Healthy Soil Program - New Mexico

Grants to improve soil health are the centerpiece of the New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA) Healthy Soil Program. Every year, NMDA awards grants to implement on-the-ground projects that involve one or more of the five soil health principles stated in the Healthy Soil Act: keeping soil covered; minimizing soil disturbance on cropland and minimizing external inputs; maximizing biodiversity; maintaining a living root; and integrating animals into land management (including grazing animals, birds, beneficial insects, or keystone species such as earthworms). NMDA created its Healthy Soil Program after the Healthy Soil Act was signed into law in 2019; the program's purpose is to promote and support farming, ranching, and other land management that increases soil organic matter, aggregate stability, microbiology, and water retention to improve the health, yield, and profitability of the soils of the state.

NMDA welcomes applications from two types of applicants. (1) Eligible Entities: pueblos, tribes, and nations; acequias; land grants; soil and water conservation districts (SWCDs); New Mexico State University-Cooperative Extension Service; and other local governmental entities with proven land management to support healthy soil. (2) Individual Applicants: a category that includes individuals, businesses, and nonprofits directly engaged in farming, ranching, and/or other forms of land management.

The next (Fiscal Year 2028) application cycle opens January 2027; NMDA encourages each potential applicant to begin working on their project idea in Fall 2026. Projects selected for funding will happen between July 2027 and September 2028. Applicants can review the FY2027 application requirements specific to Eligible Entities and to Individual Applicants, and can subscribe to the electronic newsletter to be notified of future funding opportunities.