Applications will open this fall for two competitive State grant programs: the Beginning Farmer Grant Program and the Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Farmer Grant Program. The programs, which offer support to New York farmers who are new to the field or who face disproportionate social and economic barriers to success, will provide funding for a wide range of start-up and operational costs and offer support for marketing, training, and more.
New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “Access to capital is one of the largest barriers to the start-up and success of new and beginning farms. I’m proud that the Beginning Farmer Grant Program and Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Farmer Grant Program will help to alleviate these concerns for our new and underserved farmers by offering funding for projects like purchasing land, structures, livestock, and equipment; training staff; and creating marketing campaigns to help reach more customers. I thank the New York Farm Viability Institute, the Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust, and Resist Inc. for their partnership in getting this funding into the hands of those that need it most. I encourage all eligible applicants to learn more about these programs and start preparing proposals.”
Funded in the Fiscal-Year 2022-23 New York State Enacted Budget, both the Beginning Farmers Grant Program and the Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Farmers Grant Program aim to expand opportunities to farmers who are less likely to enter or succeed in the field, whether due to lack of experience, inability to access resources, or social and economic discrimination. Opening doors to all farmers is a critical step in ensuring a strong, diverse, and well-supported agricultural future for New York.
Beginning Farmer Grant Program
Administered by the New York Farm Viability Institute, the Beginning Farmer Grant Program’s goal is to assist beginning farmers with the financial costs associated with the creation or expansion of a new farm operation. The program will award grants to for-profit farm businesses operating within New York State that are start-ups or have been in business for less than ten years.
A total of $850,000 is available through this program, with awards ranging from $5,000-$25,000 and $50,000-$250,000, based on project complexity. Applications will open October 25, 2024 and will be available through January 24, 2025. Questions regarding the Beginning Farmer Grant Program can be sent to New York Farm Viability Institute at arandolph@nyfvi.org.
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Farmer Grant Program
The Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Farmers Grant Program is administered by the Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust (NEFOC). Funding will be offered under the program name “Landing Access: Novel Directions (LAND) Project.” The LAND Project’s goal is to assist farmers who face disproportionate barriers to success due to discrimination. The program will award grants to for-profit business owners who experience discrimination by virtue of their membership in a particular group and whose ability to enter into farming or the success of their farm enterprise has been impaired due to disproportionate access to capital, credit opportunities or land, among other things.
Applications open on December 30, 2024 and will be available through February 14, 2025. A total of $3.4 million is available to famers through this program, with grants of up to $5,000 offered in this first round of funding. Subsequent rounds of funding will offer awards of up to $250,000. Questions regarding the LAND Project can be sent to info@nylandproject.com.
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