Browse Ambrook’s collection of grants, loans, discounts, cost shares, easements, and insurance for rural.

Applications are originated by the applicant and partnering lending organization and sent to MARBIDCO Agribusiness Loan Program, 1410 Forest Drive, Suite 21, Annapolis, MD 21403, or info@marbidco.org. Applications are processed as received.

Maryland Agriculture & Resource-Based Industry Development Company

Financing for Maryland agribusiness working capital and equipment purchases. The program helps rural businesses innovate, diversify, and take advantage of emerging market opportunities, addressing the financing needs of Maryland agribusinesses unable to obtain commercial financing for working capital and equipment from traditional lenders.



Applications must be originated by the applicant and a partnering lending organization (Cooperative Extension agents, county agricultural marketing officials, and other business professionals may assist). A public-sector lender may participate by committing to a specified level of matching financing; when there is no participating public-sector lender, a commercial lender must provide a credit-denial letter or complete the commercial lender referral form. All loans made to a business entity must be personally guaranteed by its owners.

A payment that must be returned to the provider following specified terms of repayment and interest rate.

Loan

HVAC

Lighting

Repairs

Marketing

Loans range from $15,000 to $100,000. Interest: 4.75% with a public-sector lender, or 6.75% without one. Terms: equipment 3 to 8 years (up to 12 months interest-only); operating loans 1 to 2 years (up to 6 months interest-only). Origination fee: 1% of loan amount. Typical equity requirement: 10% of project cost. The Upper Shore Regional Council and MARBIDCO offer a 5% equity contribution toward eligible loans for farmers in Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne's counties.

https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/360205

AFRI Grant Coordination Team

This competitive grant program, administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), supports both foundational and applied research, education, and extension in agriculture. The program targets six core priority areas:

- Plant Health & Production and Plant Products

- Animal Health & Production and Animal Products

- Food Safety, Nutrition, & Health

- Bioenergy, Natural Resources, & Environment

- Agriculture Systems & Technology

- Agricultural Economics & Rural Communities 


This program funds a diversity of project types—research-only, extension-only, education-only, and integrated efforts—across standard, conference, and Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) grants. 




This competitive grant program, administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), supports both foundational and applied research, education, and extension in agriculture. The program targets six core priority areas:
- Plant Health & Production and Plant Products
- Animal Health & Production and Animal Products
- Food Safety, Nutrition, & Health
- Bioenergy, Natural Resources, & Environment
- Agriculture Systems & Technology
- Agricultural Economics & Rural Communities 

This program funds a diversity of project types—research-only, extension-only, education-only, and integrated efforts—across standard, conference, and Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) grants. 


Eligibility varies by project type:
- Research/Education/Extension (single-function):
    - State agricultural experiment stations
    - Colleges and universities (including 2-year institutions)
    - University research foundations
    - Federal agencies
    - National labs
    - Private organizations or corporations
    - U.S. individuals (citizens, nationals, or permanent residents)

Integrated Projects (combining functions):
- Colleges and universities (as defined under eligibility)
- 1994 Land-Grant Institutions
- Hispanic-Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities

Other Eligible Entities (depending on category):
- 1862 and 1890 Land-Grant Institutions
- Tribal Organizations (non-federally recognized)
- Nonprofits (501(c)(3) and others)
- Small businesses
- Other entities as defined in the RFA





A lump sum of money for a specific purpose that does not need to be paid back.

Grant

Public Health

Compliance

Alternative Energy

See specific funding project type for more detailed information on terms of this grant. 


Loans are administered by AADA. AMPP loan applications are anticipated to open for a second round of acceptance starting April 15. Applicants complete the AMPP Loan Application and provide supporting documents including a USDA Environmental Checklist and an Existing Debt Summary. Contact the program at mpilp@agi.alabama.gov.

Randy Davis

Executive Director

The Alabama Meat Processing Program (AMPP), part of the USDA Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program, is administered by the Alabama Agricultural Development Authority (AADA), which was established in 1980 by the Alabama Legislature to promote agriculture and to finance agricultural businesses in&#x2004;Alabama. AADA's mission for the USDA-AMPP is to boost rural economic development by financing small business owners who are expanding or starting a slaughter or processing facility within Alabama, with the end goal of facilitating the start-up and expansion of small and medium sized slaughter and processing plants. AMPP provides funding to finance the establishment, expansion, or operation of meat and poultry processing facilities. Together with this award, USDA provided $88.6 million to nine nonprofits in seven states.



The Alabama Meat Processing Program (AMPP), part of the USDA Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program, is administered by the Alabama Agricultural Development Authority (AADA), which was established in 1980 by the Alabama Legislature to promote agriculture and to finance agricultural businesses in Alabama. AADA's mission for the USDA-AMPP is to boost rural economic development by financing small business owners who are expanding or starting a slaughter or processing facility within Alabama, with the end goal of facilitating the start-up and expansion of small and medium sized slaughter and processing plants. AMPP provides funding to finance the establishment, expansion, or operation of meat and poultry processing facilities. Together with this award, USDA provided $88.6 million to nine nonprofits in seven states.

Small business owners who are expanding or starting a slaughter or processing facility within Alabama; the program targets small and medium sized slaughter and processing plants, positively impacting everyone within the food supply chain from the farmer to the slaughter and processing facility to the consumer.

Rate and term ARE published — in the AMPP Loan Application Packet linked from the program page, not on the page itself. Verbatim: "Loan interest rate is 4%." and "Loan terms are available up to 30 years for real estate and up to 15 years for equipment. The terms available on each request will be determined by AADA considering the request and useful life of the proposed collateral."

Fees: a "Nonrefundable application fee" — "Submit a check payable to 'Alabama Agricultural Development Authority' for $150.00 with your application to cover credit reports" — and at closing, "Borrower must pay a one-time processing fee of ¼ of 1% (.0025) of the loan amount due at the time of loan closing." The "Borrower is responsible for all legal and closing costs associated with the loan."

Underwriting conditions: "Loan covenant requirements are as follows: Minimum Debt Service Coverage of 110%; Debt to Asset Ratio not more than 1:1; Loan to Value will not exceed 80%." Loans must be secured and an appraisal is required; "Principals of the funded entity must furnish personal guarantees"; and hazard and "key man" insurance (if applicable) naming AADA as loss payee is required. Applicants are also asked to name the "Amount of Loan requested," to "describe your preferred schedule of repayment," and to identify the people "authorized to negotiate loan terms and conditions."

Honest-unpublished value: no per-borrower loan ceiling or floor is published anywhere in the program page, the loan packet, or the AADA news releases.

Eligible uses are broad: "Loans can be used to purchase or construct new facilities, expand existing facilities, purchase new equipment, cover start-up costs and hire additional employees." The packet also lists acquisition and development of land, buildings or infrastructure, leasehold improvements, machinery and equipment purchase, debt refinancing, feasibility studies, and pollution control and abatement.

The dollar figures AADA publishes are pool sizes, not per-borrower awards. Alabama's program comes from "a $15 million award from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program (MPILP) to the AADA," and "funds will be allocated until the $15 million is loaned out or the deadline of March 1, 2026, which ever occurs first." Separately, "together with this award, USDA provided $88.6 million to nine nonprofits in seven states."

The AMPP loan program "operates under the USDA-MPILP Regulations."

The USDA is not currently accepting REAP applications and this technical-assistance program is on-hold. See the program page (and the 2025 CO REAP Journey Map) for details and updates.

Sam Anderson

The Agricultural Energy Renovation Opportunities (AERO) Project is a free technical-assistance service, not a direct grant. Funded by a grant from USDA Rural Development, CDA provides technical assistance to producers interested in USDA Rural Energy for America&#x2004;Program (REAP) grants for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. CDA can provide: help deciding if REAP is right for you; free grant assistance to farmers and ranchers interested in applying for REAP projects; free technical reports and feasibility studies (required for REAP applications); potential grant assistance for qualified projects; and project development assistance.


REAP, through the USDA, provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements.



The Agricultural Energy Renovation Opportunities (AERO) Project is a free technical-assistance service, not a direct grant. Funded by a grant from USDA Rural Development, CDA provides technical assistance to producers interested in USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grants for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. CDA can provide: help deciding if REAP is right for you; free grant assistance to farmers and ranchers interested in applying for REAP projects; free technical reports and feasibility studies (required for REAP applications); potential grant assistance for qualified projects; and project development assistance.

REAP, through the USDA, provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements.

Any farmer, rancher, or rural small business who is interested in a REAP award can work with CDA to create an application. Though CDA will support any project, it is focused on projects that: apply for underutilized technologies; focus on Distressed or Disadvantaged Communities; and request $20,000 or less.

Biofuel

Hydro Power

Solar Power

Wind Energy

AERO is a free service rather than a funding award, and no award amount, payment rate, cost-share percentage, or match requirement is published for it.

What CDA states it gives you, verbatim: "Free grant assistance to farmers and ranchers interested in applying for REAP projects" and "Free technical reports and feasibility studies, required for REAP applications." Those reports and feasibility studies are normally the costly part of assembling a REAP application, so the value is real even though no dollar figure is attached. CDA also lists "Potential grant assistance for qualified projects" without stating an amount, and "Project development assistance."

The one dollar figure on the page is a targeting preference, not a cap on anything: "Though we will support any project, CDA is focused on projects that: Apply for underutilized technologies; Focus on Distressed or Disadvantaged Communities; Request $20,000 or less."

The actual money would come from REAP itself, and REAP intake is paused: "The USDA is not currently accepting REAP Applications. This program is on-hold." For REAP's own grant and guaranteed-loan terms, see the REAP record rather than this one.

Download the application and reference forms; submit the signed application with three completed reference forms (at least one from a DVM/VMD and at least one from a current/former employer) to StateVetEdBoard@agr.georgia.gov during an open period. Next period opens Fall 2026 for the 2027 service year.

Student loan repayment for veterinarians who agree to provide food-animal veterinary services in Board-approved rural shortage counties in Georgia. Administered by the State Veterinary Education Board with the Georgia Student Finance Authority (GSFA), with administrative support from the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Annual cycle: the 2026-award application period closed October 15, 2025; the next period opens Fall 2026 for the 2027 service year.



US citizen or lawful presence; Georgia resident; a practicing veterinarian or a veterinary student in the final year of study. Awards require practicing or intending to practice in Board-approved rural counties meeting population-threshold requirements.

Stewardship

No award amount is published. Neither the program page, the GVELRP Program Overview, nor the 2026 application states a dollar figure, an annual maximum, or a total loan-repayment ceiling. What is published:

Form of the benefit: "financial relief, by way of student loan purchases, for veterinarians willing to provide food animal veterinary services in shortage areas around the state." The Board "will instruct GSFA to make payments on the outstanding student loan debt of the contracted veterinarian" — payment goes to your lender, not to you.

Funding is not guaranteed year to year: "GVELRP awards are subject to appropriation each year by the legislature."

Contract term: "Each contract between the Board and the participant will be for a period to be defined by the contract" — no fixed length is published.

Service obligation: "the participant is expected to devote at least 20 hours per week to providing food animal or veterinary services in the area of need that they applied for." You may move to another approved area of need with Board approval.

Payment timing and clawback: awards are received "at the completion of the year of service." "If the terms of the contract are breached by the participant at any time, the contract will become void and the participant will not receive the award at the end of the service period." Prior service in an approved area does not count toward a contract.

No double-dipping: "Federal regulations do not allow applicants to participate in both the USDA Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) and the Georgia Veterinary Loan Repayment Program during the same contractual timeframe."

Administered annually by the N.C. Agricultural Finance Authority. Submit the program Application (see the Application, FAQs, and Eligible Counties Map linked on the page). No specific application-window date is stated on the page; applications were most recently announced as opening in December.

Charles Fletcher

Director of Agricultural Project Management

The Large Animal Healthcare Enhancement Fund is a $130,000 recurring fund created by the N.C. General Assembly in 2023 and administered annually by the N.C. Agricultural Finance Authority. The funding opportunity is available to veterinarians who practice in one&#x2004;of the 70 North Carolina counties with a population of 100,000 or fewer and who spend 30% or more of their patient care on large animal veterinary care. These funds can be used for repayment of educational loans related to the recipient's veterinary degree, to purchase equipment or technology for use in their practice, or for any additional uses the advisory committee determines is appropriate to promote and develop large animal veterinarians to practice in the designated counties.



The Large Animal Healthcare Enhancement Fund is a $130,000 recurring fund created by the N.C. General Assembly in 2023 and administered annually by the N.C. Agricultural Finance Authority. The funding opportunity is available to veterinarians who practice in one of the 70 North Carolina counties with a population of 100,000 or fewer and who spend 30% or more of their patient care on large animal veterinary care. These funds can be used for repayment of educational loans related to the recipient's veterinary degree, to purchase equipment or technology for use in their practice, or for any additional uses the advisory committee determines is appropriate to promote and develop large animal veterinarians to practice in the designated counties.

Veterinarians who practice in one of the 70 North Carolina counties with a population of 100,000 or fewer and who spend 30% or more of their patient care on large animal veterinary care.

"The maximum award available is $25,000, however the committee only has a pool of $123,500 annually to disperse to grantees" (program FAQ, dated 07/15/2026). The program page describes the underlying appropriation as a "$130,000 recurring fund" created by the General Assembly in 2023.

Use of funds (per G.S. 106-1073): repayment of educational loans related to the recipient's veterinary degree; purchase of equipment or technology for use in the recipient's large animal veterinary practice; or any additional uses the Advisory Committee determines appropriate.

Tax treatment: awards are taxable. Applicants must submit a W-9 with the application, and "you will be required to submit a 1099 form on your tax year that the grant is received."

Clawback: "There is 'clawback' language in legislation in the case your practice migrates away from the 30% large animal practice for any reason. Repayment of the grant is required pursuant to G.S. 106-1073."

Repeat limit: applicants may reapply annually "as long as they have not received two consecutive awards in the previous rounds of funding"; recipients funded in both prior rounds must wait one year to reapply.

Recent scale: $123,500 was awarded to large animal vets in May 2026, and since inception the fund has gone to 16 veterinarians totaling over $250,000.

Apply through MASBDA at (573) 751-2129 or masbda@mda.mo.gov.

MASBDA

The Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority administers the Agribusiness Revolving Loan Fund, financing provided in part by the USDA Rural Development's Intermediary Relending Program, for qualifying agribusinesses.



Qualifying entities include businesses that add value (through processing, packaging, further processing, etc.) to agricultural products, agriculture support businesses, agricultural product marketers/retailers, and businesses developing emerging agricultural technology. Applicants must operate in Missouri communities under 50,000 residents and be U.S. citizens or legal residents.

First lien position: finances up to 75% of project costs, maximum $112,500. Second lien position: finances up to 50% of project costs, maximum $75,000. Interest rate is 6 percent fixed. Funds support business construction, expansion, land/equipment purchases, startup costs, working capital, and pollution control — excluding agricultural production, ownership transfers, and lending/insurance institutions. A $100 non-refundable application fee plus closing costs apply.

The application window is open now. Technical assistance is available through the Montana Department of Agriculture and its partners, or a local Food and Agriculture Development Center.

Sky Losleben

Karl Sutton

Through the REAP Technical Assistance Grant (REAP-TAG), the Montana Department of Agriculture provides free technical assistance to help agricultural producers and rural small businesses apply to the USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). REAP funds renewable energy systems and energy-efficient equipment — including solar, wind, and biomass projects; livestock solar well pumps and cattle watering systems; irrigation equipment conversions; and HVAC systems, commercial hot water heaters, lighting, insulation, and windows.



Agricultural producers with at least 50% of gross income from agricultural operations, and small businesses in rural areas (for-profit entities, cooperatives, electric utilities, and Tribal corporations). Applicants must have no outstanding delinquent federal taxes, debt, judgment, or debarment. Projects must be located in rural areas with populations of 50,000 or less; agricultural producers may use non-rural locations if the project is on-site production.

USDA REAP grants are currently available at up to 25% of eligible project costs. The Montana Department of Agriculture's role is to provide free technical assistance and grant-writing help to access the federal REAP program.

Apply through the North Dakota Department of Agriculture Regional Livestock Development and Planning Grant Program page.

Shaun Quissell

Grain & Livestock Division Director

The Regional Livestock Development and Planning Grant Program, administered by the North Dakota Department of Agriculture, provides grants to counties and regional planning councils to support regional livestock development and planning efforts in North Dakota.



Eligible applicants are counties and regional planning councils.

Grants are awarded up to $12,000 for every county and up to $500 for every township.

All applications must be originated by the applicant and sent to MARBIDCO Loan Programs, 1410 Forest Drive, Suite 21, Annapolis, MD 21403, or info@marbidco.org. Applications are processed in the order received.

In collaboration with the Maryland Energy Administration and using Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) funds, MARBIDCO offers affordable, below-market-rate microloans for projects that improve energy efficiency in food and fiber processing businesses. The program helps rural businesses reduce energy consumption while increasing profitability, enabling farmers and agricultural-based industry business owners to implement the recommendations of a third-party energy auditor.



The borrower should have a credit score of at least 620 and no bankruptcies filed within the last seven years. Loans are unsecured; only the personal guarantee of the borrowers and/or businesses is required. A copy of an energy audit, an ag energy management plan report, or an energy savings confirmation letter from a qualified third-party energy auditor must be submitted with the application, along with a simple commercial lender referral. Loans are fully amortized with terms not exceeding the anticipated savings payback period, with at least a 1.0-to-1.0 ratio on annual energy savings payback.

Loans range from $5,000 to $30,000 at a 4.50% fixed rate, with a $75 origination fee. Loan advances may not exceed actual improvement costs minus grant incentive funding received. A grant incentive of 10% of the loan amount (not to exceed $1,000) is available. Debt service coverage of at least 1.0-to-1.0 on annual energy savings payback is required, and terms may not exceed the anticipated savings payback period.

Complete the Second-Year Grant Application and mail it to the NMFMA at 1919 Fifth Street, Suite H, Santa Fe, NM 87505. Applications must be received by April 1 of a member market's second year of operation (exceptions are possible). Expenses are generally reimbursed on submission of a vendor invoice plus proof of payment; a market unable to cover upfront costs may arrange for the vendor to bill the NMFMA directly. All funds must be spent and submitted for reimbursement by November 15 of the year awarded.

New Mexico Farmers' Marketing Association

The New Mexico Farmers' Marketing Association (NMFMA) offers noncompetitive grants of up to $500 to member farmers' markets in their second year of operation that are located in or adjacent to areas with high obesity/diabetes rates, food deserts, or Frontier and Remote (FAR) communities. The grants help with the start-up costs of opening a market and may be used for any expense that builds the market's capacity — signage, an information table, a fire extinguisher, a hand-washing station, and similar.



Applicants are farmers' markets (not individual farmers) in their second year of operation and members in good standing of the NMFMA — dues paid, the market's membership form submitted by May 1, and the previous season's market data submitted by December 31. The market must be located in an area with one of the following qualifications: in or adjacent to a food desert (per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas), in a Frontier and Remote (FAR) community, or in an area with a higher-than-average (>28%) rate of obesity/diabetes.

Farmers Market

Nutrition & Food Safety

Local Food

Food Systems

Noncompetitive grant of up to $500 per second-year market, paid on a reimbursement basis (or by direct vendor billing by prior arrangement). Funds must be spent and reimbursement submitted by November 15 of the award year.

Farmers apply directly through MARBIDCO's normal application process for one of the participating loan programs; SMADC funds supplement applicants' down payments to improve credit quality.

Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission — General

The Southern Maryland Agricultural Equity Incentive Matching Fund is a joint partnership designed to incentivize loan requests from Southern Maryland farmers and to help them meet certain down-payment (equity) requirements, in collaboration with MARBIDCO.



The program serves Southern Maryland farmers and agricultural producers. Applicants must meet MARBIDCO's standard underwriting criteria for their chosen loan program and follow regular application procedures.

Business Plan

Cash Rent

Refinancing

Transition

Succession

SMADC provides equity assistance capped at two levels: up to $20,000 for Maryland Resource-Based Industry Financing Fund (MRBIFF) loans, and up to $5,000 maximum per applicant for all other participating loan programs. Borrowers generally must contribute 5% equity themselves. Eligible MARBIDCO loan programs include vineyard/hops/orchard financing, shellfish aquaculture, forestry, and rural business loans.

No public application, no form and no online portal is published for this program. The route is a phone call to the Texas Department of Agriculture, which administers it, followed by a decision from the TAFA board. Note first who this is for: the borrowers are rural local governments and development entities, not individual farms — if you are a producer looking for credit, TAFA's Agricultural Loan Guarantee Program and Interest Rate Reduction program are the producer-facing doors, and TDA links the USDA Farm Loan Discovery Tool (https://www.farmers.gov/fund/farm-loan-discovery-tool) for federal options.

The one published instruction. The Denison Development Alliance's description of the program — the fullest public write-up of it — says: "The Texas Department of Agriculture administers the Rural Municipal Finance Program. For further details on the program, please contact Karl Young at 512-936-0281." That is the starting point. TDA's general line is (800) TELL-TDA via https://texasagriculture.gov/Home/Contact-Us.

Be aware of the documentation gap. TDA's own TAFA page (https://texasagriculture.gov/Grants-Services/Rural-Economic-Development/Texas-Agricultural-Finance-Authority) does not carry a page, application, form or deadline for this program. It lists TAFA's other programs — Agricultural Loan Guarantee Program, Interest Rate Reduction, Texas Agricultural Grants — and describes the board's job as to "Establish selection criteria for grant applications, lenders and borrowers." So confirm current terms and the current process on that call before assembling anything; do not assume the third-party description is complete.

Intake is not a dated round. No application window, opening date or deadline is published anywhere. Requests are sized case by case — "Loan amounts range from $50,000 to an amount approved by TAFA's board of directors, but target projects for less than $1,000,000" — which means each one goes to the board. TDA posts TAFA board minutes month by month on the TAFA page, which is the practical guide to when decisions get made and how far ahead to file.

What a borrower must be ready to establish

- That it is an eligible entity type: "city and county governments; economic development corporations; hospital districts; rail districts; utility districts; special districts; agricultural districts; and private water and wastewater corporations."
- Evidence of "ability to repay the commitments," and that the project provides "significant benefits for the rural area."
- A rural-location certification to TAFA. The published test is that "An applicant must certify to TAFA that: The project is located in a non-metropolitan statistical area (county); or If in a metropolitan statistical area, the project is in an unincorporated area; or Located in a city with a population of under 20,000, that is not adjoining a city or group of cities with an aggregate population of 50,000 or greater."
- A defined use of proceeds. Eligible uses are "real estate purchase, building construction, site improvements, equipment, water and wastewater systems, municipal infrastructure projects and any other use that can be identified to improve or assist in the economic development of the rural area."

The governing rules, if you need to read the authority behind all of this, are the Texas Agriculture Code, Chapters 44 and 58, and the Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 28.

Texas Agricultural Finance Authority — Economic Development

The Texas Agricultural Finance Authority (TAFA), a public authority within the Texas Department of Agriculture, provides loan (and bond) financing on favorable terms to rural political subdivisions and development entities — city and county governments, economic development corporations, and various districts — to support agricultural businesses and rural economic development. Projects must be located in a rural (non-metropolitan) area of Texas.



Institutional/rural-government borrowers located in rural areas of Texas that provide significant benefit to the rural area and evidence of ability to repay: city and county governments; economic development corporations; hospital districts; rail districts; utility districts; special districts; agricultural districts; and private water and wastewater corporations. The applicant must certify the project is located in a rural (non-metropolitan) area. Not for individual agricultural producers.

Buildings

Construction

Fencing

Greenhouse

High Tunnel

Irrigation

Storage

Infrastructure

Loans (and, where applicable, bonds) from $50,000 up to an amount approved by the TAFA board of directors, with projects targeted at under $1,000,000. Proceeds may fund real estate purchase, building construction, site improvements, equipment, water and wastewater systems, municipal infrastructure, and other projects that support rural economic development. Administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture (program contact: Karl Young, 512-936-0281).

Applications are accepted during an annual cycle. The 2026 cycle ran November 3 – December 15, 2025.

Stan Dixon

AgPrime Program Coordinator

Ed Emory

A cost-share grant program administered by the Lois G. Britt Agribusiness Center at the University of Mount Olive and funded by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission. Grants of up to $10,000 support new or innovative projects that increase farm profitability across 33 eastern North Carolina counties (Montgomery to Currituck).



Open to farmers and agribusinesses in 33 eastern North Carolina counties (Montgomery to Currituck). Priority is given to applicants who earn at least 50% of their income from the farm and to current or former tobacco farmers and quota holders.

A payment that requires some percentage of matching contributions by the recipient.

Cost Share

TTFC funded-project record: https://tobaccotrustfund.org/funded-project/ttfc-agprime-2024-2027/

Cost-share grants of up to $10,000 for new or innovative projects that increase farm profit. Funded by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission; administered by the University of Mount Olive.

Apply through the North Dakota Department of Agriculture Agriculture Infrastructure Grant Program page.

Matthew Boeder

The Agriculture Infrastructure Grant Program awards grants to a county, township, or city with a population of 1,500 residents or less for roadway and bridge improvements, and to political subdivisions or entities for utility improvements necessary to accommodate value-added agriculture businesses.



Eligible applicants are a county, township, or city with a population of 1,500 residents or less (for road and bridge improvements), and political subdivisions or entities (for utility improvements) necessary to accommodate value-added agriculture businesses.

Grants support roadway, bridge, and utility improvements that accommodate value-added agriculture businesses in eligible small communities.

Apply online via OWEB's grant management system (login via fiscal.oweb@oweb.oregon.gov). The 2024 cycle closed December 12, 2024 and all current funds are allocated; more may become available for a Fall 2026 cycle.

Audrey Squires

OWEB grants to public water suppliers to protect, restore, or enhance drinking-water sources through land acquisition and conservation, prioritizing suppliers serving rural communities and lower-income populations. Eligible properties must be partially or fully within the supplier's Drinking Water Source Area (surface or groundwater). Acquisition types: fee title, easements/covenants, or loan repayment.



Institutional applicants: public water suppliers with service populations at or below 25,000 (Community, Transient Non-Community, Non-Transient Non-Community, and Oregon Very Small Water Systems, each local-government or nonprofit owned), plus Tribal Public Water Systems. Ineligible: federal-owned, state-owned, and for-profit water systems. Match: 5% cash or in-kind from non-OWEB sources.

Air Quality

Carbon Capture

Certification

Landscape

Regenerative

Soil Health

Wildlife & Pollinator Habitat

Certified Organic

Certified Grassfed

Cover Crops

Reduced Tillage

Water Management

Total available $5,000,000 (allocated April 2025). Maximum request $3,000,000 per grant. Match: 5% cash or in-kind from non-OWEB sources. Grants are paid on a cost-reimbursement basis.

Submit your proposal via email to mda-grants@michigan.gov. Confirmation emails are manually sent, so you will not receive an instant confirmation. If you do not receive a confirmation of receipt from within 48 hours, please call 517-284-5734.

Michigan Office of Rural Prosperity — Grants Program

Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development provides grant opportunities to promote the sustainability of land-based industries and support infrastructure that benefits rural communities.  



- Individuals
- Organizations
- Businesses
- Local Units of Government (county, city, township, village, school district; any authority composed of counties, cities, townships, villages and school districts or combination of these entities) 
- Federally Recognized Tribes
- Educational Institutions 

Projects are eligible if they benefit an Eligible Rural Community or Micropolitan Statistical Areas: See the program guidelines for a full list of eligible areas.

2026 Rural Development Fund Fact Sheet
- 2026 Rural Development Fund Grant Guidelines
- Interactive Dashboard

- The maximum limit on grant fund requests is $100,000. The total allotment for funding is approximately $1.74 million.
- Applicants must provide a minimum 30% match.
- This grant is a cost reimbursement program. Grantees are responsible for costs until proper reports/invoices/receipts are received and reviewed. Grantees are required to show proof of payment. 
- Grantees will be eligible for reimbursement up to three (3) times, at specified dates, during the 18-month grant cycle, with the final reimbursement provided at the completion of the project. 
- Each grantee will be required to submit written reports and appropriate financial documentation to MDARD for payment. Grantees may also be required to report on the outcomes and impact of their grant for a period of time (up to three years) after the grant period ends. 
- All Grantees must be registered and in good standing with the LARA Corporations Division, register here Corporations Division - Login Page 


USDA Grant Application Questions

Edwin Lewis

The purpose of the RCDG program is to enable nonprofit institutions to establish and operate centers&#x2004;for rural cooperative development (Center). The primary objective of the program is to improve the economic condition of rural areas by helping nonprofit organizations who in turn provide technical assistance to start, expand, or improve cooperatives and mutually owned businesses in rural areas.

 

The goals of a Center funded under this subsection shall be to facilitate the creation of jobs in rural areas through the development of new rural cooperatives, value added processing, and rural businesses.



The purpose of the RCDG program is to enable nonprofit institutions to establish and operate centers for rural cooperative development (Center). The primary objective of the program is to improve the economic condition of rural areas by helping nonprofit organizations who in turn provide technical assistance to start, expand, or improve cooperatives and mutually owned businesses in rural areas.
 
The goals of a Center funded under this subsection shall be to facilitate the creation of jobs in rural areas through the development of new rural cooperatives, value added processing, and rural businesses.

Read this first: farmers cannot apply. "Applications will only be accepted from nonprofit institutions," which use the award to run a rural cooperative development Center. A farmer or co-op benefits as a free client of a funded Center, not as an applicant.

FY2026 notice (USDA-NIFA-OP-012058, assistance listing 10.771) publishes:
• "Range of Awards $200,000 - $1,000,000"
• "Estimated Total Program Funding $5,000,000"
• "Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: Matching Requirement (See NOFO for Details)"

The match percentage is stated inside the NOFO document itself, not on the summary page, and it could not be retrieved at the time of this check — budget on the assumption that a match IS required and read the NOFO for the exact share before you commit. No award period length is published on the summary page either.

What a funded Center must do with the money: "provide technical assistance to start, expand, or improve cooperatives and mutually owned businesses in rural areas," with the goal of "the creation of jobs in rural areas through the development of new rural cooperatives, value added processing, and rural businesses."

Eligibility detail: a "nonprofit institution" here includes accredited institutions of higher education, and applicants must satisfy 7 CFR 4284.520(a) while avoiding the disqualifiers in 7 CFR 4284.520(b).

FY2026 applications closed July 24, 2026 (posted July 7, 2026). Program contact: Edwin Lewis.

List of Agricultural Funding for Rural