in 2022 were women? A) About 16% B) About 26% C) About 36% |
| Watch List / Looking Ahead | |
| Soil and Water Outcomes Fund | 2027 enrollment information is active for returning farmers, while new farmers may be routed to a waitlist; watch for additional acreage availability and current contract terms | | New Mexico Healthy Soil Program | The next FY2028 application cycle opens January 2027, not now; farmers, ranchers and other eligible land managers should develop project ideas this fall for work between July 2027–September 2028 | | FACT Fund-a-Farmer Grants | The administering organization says its 2027 grant applications will open in November 2026; livestock and poultry farmers should prepare for welfare improvements, not apply against an expired 2026 deadline |
Issue 52 clears the closed September rounds, elevates four deadlines arriving by October 1 and keeps the strongest October and November opportunities in view. Confirm fit on the linked official page before committing application time, match dollars or purchases. Forward Grant Harvester to a farmer, rural business owner or community leader who could use it. |
Programs change quickly. Confirm eligibility, funding availability and current deadlines with the administering agency before applying. Grant Harvester · Issue 52 · September 25, 2026
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