Browse Ambrook’s collection of grants, loans, discounts, cost shares, easements, and insurance for operations experiencing land damage.

Farmers and ranchers should check with their local FSA office to find out about ECP sign-up periods, which are set by the FSA County Committee.

FY 2025 LFPP Request for Applications (RFA) (pdf)


The Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) helps farmers and ranchers to repair damage to farmlands caused by natural disasters and to help put in place methods for water conservation during severe drought. The ECP does this by giving ranchers and farmers funding and assistance to repair the damaged farmland or to install methods for water conservation.



The FSA County Committee inspects the damage to determine if land is eligible for ECP. For land to qualify for ECP funds, the damage from the natural disaster or severe drought must create new conservation problems that if not dealt with would:
- Further damage the land
- Significantly affect the land’s productive capacity
- Represent damage from a natural disaster unusual for the area (an exception to this is damage from wind erosion)
- Be too costly to repair without Federal assistance in order to return the land to agricultural production

Technical assistance to fix the conservation problem may also be provided by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

Conservation problems that existed before the disaster or severe drought are ineligible for ECP assistance.

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

Cost Share

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

Grant

- Emergency Conservation Fact Sheet
- 2025 FMPP and LFPP Project Narrative (docx)
- 2025 FMPP and LFPP Turnkey Marketing and Promotion Project Narrative (docx)
- 2025 FMPP and LFPP Turnkey Recruitment and Training Project Narrative (docx)
- 2025 FMPP and LFPP Project Narrative Guide (pdf)
- Letter Verification of Cost Share (docx)
- Forms SF-424 can be found with the www.grants.gov website application submission.
- Partner Organization Letter Template (docx)


Air Quality

Carbon Capture

Certification

High Tunnel

Landscape

Regenerative

Soil Health

Wildlife & Pollinator Habitat

Coronavirus

Fencing

Trade Relief

Trees

Wildfire

Irrigation

Water Quality

Waterway Protection

Wetland Conservation

Certified Organic

Certified Grassfed

Cover Crops

Reduced Tillage

Drought

Flood

Hurricane

Tornado

Infrastructure

Equipment

Emergency

Weather

Disaster Relief

The funding for ECP is determined by Congress. Up to 75% of the cost to implement emergency conservation practices can be provided, however the final amount is determined by the committee reviewing the application. Qualified limited resource producers may earn up to 90% cost-share. The FSA County Committee is able to approve applications up to $50,000 while $50,001 to $100,000 requires state committee approval. Amounts over $100,000 require the approval of the national FSA office.


Complete the application through the online portal at https://maine-dacf.wizehive.app/program/nrdrap/. Paper applications are available at local FSA or UMaine Extension Offices, by request, or as a downloadable PDF. Application period: August 14, 2026 - November 6, 2026. Program staff hold in-person office hours at FSA offices and virtual Zoom office hours during the application window. Applicants do not need to attend a session to apply.

Lily Kenny

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) administers the Maine Natural Resources Disaster Relief Assistance Program (NRDRAP), which provides assistance to eligible producers impacted by severe weather in 2023 and 2024. This effort is supported by the federal Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2025. Maine farmers, forestry businesses, and other eligible producers who experienced weather-related losses in 2023 or 2024 may be able to receive assistance through&#x2004;this program and are encouraged to apply.


NRDRAP is designed to help support recovery from eligible losses caused by severe weather, including: crop loss; aquaculture loss; standing timber loss; harvested timber loss; on-farm infrastructure loss; and bare-ground practices necessary to mitigate land loss.


Maine has received $60 million in funding to distribute to Maine producers. Maine successfully advocated for including compensation for infrastructure losses in its program, recognizing that these were among the most devastating losses resulting from weather events in 2023 and 2024.



The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) administers the Maine Natural Resources Disaster Relief Assistance Program (NRDRAP), which provides assistance to eligible producers impacted by severe weather in 2023 and 2024. This effort is supported by the federal Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2025. Maine farmers, forestry businesses, and other eligible producers who experienced weather-related losses in 2023 or 2024 may be able to receive assistance through this program and are encouraged to apply.

NRDRAP is designed to help support recovery from eligible losses caused by severe weather, including: crop loss; aquaculture loss; standing timber loss; harvested timber loss; on-farm infrastructure loss; and bare-ground practices necessary to mitigate land loss.

Maine has received $60 million in funding to distribute to Maine producers. Maine successfully advocated for including compensation for infrastructure losses in its program, recognizing that these were among the most devastating losses resulting from weather events in 2023 and 2024.

Eligible producers must have experienced weather-related losses in 2023 or 2024. Key requirements:

- Eligible losses must not have been ones that could have been covered by other existing USDA disaster programs, insurance payouts, or other relief programs.
- Eligible applicants must have ownership or legal authority over the parcel(s) seeking assistance.
- Before receiving payments, applicants will be asked to register as a vendor with the State of Maine.

For timber assistance only, applicants must hire a licensed forester to complete additional required forms (the forester's services are eligible for reimbursement).

Applicants will be eligible for a single payment that shall not exceed 95% of their eligible loss. Upon the closure of the application in November, the Department will determine the payment factor (up to 95%, based on the total loss coverage requested by all eligible applicants and the total $60M available) applied to each applicant's eligible loss calculation. Payments made under NRDRAP are considered taxable income and must be reported on taxes. Applicants must maintain financial and other records related to this program for three (3) years, as required by the USDA.

Apply through the PFAS testing Google form (reviewed weekly) or the tax-preparation support form. For Income Replacement, contact Nancy McBrady, DACF bureau director (nancy.mcbrady@maine.gov, 207-287-7522), who refers eligible farms to MFT/MOFGA; infrastructure grants are by DACF referral.

Brett Sykes

Maine Farmland Trust (MFT) and MOFGA are jointly administering a PFAS emergency relief fund to support any Maine farm dealing with potential per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination. The fund covers initial PFAS testing; wellness and mental-health costs; short-term income replacement for DACF-identified high-result farms; infrastructure adaptations; and PFAS tax-preparation support.



All commercial farms (a farm that sells at least $2,000 to consumers outside of the household) are eligible. Applicants self-identified as Indigenous producers of food and/or medicine do not need to meet commercial farm eligibility criteria. Priority is given to farms deriving at least 50% of family income from the farm and to "Tier 1" licensed sites. Income Replacement requires a DACF referral, at least 50% of family income from the farm, stopped sales, and a W-9 and recent Schedule F.

Nutrition & Food Safety

Business Plan

Cash Rent

Refinancing

Transition

Succession

Testing costs are paid directly to labs (Maine Environmental Laboratory / Northern Tilth). Income replacement is paid bi-weekly until DACF's program starts or funds run out; the award is deducted from the later DACF payment to replenish the fund. Wellness awards are no more than $500 and available no more than once per month. Resources are limited and not all eligible applications may be funded. Jointly administered by Maine Farmland Trust and MOFGA.

Applications are submitted in competitive rounds. For the current cycle (RFA #PFNDT2025001 Targeted Grants Round 1 and RFA #PFNDM2025002 Major Grants Round 2): call for pre-proposals opened October 1, 2025 via online form; pre-proposals closed November 10, 2025; complete applications were due February 13, 2026 by 11:59 PM EST; anticipated award notification May 8, 2026. RFAs and materials are posted on the program webpage; questions to the RFA Coordinator via PFASFund.DACF@maine.gov.

Maine DACF — PFAS Fund Research Grants

Through the Fund to Address PFAS Contamination (PFAS Fund), Maine DACF operates a competitive research grant program to fund research that helps farmers determine their best options for maintaining and enhancing viability despite the presence of PFAS on their&#x2004;property. The program supports scientific research, explores establishing a research station on PFAS Fund-purchased property, and compiles and shares resulting scientific information.


There are two grant categories:

- Major Grants between $100,000 and $500,000 to support multi-year research projects.

- Targeted Grants of less than $100,000 for projects smaller in scope and duration (up to 18 months).


Research priorities and targeted questions include the movement, remediation, and disposal of PFAS in agricultural materials; markets for contaminated hay; PFAS accumulation in horses/pigs/pollinators and Christmas trees; livestock correlation studies; and communication strategies for impacted producers.



Through the Fund to Address PFAS Contamination (PFAS Fund), Maine DACF operates a competitive research grant program to fund research that helps farmers determine their best options for maintaining and enhancing viability despite the presence of PFAS on their property. The program supports scientific research, explores establishing a research station on PFAS Fund-purchased property, and compiles and shares resulting scientific information.

There are two grant categories:
- Major Grants between $100,000 and $500,000 to support multi-year research projects.
- Targeted Grants of less than $100,000 for projects smaller in scope and duration (up to 18 months).

Research priorities and targeted questions include the movement, remediation, and disposal of PFAS in agricultural materials; markets for contaminated hay; PFAS accumulation in horses/pigs/pollinators and Christmas trees; livestock correlation studies; and communication strategies for impacted producers.

Open to researchers proposing projects that help commercial farmers make informed decisions about utilizing agricultural property impacted by PFAS. Proposals should address a targeted research question or PFAS Fund research priority, benefit Maine farm viability, and fill a gap in the literature. (This program is distinct from the farmer financial assistance suite - applicants are researchers, not impacted farmers directly.)

Trials

Major Grants: minimum $100,000, maximum $500,000 each, multi-year period of performance. Targeted Grants: less than $100,000 each, period of performance 12 to 18 months. The most recent cycle allocated approximately $3 million for Major Grants and $500,000 for Targeted Grants. Period of performance begins upon signed contract.

List of Agricultural Funding for Operations Experiencing Land Damage