Grants for County governments - Agriculture

The Lumpkin Family Foundation’s **Land, Health, Community (LHC) Grant Program** serves as its core philanthropic initiative, advancing the family’s long-standing commitment to holistic community well-being in East Central Illinois. At least half of the foundation’s annual grantmaking is directed to this region, with a focus on fostering prosperity, health, leadership, and environmental stewardship. Through the LHC program, the foundation seeks to nurture communities that are economically strong, physically and mentally healthy, socially engaged, and environmentally conscious—each element reinforcing the others to create long-term resilience and vitality. A central vision of the program is to strengthen local food systems and agricultural economies while supporting residents’ physical and mental health. The foundation encourages projects that promote access to healthy, affordable food, strengthen local farm businesses, and integrate sustainable land use practices. Equally important is the cultivation of social cohesion and civic capacity—empowering communities to collaborate on shared goals, retain talent, and attract new opportunities. The emphasis on leadership development and collaborative problem-solving underscores the foundation’s belief in community-driven progress. In response to growing awareness of mental health challenges, the Lumpkin Family Foundation has expanded the LHC program to include **nature-based mental wellness initiatives**. These efforts support programs that demonstrate the connection between engagement with nature and improved mental well-being. Priority is given to projects that help youth and young adults reduce screen time through outdoor experiences, provide self-care opportunities for mental health practitioners, and create healing environments for trauma-impacted individuals such as foster youth. The foundation recognizes the strong research-based link between time spent in nature and improvements in happiness, social connectedness, and emotional balance. Successful proposals often integrate multiple LHC focus areas, combining personal health, environmental stewardship, agricultural innovation, and mental wellness. The foundation particularly values programs that promote sustainable farming, develop green practices that add productivity while protecting the land, and build community capacity through education and collaboration. Preference is given to rural organizations and those located in **Coles County** and surrounding areas, reflecting the foundation’s deep roots in East Central Illinois. Through the Land, Health, Community Grant Program, the Lumpkin Family Foundation continues to invest in the long-term vitality of its home region. By uniting efforts in agriculture, health, the environment, and mental wellness, the program fosters communities that are not only economically stable but also socially vibrant and emotionally healthy—a living model of the foundation’s belief in the interdependence of land, people, and place.

Federal Awarding Agency Name: U.S. Department of Agriculture U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service NHQ Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP)The U.S. Department of Agriculture U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service NHQ Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP) is collaborating with National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) through an interagency agreement for implementation of the Composting and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) Pilot Project Cooperative Agreement Program.Notice of Funding Opportunity Title: Composting and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) Pilot ProjectNotice of Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NRCS-NHQ-CFWR-24-NOFO0001412Assistance Listing: This program is listed in the Assistance Listings (previously referred to as the Catalog of Federal Financial Assistance) on Sam.gov under 10.935, which can be found at: https://sam.gov/content/home.SAM is a web-based, government-wide application that collects, validates, stores, and disseminates business information about the federal government's trading partners in support of the contract awards, grants, and electronic payment processes.Notice of Funding Opportunity SummaryThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), under OUAIP, is soliciting proposals from eligible applicants to host a CFWR pilot project for fiscal year (FY) 2024For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D. of the full Notice of Funding Opportunity for information about steps required before submitting an application via Grants.gov.Key DatesApplicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on September 4, 2024. For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or [email protected]. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts.For inquiries specific to the content of the NFO requirements, contact the federal awarding agency contact (section G of this NFO). Please limit questions to those regarding specific information contained in this NFO (such as dates, page numbers, clarification of discrepancies, etc.). Questions related to eligibility, or the merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed.A webinar has been pre-recorded and is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvexAMyuY2o.The presentation and supporting information are posted in the Related Documents tab of this opportunity. The recorded webinar is also available on https://www.usda.gov/topics/urban/coop-agreements.The agency anticipates making selections by November 2024 and expects to execute awards by January 2025. These dates are estimates and are subject to change.Federal Funding Floor and Ceiling AmountsThe estimated funding floor for this opportunity is $75,000, and the estimated funding ceiling is $400,000. The funding floor means the minimum agreement funding amount for the Federal share per agreement awarded. The funding ceiling is the maximum agreement funding amount for the Federal share per agreement awarded. These numbers refer to the total agreement amount, not any specific budget period.Federal Financial Assistance TrainingThe funding available through this NFO is Federal financial assistance. Grants 101 Training is highly recommended for those seeking knowledge about Federal financial assistance. The training is free and available to the public via https://www.cfo.gov/resources/federal-financial-assistance-training/.It consists of five modules covering each of the following topics:1) laws, regulations, and guidance; 2) financial assistance mechanisms; 3) uniform guidance administrative requirements; 4) cost principles; and 5) risk management and single audit. FPAC agencies also apply Federal financial assistance regulations to certain non-assistance awards (e.g., non-assistance cooperative agreements).

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) is offering grants under the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) program. This program aims to transform the food system by increasing options, improving access, and creating new and better markets for small and mid-size producers. The core mission is to build a more diversified, distributed, and local food system to enhance its resilience and benefit consumers, producers, and rural communities. The RFSI program targets a broad range of beneficiaries, including agricultural producers and processors (or groups thereof), nonprofit organizations, for-profit entities, local government entities, tribal governments, and institutions such as schools, universities, or hospitals. The primary impact goal is to strengthen the middle of the food supply chain in Pennsylvania. Expected outcomes include increased production capacities for food processors, improved storage for produce and grains, and enhanced aggregation points like food hubs and farmer cooperatives. Funding priorities are aligned with addressing critical gaps in Pennsylvania's middle food supply chain. Specifically, the program prioritizes projects that establish or enhance aggregation points, improve food processing infrastructure (including equipment upgrades and moves to licensed spaces), and expand storage facilities, particularly cold storage in urban areas and storage for identity-preserved grains and dry beans. The USDA also encourages projects that benefit underserved farmers and ranchers, new and beginning farmers, veteran producers, and businesses owned by socially disadvantaged individuals. The grant program offers Simplified Equipment-Only Grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, which do not require cost sharing or matching. These are fixed-price grants solely for equipment purchases, with funds to be awarded no earlier than July 1, 2024, and projects completed by June 30, 2026. This focused approach on equipment aims to directly support tangible improvements in the food system's infrastructure, enabling producers and processors to expand and diversify their operations.

The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SSARE) Education Grants program is designed to fund education and outreach activities that benefit the sustainable agriculture community. This grant directly aligns with SSARE's mission to promote efforts in farmer innovations, community resilience, business success, agricultural diversification, and best management practices. The core objective is to support projects that develop sustainable agriculture systems or move existing systems towards sustainability. The primary beneficiaries of these grants are farmers and farming communities, including those involved in indigenous agriculture producing for community food systems. Academic institutions, non-profits, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), 1890 land-grant university faculty/extension cooperators, 1862 land-grant universities, other colleges and universities, and government agencies are eligible to apply, acting as facilitators for these educational initiatives. The impact goals are centered on fostering a more sustainable, resilient, and economically viable agricultural sector through knowledge dissemination and practical application. Education Grants prioritize projects that clearly articulate what is being taught, to whom, and how the goals will be accomplished. Focus areas include experiential learning (demonstrations, on-farm tours, field days, workshops), integrative approaches (conferences, seminars, course curriculum), and reinforcement methods (fact sheets, bulletins, videos, online technologies). SSARE also encourages proposals on quality of life topics, such as heirs property, farmers’ markets, food hubs, local/regional processing, and urban agriculture systems, emphasizing the social health of farming systems. Expected outcomes include the adoption of sustainable agriculture practices, enhanced farmer innovation, increased community resilience, improved business success for agricultural enterprises, and greater agricultural diversification. Projects should yield results that are realistic, acceptable to farmers, logical, and capable of leading to tangible actions and benefits described in the proposal. The grant projects are strictly focused on education and outreach, with no research component, and are paid by reimbursement of allowable expenses. The foundation's strategic priorities are evident in the grant requirements, which mandate that project outcomes focus on sustainable agriculture systems and clearly demonstrate how education and outreach efforts will be implemented and evaluated. The theory of change underpinning this program is that by providing targeted education and outreach, knowledge and best practices will be transferred to farmers and communities, leading to the development and widespread adoption of sustainable agricultural methods and improved quality of life within farming systems. Project maximums are $50,000, with a duration limited to two years. Applicants from the Southern region, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, are eligible. Farmers involved in these projects must have farming/ranching as their primary occupation or part-time farming with at least $1,000 of documented annual income from their operation, with exceptions for indigenous agriculture.

This program recognizes and honors influential leaders in Colorado's agriculture industry who have made significant contributions to various agricultural fields and community involvement.

Propeller’s Impact Accelerator is a 5-month program designed to support mission-driven entrepreneurs in growing their businesses through coaching, community building, curriculum, and technical assistance. The program aims to catalyze transformational growth by connecting entrepreneurs with contract opportunities, markets, and customers. It is sponsored by the Clif Family Foundation, Capital One, Nasdaq, RosaMary Foundation, WK Kellogg Foundation, and Baptist Community Ministries, aligning with their missions to foster economic development, education, and community well-being by empowering local businesses. The Impact Accelerator targets growth-stage entrepreneurs in five key areas: community economic development, education, food, health, and water. Specifically, it supports BIPOC entrepreneurs operating brick-and-mortar establishments in underserved New Orleans corridors for economic development; early childhood education and care providers for education; CPG brands emphasizing sustainable, healthy, and affordable products for food; direct health and wellness service providers, especially those serving BIPOC clients, for health; and entrepreneurs in green infrastructure, stormwater management, native plant cultivation, and coastal restoration for water. The program's overarching impact goal is to facilitate the scaling of revenues and teams, while also embedding racial equity, social, and environmental impact goals into business operations. The program's priorities and focuses are clearly delineated within each sector. For community economic development, the focus is on Black-owned brick-and-mortar storefronts in specific New Orleans neighborhoods, aiming for job creation and community ties. In education, the priority is on increasing enrollment, growing staff, and expanding business locations for early childhood education providers. For food, the emphasis is on CPG brands that are environmentally sound, locally sourced, healthy, or have compelling social/environmental impacts, with a prioritization of BIPOC-led companies. Health focuses on direct clinical care and services impacting social and physical determinants of health, especially for BIPOC client bases, striving for increased accessibility and staff growth. The water sector prioritizes green infrastructure, urban stormwater management, native plants, and coastal restoration, seeking to increase the supply of native plants for green infrastructure. Expected outcomes and measurable results include participants setting ambitious yet achievable goals for growth and long-term sustainability, an increase in business revenues and staff, and the successful attainment of social/environmental impact goals. Entrepreneurs receive over 16 hours of lead mentor office hours for goal setting, 12+ hours of business development curriculum during meetups, and 20+ hours with subject matter experts for project assistance. Additional benefits include a detailed work plan, coaching on racial equity and impact goals, introductions to stakeholders, free coworking space, and membership in a network of over 250 alumni. These structured interventions are designed to remove growth barriers and accelerate the development of entrepreneurial ventures, leading to tangible economic and social improvements within the targeted communities and sectors.

This program provides financial support to local governments in Georgia for purchasing essential equipment and technology to enhance the capabilities of first responder agencies like police, fire, and emergency medical services.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to various organizations in California for improving the sorting and processing infrastructure of beverage container recycling to enhance material quality and reduce contamination.

This grant provides financial support to urban farmers in Minnesota for implementing conservation practices that improve environmental health and farm sustainability.

This grant provides funding to organizations and initiatives focused on improving access to newborn hearing screening and services in Minnesota.

This award recognizes and honors small businesses in Nevada's agriculture, food, and beverage sectors that demonstrate exceptional contributions to the state's economy and community.

Notice of Funding Opportunity SummaryThe Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing potential availability of cooperative agreements for the purpose of leveraging NRCS resources to assist our agency with conducting and implementing important NRCS Farm Bill Program contract management on multiple private landowner properties throughout Massachusetts. NRCS recognizes the importance of utilizing partners to help facilitate project management for NRCS customers throughout Massachusetts. The agreement holder could be asked to assist with customer technical assistance, conservation planning, certification packets for completed conservation practices, and writing Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMPs). The agreement holder will also be responsible for providing training to NRCS staff and affiliates to demonstrate the ability to have direct conversations with agricultural producers, investigate and navigate conservation opportunities, demonstrate project management and implementation skills, as well as customer outreach.NRCS-Massachusetts is making a funding opportunity available for applicants to submit proposals with an award ceiling of $400,000 and a minimum project award of $200,000. NRCS will be awarding a cooperative agreement for up to a five-year period. If, in coordination with NRCS, additional resources are needed at a rate that exceeds this schedule, NRCS may add funds to this agreement to support continued partnership over the performance period.The primary goal is to expand conservation technical assistance to NRCS customers throughout Massachusetts. The project list ranges in size from less than 1-acre farms to several hundred-acre farms. Applicants will identify the average number of conservation application site visits with written conservation plans, existing contract conservation technical assistance site visits, and CNMPs that they could complete in any year with a minimum of fifteen application based and 15 contract based site visits per year being acceptable for this agreement (5 of those including CNMP development). NRCS will work with the selected applicant to make the choice of priority conservation site visits each year of the agreement based on interest and need. Applicants will be required to hold 1-2 conservation focused trainings per year for NRCS staff and partners to expand their technical knowledge. Applicants should provide a list of training ideas to NRCS for the length of the agreement. Applicants will be awarded based on the specified scoring criteria in Section E of this announcement. Eligible applicants are identified in Section C of this announcement. Applicants should be familiar with all applicable state, federal, local laws, policies, and regulations that apply to conservation improvements in the locales of Massachusetts.For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D. of the full Notice of Funding Opportunity for information about steps required before submitting an application via Grants.gov.Key DatesApplicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on June 29, 2024. For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or [email protected]. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts.For inquiries specific to the content of the NFO requirements, contact the federal awarding agency contact (section G of this NFO). Please limit questions to those regarding specific information contained in this NFO (such as dates, page numbers, clarification of discrepancies, etc.). Questions related to eligibility, or the merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed.The agency anticipates making selections by June 30, 2024, and expects to execute awards by August 15, 2024. These dates are estimates and are subject to change.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to Alaska-based municipal, tribal, and non-profit organizations to enhance USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service programs and build Tribal capacity, including costs for easements and land trusts.

The Snohomish County Conservation Futures Program (SCCFP) Grants, established in 1988, serves as a vital mechanism for distributing Conservation Futures Property Tax Funds. The core mission of this program is to preserve open space land, farm and agricultural land, and timberland within Snohomish County. This directly aligns with the broader goal of safeguarding natural resources, supporting local agriculture, and maintaining the ecological integrity of the region. The target beneficiaries of the SCCFP are the natural landscapes and agricultural areas of Snohomish County, as well as the public who benefit from preserved open spaces. The primary impact goal is the perpetual acquisition of interests or rights in real property to protect, preserve, maintain, improve, restore, or conserve these critical land types. This ensures that these valuable assets are protected for current and future generations, contributing to environmental health and community well-being. The program's priorities and focuses are clearly defined by its funding criteria. Funding is specifically allocated for the acquisition of real property, easements, covenants, or other contractual rights. Eligible projects must conform to the definitions of open space, farm and agricultural land, or timberland as defined in RCW 84.34.020. Additionally, projects in urban areas must be at least 1 acre, retained in their natural state, and open to the public. The program strictly limits improvements to those that align with RCW 84.34.200-220, allowing for features like trails, interpretive centers, viewpoints, and restrooms, while prohibiting recreational improvements such as ball fields or swimming pools. Expected outcomes include the permanent protection of significant tracts of open space, agricultural lands, and timberlands, contributing to biodiversity, water quality, and scenic beauty. Measurable results are tied to the number of acres conserved, the types of properties acquired, and the legal instruments used for their protection. The program requires that the sponsoring agency has a guaranteed plan for managing and maintaining the property to preserve its eligible characteristics, and that proposed projects secure property rights in perpetuity. This strategic approach ensures the long-term effectiveness and sustainability of the conservation efforts.

This grant provides funding to individuals, farmers, businesses, and organizations in Minnesota to enhance production capacity and market access for value-added agricultural products, with a focus on improving food safety and hemp fiber processing.

The Effectiveness Monitoring Committee (EMC), serving as an advisory body to the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, aims to fund scientific research that tests the effectiveness of the California Forest Practice Rules and associated regulations. This includes addressing natural resource issues such as watershed science, wildlife concerns, and wildfire hazard. Proposals are sought that focus on one or more of EMC's Research Themes and Critical Monitoring Questions, particularly those that contribute to understanding and enhancing wildfire resilience and response to climate change across California's forestlands. Projects must directly relate to management activities on private timberlands in the state, although those on public lands may qualify if they demonstrate relevance to non-federal timberland activities.

This funding opportunity provides financial assistance to organizations in specific North Carolina counties for repairing stream damage caused by Hurricane Helene.

This program provides financial assistance to farmers in Orange County, North Carolina, to support innovative agricultural projects that enhance income and market access.

This funding opportunity is designed to support innovative projects that develop and demonstrate Direct Air Capture technologies in California, while also engaging and educating local communities about carbon removal efforts.

FMPP funds projects that develop, coordinate, and expand direct producer-to-consumer markets to help increase access to and availability of locally and regionally produced agricultural products. The program focuses on: Supporting and promoting domestic direct producer-to-consumer (including direct producer-to-retail, direct producer-to-restaurant, and direct producer-to-institutional marketing) marketing such as farmers markets, roadside stands, agritourism activities, community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs, or online sales; Encouraging the development of value-added agricultural products; Developing marketing strategies for producers of local food and value-added products; Facilitating regional food chain coordination development; Promoting new business opportunities and marketing strategies to reduce on-farm food waste; Responding to changing technology needs in direct producer-to-consumer marketing; and Covering expenses related to costs incurred in obtaining food safety certification and improvements to food safety practices and equipment.