Pennsylvania Agriculture Grants

This program provides funding for potato farmers in Pennsylvania who cultivate five or more acres, supporting research to improve potato production and address challenges like Verticillium wilt.

This program provides financial support to eligible Pennsylvania companies for employee training in key industries to enhance workforce skills and improve business competitiveness.

This funding opportunity supports nonprofit organizations and government agencies in Philadelphia to secure existing urban gardens and farms from development threats, aiming to increase their long-term preservation and community impact.

This funding opportunity supports nonprofit organizations and government entities in Philadelphia to plant and care for at least 35,000 trees by 2035, focusing on community engagement and environmental equity.

This program provides funding to Pennsylvania vegetable producers for marketing and research initiatives to improve vegetable cultivation and sales.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit organizations and local governments in Erie County to improve community centers that serve as vital hubs for social, educational, and recreational services.

This program provides financial support to youth organizations in Pennsylvania that promote agricultural education, vocational skills, and leadership development for individuals aged 24 and younger.

This funding initiative provides financial support for urban agriculture projects in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, aimed at enhancing local food systems and promoting environmental sustainability.

This program provides up to $1 million annually to promote and support the growth of Pennsylvania's malt and brewed beverage industries through marketing, research, and training initiatives.

This program provides funding to support marketing and research initiatives that enhance wine production and promote the Pennsylvania wine industry.

This program provides up to $2,000 in professional services to support small farms and agribusinesses in Chester County, Pennsylvania, particularly those facing financial barriers and led by socially or economically disadvantaged individuals.

Notice of Funding Opportunity SummaryNRCS is announcing the availability of Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) State Program funding to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies. Applications are accepted from eligible entities (Section C) for projects carried out in the state of Pennsylvania. A total of up to $225,000 is available for the Pennsylvania CIG competition in FY 2024. All non-Foreign, non-federal entities (NFE) and individuals are invited to apply, with the sole exception of federal agencies. Projects may be between one and three years in duration. The maximum award amount for a single award in FY 2024 is $75,000.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. Completing all steps required to start an application can take a significant amount of time, plan accordingly.Key DatesApplicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on July 31, 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 specificinformation 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 for CIG applicants is scheduled for June 12, 2024 at 9am Eastern Standard Time. Information on how to participate in the webinar will be posted to the PA CSP website. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Pennsylvania State CIG website to learn more about the CIG program.The agency anticipates making selections by August 31, 2024 and expects to execute awards by September 30, 2024. These dates are estimates and are subject to change.

This funding opportunity supports projects aimed at reducing nonpoint source pollution in Pennsylvania's watersheds, particularly in Environmental Justice Areas, by improving water quality through initiatives like agricultural runoff control and urban stormwater management.

This grant provides funding to dairy processors, associations, packaging manufacturers, and educational institutions in the Northeast to support innovative projects that improve processing and packaging in the dairy industry.

This program provides funding to public entities in Pennsylvania for the development and improvement of public fishing and boating access facilities.

The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Recovery Reimbursement Grant, administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, aims to support farms, integrators, and allied industries directly impacted by HPAI, particularly those within control or quarantine zones. The program is designed to mitigate financial losses by reimbursing eligible costs related to the outbreak. With five rounds of funding, the latest round focuses on biosecurity enhancement reimbursements up to $25,000 per premises, with a total fund allocation of $2 million. This initiative encourages the implementation or improvement of biosecurity practices to elevate poultry farm and business biosecurity standards, address weaknesses, and decrease HPAI cases. The application deadline for Round Five has been extended to May 2, 2024, with eligible expenses including loss of income, mortgage interest, rent, utility payments, working capital for reopening, and payroll costs among others.

The Infrastructure Grants, part of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program, aim to enhance the middle of the food supply chain through improved aggregation points, food processing infrastructure, and storage facilities. This grant supports projects that upgrade equipment, facilitate transition to licensed spaces, and expand storage capacities to boost local food production. Priority is given to projects that benefit underserved and veteran farmers, and socially disadvantaged individuals. Funding is prioritized for needs such as food hubs, cooperative developments, and increased cold storage, especially in urban areas.

This grant provides funding to organizations and businesses in the Northeast to develop and expand dairy workforce training programs, enhancing opportunities for current and potential employees in the dairy industry.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) is currently accepting applications for grant projects under the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program (RFSI). Donor Name: Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture State: Pennsylvania County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/15/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: 2 Years Details: The RFSI program will transform the food system to benefit consumers, producers, and rural communities by providing more options, increasing access, and creating new, more, and better markets for small and mid-size producers. To be more resilient, the food system of the future needs to be more diversified, distributed, and local. Funding Priorities The USDA encourages projects that benefit underserved farmers and ranchers, new and beginning farmers and ranchers, veteran producers, and processors and other middle of the supply chain businesses owned by socially disadvantaged individuals, as defined by the Small Business Administration (SBA). The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture will prioritize funding projects that pertain to the following gaps identified in the middle of the food supply chain in Pennsylvania. Aggregation Points – Aggregation points, include food hubs or farmer cooperatives to help individual producers fulfill bigger orders while saving costs on storage, packaging, and distribution. Food Processing Infrastructure – As Pennsylvanian food processors look to expand their production capacities by adding product types, increasing production volumes, or increasing packaging and labeling capacities for retail product lines, they need to upgrade equipment and often need to move to a licensed space outside of their homes. Food processing infrastructure also includes large-scale commercial equipment. Storage – In Pennsylvania, more storage is needed to hold produce to be washed and distributed. Limited cold storage is available in urban areas. More storage is also needed to segregate and supply identity preserved grains, whole grains, and dry bean for human consumption to processing plants in Pennsylvania. Funding Information Simplified Equipment-Only Grants will range in value from a minimum award of $10,000 and a maximum award of $100,000 and do not require cost sharing or matching. The Simplified Equipment-Only Grant is a fixed price grant, meaning it will fund only equipment purchases (and not associated facility upgrades, staffing, or other costs), and the amount awarded will be equal to the cost of the equipment up to $100,000. Funds will be awarded no earlier than July 1, 2024, and projects must be completed by June 30, 2026. Eligibility Criteria  The following are eligible to apply for grants under the Program: Agricultural producers or processors, or groups of agricultural producers and processors. Nonprofit organizations operating middle of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation or distribution of targeted agricultural products. For-profit entities operating middle of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation or distribution of targeted agricultural products, whose activities are primarily focused for the benefit of local and regional producers and that meet the eligibility requirements of the SBA small business size standards. Local government entities operating middle of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation or distribution of targeted agricultural products. Tribal governments operating middle of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation or distribution of targeted agricultural products. Institutions such as schools, universities or hospitals bringing producers together to establish cooperative or shared infrastructure or investing in equipment that will benefit multiple producers’ middle of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation or distribution of targeted agricultural products. For-profit entities must meet the eligibility requirements of the SBA small business size standards matched to industries described in the North American Industry Classification System. Applicant businesses and organizations must be domestically owned and applicants’ facilities must be physically located within this Commonwealth. Applicants doing business along the Commonwealth’s border should only apply in one state to avoid duplication of Federal funds. For more information, visit PDA.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for its Ag Research Grants. Donor Name: Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture State: Pennsylvania County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 06/07/2024 Size of the Grant: Not Available Grant Duration: 2 Years Details: The Department of Agriculture (Department) is soliciting applications to conduct agricultural research on one or more of the following research topic areas, with the research to be conducted from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2026, with the possibility, but not the assurance, of extending that research into subsequent years. All funding is contingent upon 2024-2025 budget appropriations. This notice establishes the procedures by which grant applications will be solicited and reviewed, and by which grants will be awarded. Research Topic Areas  Though not exclusive of original research topics, the Department is particularly interested in funding projects in the following areas: Ongoing multiyear research projects. The Department has, in previous years, provided funding for various multiyear research projects that might be continued or extended to complete research the Department identifies as addressing continued priorities of the agricultural industry, such as: Examining the economic impact of pest infestations like Phorid Flies and Spotted Lanternflies and identifying mitigating measures. Measuring the impacts on the Chesapeake Bay on farm management practices that have not received Federal or State Government cost-sharing assistance. Agriculture The Department requests applications for projects that: Gather and analyze food action plans. Study the impact of the Double Up Food Bucks program. Analyze of the Senior Food Nutrition Program and the Farmers Market Nutrition Program. Study of the surplus food recovery. Validate consumer affairs reporting on PA food prices. Analyze of the TEFAP program. Analyze/survey PA workforce. Study economic impact. Survey carbon community planners. Analyze Urban Agriculture capacity index. Incentivizing urban agriculture land stewardship. Identify current and potential funders for urban agriculture. Identify soil testing and remediation strategies for urban agriculture, particularly how these strategies can be operationalized, their benefits measured and the cost of implementation. Assess the quantity and quality of available on-farm and off-farm housing for agricultural workers, including farm owners. Study barriers to land access, particularly for BIPOC farmers and in rural communities. Energy in agriculture The Department is interested in further scientific study in areas such that: Analyze and map energy generation from agricultural products, plastic products and waste products. Analyze options to reduce greenhouse gases emitted by normal agricultural operations. Identify challenges and opportunities with Agrivoltaics such as gaps, barriers, implementation of panels modified to support Pennsylvania agriculture. Life Science The Department seeks applications that address animal health concerns, such as: Wildlife crop damage. Impacts to states on changing Medicare rules to allow more fresh foods to consumer health. One Health—Proposals that promote humans, the environment, animals, living together harmoniously. Animal Health—Proposals that improve or seek to understand aspects of animal health important to agriculture in this Commonwealth. Diagnosis of Animal Diseases—Proposals that promote the diagnosis of animal diseases that are important to Commonwealth animal agriculture. Animal Productivity—Proposals that seek to improve the productivity of agricultural animals in this Commonwealth. Animal Welfare—Proposals that seek to improve the welfare of agricultural animals in this Commonwealth. Review and recommend Federal Milk Marketing Order recommendations that would be most beneficial to PA dairy industry. Review and recommend alternatives to the current PA Milk Board Over-Order Premium that would be most advantageous to the PA dairy industry. Chronic Wasting Disease strategy development to reduce incidents and (or) live animal test development. Manufacturing The Department requests applications for projects that address: Food production residual waste. Assess incentives needed to increase organic processing. Biodegradable packaging and other environmental factors in selecting food and beverage products. Pharmaceutical or industrial uses for milk proteins or other milk components. Assess conversion of spent mushroom substrate to bio-char on energy and biomass uses and soil amendment uses. Robotic Technology Research what technology farmers use now and what technology they may use in five years. Assess the application and deployment of Augmented Reality on Pennsylvania animal and plant industries. For more information, visit Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.