<ul><li>Farmers must be located in one of the six New England states (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, or VT)</li><li>A project may involve one or more of the following: an individual farmer, a farm family, a group of farmers with a cooperative business, or a non-profit entity.</li><li>AFT defines “land access” as the pursuit of finding or getting onto farmland to begin or continue a farming operation, and “farm transfer” as the steps involved in transferring a farm business and/or farmland from one entity to another.</li></ul>

New England Farmland, Access, Succession, and Transfer Support Grants (NE-FAST) Guide

Launched in 2020, the New England Farmer Microgrants Program (NEFMP) is a grant program that provides direct financial support to farmers across New England. The program seeks to address some of the key barriers faced by farmers in the region: access to farmland, farm succession/transfer planning, and the adoption of regenerative farming practices.

New for the 2023 grant cycle, NEFMP will consist of two separate funding opportunities: the New England Farmland Access, Succession, and Transfer Support (FAST) grant and grants for livestock producers in select counties.

The Farmland Access, Succession, and Transfer Support provides grants to farmers anywhere in New England for projects that facilitate farmland access, succession, or transfer.

Some examples of eligible projects include: farmland purchase or leasing transaction costs, consultant and attorney fees, surveys, appraisals, agriculture conservation easement fees.

Applicants can request up to $5,000 under this funding opportunity.

Eligibility

Farmers must be located in one of the six New England states (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, or VT)
A project may involve one or more of the following: an individual farmer, a farm family, a group of farmers with a cooperative business, or a non-profit entity.
AFT defines “land access” as the pursuit of finding or getting onto farmland to begin or continue a farming operation, and “farm transfer” as the steps involved in transferring a farm business and/or farmland from one entity to another.

Terms

Grants are reimbursement-based

This program issues payment to awardees as a reimbursement. If awarded, grantees will only receive payment after submitting proof of purchase/payment for services. AFT can also pay vendors directly for approved items/services on behalf of the grantee upon receipt of invoice from the vendor.

Through AFT's partnership with Farm Credit East’s FarmStart program, NEFMP awardees who face challenges in pre-paying for grant-supported projects may be eligible to receive a low-interest advance. Reach out to AFT staff for more information.