State Agriculture Grants

The California Department of Food and Agriculture is offering a grant of over $1 million for the implementation of dairy digesters on California dairy farms, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by converting methane into renewable energy, with a focus on projects that use at least 80% dairy livestock manure as feedstock.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture is offering a grant of over $1 million through its Dairy Plus Program to California dairy farms for implementing advanced manure management practices that reduce methane emissions and manage nitrogen and salt surplus, with a focus on climate-smart practices and product markets.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture is offering a competitive grant of over $1 million for California dairy and livestock operations to implement non-digester manure management practices and technologies that reduce long-term methane emissions and maximize environmental benefits, with applications due by October 18, 2024.

The Budget Act of 2022 (Senate Bill 178, Skinner) and Government Code section 12100.140 et seq. established an Export Training program within GO-Biz. The program is one-time funding for competitive grants to service providers to develop or scale export training programs and curricula. Respondents to this Request for Proposal (“RFP”) must demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and ability to provide such training. The key purpose of this program is to fund export training programming that supports California small business owners, provides access to export services for underserved businesses, advances immigrant integration and supports immigrant entrepreneurs, and includes training programs in languages other than English wherever possible. Additionally, this program may consider funding export training programs that are aimed at developing an export-capable workforce should there be sufficient program funding. Organizations are strongly encouraged to collaborate on applications and to utilize each other's resources effectively. Program Objectives:• Equip new-to-export businesses with comprehensive knowledge of global markets and essential international trade knowledge.• Provide ongoing assistance to current exporters, aiding them in sustaining and broadening their presence in foreign markets.• Cultivate a fresh cohort of businesses eligible for the California State Trade Expansion Program, preparing for participation in export promotion activities, including trade shows.

The 2024 Dairy Plus Program is a $58 million grant initiative aimed at supporting advanced manure management practices in dairy farming, offering up to $1,250,000 per project that proposes innovative methods for reducing methane emissions and nitrogen and salt surplus, with the funding being provided on a reimbursement basis after project completion.

The 2024 AMMP and DDRDP grants, funded by the California State Budget and the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, aim to provide financial support for projects that reduce methane emissions from dairy and livestock operations, with a focus on alternative manure management and dairy digester research and development.

This program provides financial assistance to farmers, producer groups, and local governments in Minnesota to help cover the costs of purchasing or retrofitting equipment that improves soil health and promotes sustainable agriculture.

This funding opportunity supports projects that enhance Oklahoma's grape and wine industry through research, education, product development, outreach, and marketing, specifically for higher education institutions, government agencies, and trade groups.

This program provides financial assistance to individuals and organizations in Hawai’i to promote local food production and enhance food security through gardening, livestock, and apiary projects.

The Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) is currently accepting applications for the popular Micro-Grant for Food Security Program (MGFSP). Donor Name: Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) State: Hawaii County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 08/12/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: 4 Years Details: This is the fourth year of the grant program which provides support for small-scale gardening, herding and livestock operations to increase the quantity and quality of locally grown food in food-insecure communities. A total of $3,576,470 is available for this year’s program which was provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the 2018 Farm Bill. Examples of the types of activities that may be funded under this grant include: Small-Scale Gardening – purchase tools or equipment, soil, seeds, plants, canning equipment, refrigeration, composting equipment, towers, hydroponic and aeroponic farming. Small-Scale Herding and Livestock Operations – purchase animals, buy, erect or repair fencing for livestock. Apiary – bees and bee boxes, education, expanding food markets. Eligibility Criteria  This year’s program is open to: Individuals, including backyard farmers – for the amount set at $5,000 per applicant. Applicants must be Hawai‘i resident, at least 18 years old and head of the household. Those previously granted awards under the MGFSP are ineligible. Organizations that are registered to do business in Hawai‘i, including Native Hawaiian, nonprofits, federally funded educational facilities – for the amount set at $10,000 per applicant. Organizations receiving awards will be required to provide matching funds of at least 10% of the grant award. The matching funds cannot be derived from other federal sources. For more information, visit Hawaii Department of Agriculture.

This program develops and tests IPM strategies to control one of the target pests identified by CDFA in the RFP. The IPM program could be quickly implemented once the invasive pest becomes established in California. It is a priority to first utilize and adapt existing knowledge and technology that may exist outside of California. Additionally, the focus is on targets suitable for long-term IPM control. Pests that are typically successfully eradicated, such as certain fruit flies, will not be a high priority. A proposal should provide straightforward descriptions of the proposed IPM project or strategy, including a detailed scope of work, commitments from team members, and a budget justification (details provided in the Grant Proposal Requirements section). CDFA encourages but does not require matching funds from industry partners. Proposals must identify and justify a high priority target pest from the CDFA target pest list. Project proposals must include details and reasoning on what IPM techniques for that pest (biological/cultural control, monitoring, etc.) will be investigated. Projects may include any number of IPM components, including a single aspect of an IPM system. Projects with biological control components should detail a plan to collect data necessary to obtain a release permit and describe the process to obtain it. The focus of the research should be on long-term control of the invasive pest that minimizes disruption of urban communities and existing agricultural IPM systems. For example, it would be preferable to prioritize testing selective chemistries, biological chemistries, cultural control, and biological control, over broad-spectrum insecticides. Proposals should consider availability of products not registered in California and potential remedies. The proposal must focus on management strategies for pests on the target list. CDFA will use the priorities rubric in the RFP to evaluate proposals for each target pest. Applicants may only propose projects related to the pest on the target list. Note: it is not a requirement for target pests to fall into the highest priority category. This rubric is meant to serve as a guide to researchers when selecting target pests and discussing their importance to California and suitability for this program.

This program provides financial support to local governments, tribal governments, nonprofits, and educational institutions in Florida to improve urban forestry initiatives and expand community tree canopies.

The focus of this RFP is to help growers transition away from non-selective, biologicallydisruptive pesticides, especially those of high regulatory concern. The BIFS program supportsthe demonstration, refinement, and outreach of SPM-based farming systems that areeconomically viable and protective of human health and the environment. All aspects of thefarming system may be considered as they relate to pest management, including factors such asadjacent landscapes, whether they are farmed or not. For the current solicitation, CDFA is prioritizing projects focusing on the following topic:• Dacthal (dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate, DCPA) alternatives in Brassica and onioncrops• Neonicotinoid alternatives in tomato• Lygus management in cotton• Fumigant alternatives Projects will typically include all the following elements:1. On-farm demonstration/evaluation of an innovative, biologically based farming systemthat employs SPM strategies;2. A collaborative outreach effort for sharing technical information about the farmingsystem with growers, PCAs, commodity groups, and others engaged in pestmanagement, and;3. An organized program for monitoring key biological and economic variables to informon-farm decision making and evaluate project success. The BIFS application process will occur in two stages: 1) concept proposal submission and 2) fullproposal development. This RFP is to solicit concept proposals. After concept proposal reviewand scoring is complete, OPCA will select up to three applicants to develop full proposals, whichincludes a detailed workplan, budget, budget justification, and letters of support. We anticipatefunding one proposal at the full $1 million. Prior to full proposal development, OPCA scientistswill meet with the selected applicants to discuss reviewer comments as part of a pre-projectconsultation.

The purpose of this program is to support projects that will treat invasive plant infestations that threaten forested, woodland, or rangeland areas. The theme for the FY 2024 funding cycle is grasses and grasslands. Projects may occur on state, federal, tribal, and private lands in Arizona.  This program focuses on the prevention, control/removal, and eradication of invasive plants and aims to achieve the following objectives: Target and treat invasive plants that are capable of transforming native plant communities in forests, woodlands, deserts, or rangeland Assist in preventing fire and flooding, conserving water, and restoring habitat to wildlife Use an integrated weed management (IWM) approach when treating areas infested with invasive plants through the utilization of available tools, including manual, cultural, mechanical, chemical, and biological control methods Examples of eligible projects include: Control/removal or eradication of invasive plants Replacement of invasive plants with native plants through reseeding and planting Removal of woody invasive plant slash by mulching or grinding Examples of eligible costs include those in the following categories: Administrative labor Project labor Fringe benefits Travel Equipment Supplies Contractual Financial Notes: Match Notes: Applicants must provide at least 10 percent of the total project costs via cash and/or in-kind contributions. Priority may be given to projects that provide a higher-than-required match amount, not to exceed 50 percent. Specifically allowable matching contributions include: Cash paid by award recipients In-kind expenses, including necessary costs incurred by award recipients or other organizations to support the project Volunteer hours at a reasonable rate Donated labor and/or equipment necessary to complete the specific project Physical work performed by individual landowners on their own property Funding Notes: A total of $970,000 is available to support awards ranging from $50,000 to $200,000 through this program. Funds will be provided on a reimbursement basis. Awards are expected to be issued in fall and winter 2024/2025. Specifically, award announcements are expected around October 2024. Proposed projects should be ready for implementation upon receipt of award and should be fully achievable within the prescribed award period. Projects must be considered shovel-ready. Funds may not be used for: Research and development projects Website, geographic information system (GIS), and database projects Projects that only include assessment activity and no related treatment of invasive plants Projects that include purchase of capital equipment valued at over $5,000 per item Expenses incurred prior to execution of a formal written agreement between the funding agency and the award recipient Reimbursement of physical work performed by individual landowners on their own property Food or beverage purchases

This program provides funding to Soil and Water Conservation Districts to help CAFO-permitted farmers improve manure management practices, reduce methane emissions, and enhance nutrient conservation.

This program provides funding to support the establishment of protective vegetated buffers on farmland near critical water sources in New York State, helping to safeguard public drinking water and improve water quality.

This program provides financial assistance to eligible applicants for projects that protect agricultural land and support the sustainability of New York's farming industry.

This program provides free soil testing for community gardens in New York State to ensure food safety and promote soil health by analyzing heavy metals and nutrients.

This program provides free soil testing for community gardens in New York State to ensure food safety and promote healthy growth, targeting garden organizers and community groups.

This funding program provides $10,000 to agricultural and horticultural organizations and county extension services that host annual fairs, aiming to boost public engagement and awareness of agriculture and domestic arts.