![]() | Grant Harvester |
Issue 25 · Week of March 24, 2026 Weekly funding alerts for the rural entrepreneur | | 4 federal programs · 5 state grants · 3 private & philanthropic · policy updates | | Grant Harvester has partnered with Legible AI to bring you plain-English updates on state bills and agency actions that affect your farm or rural business. |
| Horizon Weather · Pre-Alpha | |
![]() HORIZON WEATHER | ● PRE-ALPHA | | | 🌿 Spring 2026 Planting Score — Midwest | MN 1.4 | WI 1.6 | MI 1.7 | IA 2.0 | IN 2.1 | OH 2.2 | IL 2.6 | NE 3.1 |
| soil temp · moisture · frost risk · fieldwork window |
| Federal Programs · Apply Now | |
| Programs closing within 45 days. Program names link to official pages. |
| 1 | Wood Innovations & Community Wood Grants (USFS) Deadline April 22, 2026 | Who Businesses, nonprofits, Tribes, universities, state & local governments |
| First Action Register on SAM.gov and Grants.gov, assemble project partners, and submit by April 22. |
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| 3 | Rural Economic Development Loan & Grant (REDLG) Deadline June 30, 2026 (next round) | Who Rural electric cooperatives and telephone utilities serving communities under 50,000 |
| First Action Work with your rural electric coop or telephone company to prepare an application for June 30. |
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| State & Regional · Upcoming Deadlines | |
| State and regional programs with deadlines in the next 45 days. |
| 1 | Kansas Specialty Crop Block Grant Deadline April 17, 2026 · 5 pm CT | Who Nonprofits, producer groups, educational institutions, and government entities in Kansas |
| First Action Develop a multi-producer project and submit before 5 pm CT on April 17. |
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| 3 | Virginia AFID Infrastructure Grants Deadline April 30, 2026 · 5 pm ET | Who Local governments partnering with farmers, food hubs, or processors in Virginia |
| First Action Secure 1:1 matching funds with your county or city and submit by April 30. |
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| 4 | Louisiana Specialty Crop Block Grant Deadline April 30, 2026 · 4:30 pm CST | Who Producer associations, nonprofits, schools, universities, and local governments in Louisiana |
| First Action Partner with other stakeholders and submit your proposal by April 30. |
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| 5 | Kansas Farm to Early Childhood Opportunity Deadline April 30, 2026 | Who Licensed Kansas child-care providers serving locally grown produce |
| First Action Outline your agricultural curriculum plan and submit by April 30. |
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| Federal and state updates via Legible AI — bills and actions affecting your land, costs, taxes, or program eligibility. |
Federal USFS Investment Wood Innovation & Community Wood Grants — Up to $95M The U.S. Forest Service is funding mass-timber markets, renewable wood energy, and sawmill capacity near forest restoration projects. Applications due April 22, 2026 · Read more → |
Congressional Action Farm Bill — Markup Hearings Underway The House Agriculture Committee introduced the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026. Passage before August recess is the target. Committee markup April–May 2026 · Read more → |
NIFA Program Rapid Response to Emerging Agricultural Threats Up to $500,000 per project addressing sudden pest or disease outbreaks. Applications accepted within 180 days of an emergence event. Rolling — within 180 days of a qualifying outbreak · Read more → |
State · Powered by Legible AI Missouri · SB 1291 Beginning Farmer Tax Deduction Allows farm owners to claim an income-tax deduction when selling or leasing land or equipment to beginning farmers. In committee · Read more → |
Illinois · HB 5577 Beginning Farmer Down-Payment Assistance Creates a grant program for down-payment assistance for beginning farmers purchasing farmland. In committee · Read more → |
Iowa · HF 2227 Transmission-Line Land Restoration Requires electric transmission-line companies to restore cropland disturbed by construction, with penalties for non-compliance. In committee · Read more → |
| Private & Philanthropic · Apply Now | |
| Private programs typically have lighter paperwork and move faster than federal grants. |
| 1 | Young Farmer Fund via Natoora Deadline May 31, 2026 | Who Farmers under 35 using agroecological methods; one-third reserved for BIPOC farmers |
| First Action Prepare your proposal highlighting agroecological practices and submit before May 31. |
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| 2 | American Farmland Trust Emergency Resilience Grant Deadline April 16–26, 2026 | Who Small to midsize farms facing financial disruptions from natural disasters or supply-chain issues |
| First Action Gather documentation of disruptions now. Applications open April 16, close April 26. |
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| 3 | Working Here Fund — Up to $25,000 (ND, MN & WI) Deadline June 30, 2026 | Who Community organizations and nonprofits in AgCountry's ND, MN, and WI service area |
| First Action Determine your grant tier ($15K or $25K), gather documentation, and submit by June 30. |
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1. Submit Maryland MFARM by March 24 — Allocate 80% of budget for Maryland-grown food purchases and file your application today. |
2. Submit Kansas SCBG by April 17 — Collaborate with producer groups, finalize your multi-producer project, and submit before 5 pm CT. |
3. Prepare for AFT Resilience Grant — opens April 16 — Gather documentation of financial disruptions now. Applications open April 16 and close April 26 — only 10 days. |
4. File Wood Innovations proposal by April 22 — Register for SAM.gov and Grants.gov if you haven't. Assemble project partners this week. |
5. Draft Virginia AFID, Louisiana SCBG, and Kansas Early Childhood by April 30 — Three state programs close April 30. Each requires partnership documentation or matching funds — start now. |
6. Check Horizon Weather before field operations — Visit horizon-weather-2603131126.web.app on desktop. Most of the Midwest is poor to marginal this week. |
| Programs not yet open or closing later — worth monitoring now. |
OREI Proposals — Due May 14 Interdisciplinary research teams should begin assembling now for the Organic Agriculture R&E Initiative. |
AFRI Fellowships NIFA Predoctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowship programs close April 16 and April 30. |
Young Farmer Fund — May 31 Farmers under 35 using agroecological methods should begin drafting proposals now. |
REDLG — June 30 Round If your rural electric cooperative missed the March 31 window, the next round closes June 30. |
| — ✦ — Grant Harvester · Issue 25 · Week of March 24, 2026
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