Browse Ambrook’s collection of funding programs by Brighter Future Fund

To apply, farmers submit a completed Regenerate Virginia Farm Vitality Grant Application to AFT by the due date. Applications must be submitted electronically through the link on AFT's Mid-Atlantic grants webpage (https://farmland.org/mid-atlantic-grants), which goes live when the window opens on December 1; no applications are accepted outside the portal. A downloadable application copy is posted for reference alongside the guidelines, FAQ, and eligible project examples. AFT hosts virtual Q&A Office Hours during the window (for the December 2025 cycle: Wed. Nov. 19 7–8 PM, Mon. Dec. 1 1–2 PM, and Mon. Dec. 15 7–8 PM). Reporting and the final report are handled through AFT's online grant portal (SurveyMonkey Apply).

Applications for the most recent cycle are closed. Questions or assistance completing an application: Amanda Cather, Mid-Atlantic Deputy Director, (202) 378-1244, acather@farmland.org. AFT notes it will not evaluate applications on grammar or writing style, and encourages applicants to write in the style or language that feels most comfortable.

Amanda Cather

Mid-Atlantic Deputy Director, American Farmland Trust

American Farmland Trust General Information

General Information

Elizabeth Beggins

Mid-Atlantic Communications & Outreach Senior Specialist

The Regenerate Virginia Farm Vitality Grant Program provides Virginia farmers with individual grants, focusing on efforts that support the adoption or expansion of regenerative practices and systems while also contributing to the long-term vitality of their operations. The Program also focuses on land access, tenure, and succession planning to ensure farms remain in&#x2004;regenerative operations for generations to come.


The grant helps Virginia farmers strengthen the long-term health and sustainability of their operations, supporting individualized, substantive business consulting and planning services that drive meaningful change. Eligible activities include farm succession planning, enterprise diversification, financial and labor management, and strategic transitions into regenerative or expanded operations. Individual producers may apply for awards up to $25,000.


The grant is one of two tracks of American Farmland Trust's statewide Regenerate Virginia initiative (alongside the Healthy Soils Grant), made possible by generous anonymous supporters and AFT's national Brighter Future Fund. Launched in 2020, the Brighter Future Fund helps farmers nationwide navigate challenges from climate impacts to market volatility while advancing equity, resilience, and long-term opportunities in agriculture.


**Status:** The Program runs an annual application window in December. Applications for the most recent cycle were accepted December 1–19, 2025, and are now closed; recipients were to be announced in early 2026. AFT has not published dates for the next cycle.



The Regenerate Virginia Farm Vitality Grant Program provides Virginia farmers with individual grants, focusing on efforts that support the adoption or expansion of regenerative practices and systems while also contributing to the long-term vitality of their operations. The Program also focuses on land access, tenure, and succession planning to ensure farms remain in regenerative operations for generations to come.

The grant helps Virginia farmers strengthen the long-term health and sustainability of their operations, supporting individualized, substantive business consulting and planning services that drive meaningful change. Eligible activities include farm succession planning, enterprise diversification, financial and labor management, and strategic transitions into regenerative or expanded operations. Individual producers may apply for awards up to $25,000.

The grant is one of two tracks of American Farmland Trust's statewide Regenerate Virginia initiative (alongside the Healthy Soils Grant), made possible by generous anonymous supporters and AFT's national Brighter Future Fund. Launched in 2020, the Brighter Future Fund helps farmers nationwide navigate challenges from climate impacts to market volatility while advancing equity, resilience, and long-term opportunities in agriculture.

Status: The Program runs an annual application window in December. Applications for the most recent cycle were accepted December 1–19, 2025, and are now closed; recipients were to be announced in early 2026. AFT has not published dates for the next cycle.

These grants are intended to provide producers with funds leading to powerful changes in operations. Only one grant can be awarded per farmer/farm family. Non-profit organizations are not eligible and are encouraged to take advantage of alternate funding opportunities and resources designed specifically for non-profits.

Eligibility criteria include:

- Individual, for-profit Virginia terrestrial-based farms or ranches that provide proof of income (or similar if the farm engages in barter, exchange, or community supply)
- Farmers with at least two seasons of production experience (for existing businesses)
- Startup farms (under two seasons of production) are eligible if they can provide documentation of at least two years of production experience (internships, farm management experience, education, and training, or similar)
- This funding is intended to support terrestrial, soils-based agricultural production; applications from aquaculture, equine, or forestry operations cannot be considered (agroforestry and silvopasture operations do qualify)

AFT cannot award grants to American Farmland Trust staff, board members, or substantial contributors to AFT (contributing $5,000 or more), or their family members (sibling, spouse, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, or great-grandchild).

The program prioritizes support to farmers who have experienced barriers to capital and other resources, and encourages Virginia farmers from all backgrounds to apply, including beginning farmers, limited-resource farmers, farmers of color, women farmers, veterans, LGBTQ+ farmers, and farmers with disabilities. Additional information considered: percentage of time currently dedicated to farming or ranching (or desired); potential impact of the grant award on overall farm growth and operations; and type of farm, acres in farming, and farm products grown, raised, or produced (AFT prioritizes awarding a diverse pool of farms operating at varying scales).

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

Grant

Cover Crop

Silvopasture

- Program page (Mid-Atlantic grants): https://farmland.org/mid-atlantic-grants
- 2026 Farm Vitality Guidelines: https://farmland.org/favicons/2026-farm-vitality-guidelines-final2.pdf
- FAQ: https://farmland.org/favicons/faq2026farmvitalitygrants.pdf
- Eligible Project Examples: https://farmland.org/favicons/fv26-eligible-project-examples.pdf
- Application (for reference): https://farmland.org/favicons/2026-fv-application-for-reference.pdf
- Brighter Future Fund: https://farmland.org/brighterfuture (farmland.org/grants redirects here)
- Regenerate Virginia initiative and report: https://farmland.org/regenerate-virginia/
- Announcement: https://farmland.org/blog/strengthen-your-farm-2026-aft-regenerate-virginia-grants-open-dec-1-19

Carbon Capture

Certified Grassfed

Cover Crops

Soil Health

Reduced Tillage

Conservation

Transition

Legal & Finance

Marketing

- Awards: up to $25,000 per producer; only one grant per farmer/farm family
- Funding requests are organized into three distinct tracks, and applicants may apply for only one track. All funding requests must align with the parameters of the selected track:
- Track 1: Equipment — special-purpose equipment that improves farm viability or profitability and supports regenerative practices (e.g. no-till seed drill, roller-crimper, precision planter, mobile fencing or water systems for managed rotational grazing, compost spreader, wash/pack station upgrades, cold storage, solar-powered irrigation pumps, silvopasture equipment, high tunnel). Maximum award: $15,000
- Track 2: Business Development — financial acumen, planning, and succession for regenerative farm businesses (e.g. farm business planning consultant, financial literacy training, bookkeeping setup, marketing and brand strategy, feasibility study, succession planning support, peer-to-peer coaching, market readiness assessments). Maximum award: $15,000
- Track 3: Product & Market Expansion — new products, broader markets, and wider distribution of regenerative goods (e.g. branding and packaging design, value-added product development, certification costs, e-commerce and website development, processing/packing equipment, market access tools, institutional market expansion, consumer outreach). Maximum award: $25,000
- Ineligible across all tracks: debt repayment or refinancing, general operating expenses (payroll, rent, utilities, fuel), routine equipment replacement, building construction, retroactive costs (expenses before the grant award date), and aesthetic upgrades
- Grant disbursement schedule (fixed, cannot be modified): the first 75% of the total awarded amount is disbursed approximately 90 days after receipt of a signed award agreement via the online grant portal; final reports are due to AFT 365 days after receipt of the initial funds, and the final 25% is disbursed approximately 90 days after submission of the final report
- Funding is contingent on the awardee completing a Grant Award Agreement form and submitting it, along with other requested information, within 7 days of being notified of the award
- AFT requires the awardee to provide its SSN/EIN/TIN for IRS reporting; the name on the application must match the name on that number
- Reporting: within one year of receiving funds, awardees must submit all receipts showing how funds were spent, one written page describing the project and its impact, and photos or documentation of project outcomes; an interview with AFT staff is optional and is not a substitute for written reporting
- Expenses incurred before receiving a fully executed grant award agreement are not reimbursable. AFT has no obligation to disburse amounts in excess of the approved grant; expenses exceeding the grant maximum are the awardee's responsibility. Any unspent grant funds may be dedicated toward further services for the applicant, pending written AFT approval.
- 2025 cycle context: AFT awarded $896,600 through the two Regenerate Virginia grant programs to 38 Virginia farmers and ranchers — one-third of all Brighter Future Fund grants nationwide.

To apply, farmers submit a completed Regenerate Virginia Healthy Soils Grant Application to AFT by the due date. Applications must be submitted electronically through the link on AFT's Mid-Atlantic grants webpage (https://farmland.org/mid-atlantic-grants), which goes live when the window opens on December 1. A downloadable application copy is posted for reference alongside the guidelines and FAQ, in English and Spanish. AFT hosts virtual Q&A Office Hours during the window (for the December 2025 cycle: Wed. Nov. 19 7–8 PM, Mon. Dec. 1 1–2 PM, and Mon. Dec. 15 7–8 PM). Awardees receive a link by email to complete the final report in the SurveyMonkey Apply portal three months before the close of their grant period.

Applications for the most recent cycle are closed. Questions or assistance completing an application: Amanda Cather, Mid-Atlantic Deputy Director, (202) 378-1244, acather@farmland.org. If desired, AFT can help identify the appropriate consultant for individual needs and help draft a budget — note this in the application if it would be beneficial. AFT notes it will not evaluate applications on grammar or writing style.

The purpose of the Healthy Soils Grant Program is to make the pursuit of soil health more accessible for&#x2004;producers and land managers across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Offered in partnership with the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, American Farmland Trust's Healthy Soils Grant encourages partners and producers to pilot innovative and impactful ideas — at the field level, the classroom level, or the market level — supporting the ongoing efforts of producers and partners while fostering innovation and enhanced education and outreach.


Taking a "complete, not compete" partnership-based approach, the Program seeks to fund ideas that innovatively fill gaps and address barriers to adoption of soil health-building systems while incentivizing the adoption of practices and transformation of systems that go above and beyond current standards. The Program aims to support farmers and ideas that are ineligible for other programs. The grant encourages regenerative approaches that improve resilience, enhance profitability, and accelerate systems-level change.


The grant is one of two tracks of AFT's statewide Regenerate Virginia initiative (alongside the Farm Vitality Grant), made possible by generous anonymous supporters and AFT's national Brighter Future Fund. Launched in 2020, the Brighter Future Fund helps farmers nationwide navigate challenges from climate impacts to market volatility while advancing equity, resilience, and opportunity across agriculture.


**Status:** The Program runs an annual application window in December. Applications for the most recent cycle were accepted December 1–19, 2025, and are now closed; recipients were to be announced in early 2026. AFT has not published dates for the next cycle. Spanish-language guidelines and application are also posted.



The purpose of the Healthy Soils Grant Program is to make the pursuit of soil health more accessible for producers and land managers across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Offered in partnership with the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, American Farmland Trust's Healthy Soils Grant encourages partners and producers to pilot innovative and impactful ideas — at the field level, the classroom level, or the market level — supporting the ongoing efforts of producers and partners while fostering innovation and enhanced education and outreach.

Taking a "complete, not compete" partnership-based approach, the Program seeks to fund ideas that innovatively fill gaps and address barriers to adoption of soil health-building systems while incentivizing the adoption of practices and transformation of systems that go above and beyond current standards. The Program aims to support farmers and ideas that are ineligible for other programs. The grant encourages regenerative approaches that improve resilience, enhance profitability, and accelerate systems-level change.

The grant is one of two tracks of AFT's statewide Regenerate Virginia initiative (alongside the Farm Vitality Grant), made possible by generous anonymous supporters and AFT's national Brighter Future Fund. Launched in 2020, the Brighter Future Fund helps farmers nationwide navigate challenges from climate impacts to market volatility while advancing equity, resilience, and opportunity across agriculture.

Status: The Program runs an annual application window in December. Applications for the most recent cycle were accepted December 1–19, 2025, and are now closed; recipients were to be announced in early 2026. AFT has not published dates for the next cycle. Spanish-language guidelines and application are also posted.

The following are eligible applicants:

- Individual farmers operating in Virginia, including nonprofit or for-profit farms, who have not previously been awarded a Regenerate Virginia Healthy Soils grant
- Groups of farmers, including producer associations

Eligible costs include farm labor (excluding payroll and salaries); equipment purchase or rental; farm inputs and operating costs, including insurance; payments to technical service providers, consultants, or advisors; infrastructure; and purchase of livestock, seeds, or plants.

Projects must:

- Be entirely located in Virginia
- Address one or more of the principles of soil health, ideally through an innovative or holistic systems approach
- Include an educational/outreach component (e.g. field day, case study, social media output)
- Include a description of the way soil health will be assessed
- Have a project completion date of no more than 2 years from the time of receipt of funds (applicants select a one- or two-year grant period at the time of application)
- Be willing to share findings and results, including possibly collaborating with AFT or Virginia Soil Health Coalition partners to collect and analyze relevant data

Farm size is not a consideration for project selection. There are no minimum or maximum acreage requirements.

Applications are evaluated on the viability of the concept, the degree to which the project addresses the principles of soil health, the communications and outreach plan, and evidence of farmer commitment (e.g. a history of experimenting with soil health practices; previous participation in soil health educational trainings, field days, or opportunities; matching funds in the form of cash or labor outlays committed to the project by the farmer(s); how the project will be sustained long-term; or how the project meets the overall goals of the farm business).

The program prioritizes support to farmers who have experienced barriers to capital and other resources, and encourages Virginia farmers from all backgrounds to apply, including beginning farmers, limited-resource farmers, farmers of color, women farmers, veterans, LGBTQ+ farmers, and farmers with disabilities.

Nutrient Management

- Program page (Mid-Atlantic grants): https://farmland.org/mid-atlantic-grants
- 2026 Healthy Soils Guidelines: https://farmland.org/favicons/26-guidelines-healthysoils-final2.pdf
- FAQ: https://farmland.org/favicons/faq_healthy-soils-grants.pdf
- Application (for reference): https://farmland.org/favicons/2026-hs-application-reference-copy.pdf
- Directrices (Spanish guidelines): https://farmland.org/favicons/26-guidelines-healthysoils-final_spanish-(1).pdf
- Solicitud, solo para referencia (Spanish application): https://farmland.org/favicons/26applicationhealthysoilsgrants-final-spanish.pdf
- Virginia Soil Health Coalition: https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/
- Brighter Future Fund: https://farmland.org/brighterfuture
- Regenerate Virginia initiative and report: https://farmland.org/regenerate-virginia/

Stewardship

Regenerative

- Awards: up to $30,000 for an individual farmer, or up to $50,000 for a group of farmers
- Priority funding is allocated to proposals that include a system of practices working in combination to achieve synergistic outcomes; go beyond practices eligible for traditional cost-share opportunities (because they are more experimental or innovative, or because they take a holistic approach combining several practices); and engage local conservation practitioners including Soil and Water Conservation District staff, extension agents, NRCS practitioners, and nonprofit partners in implementation or outreach and education
- Allowable uses of funds include but are not limited to: a silvopasture system for pastured livestock; cover crop and nutrient reduction trials; hedgerows or riparian buffers that incorporate income-generating crops; innovative crop rotation to improve soil health, including adding a new crop into an established rotation; mulching or cut-and-carry systems; building soil health on an urban farm through the addition of compost; integrating perennial crops into annual cropping systems; integrating livestock into an annual cropping system; building soil health as a climate resilience strategy; and agroforestry
- Grant period: applicants select a one-year or two-year grant period at the time of application. The grant period starts at the time of agreement; the period of performance runs from initial award fund receipt to the due date of the final report — 365 or 730 days respectively. Awardees may choose to start work after the agreement is signed but are not required to until the first installment is received.
- Grant disbursement schedule (fixed, cannot be modified): the first 75% of the total awarded amount is disbursed approximately 90 days after receipt of a signed award agreement via the online grant portal; final reports are due 365 or 730 days after receipt of award funds depending on the pre-selected grant period; the remaining 25% is issued approximately 90 days after the close of the grant cycle, on condition that all deliverables are met and reporting is submitted
- Funding is contingent on the awardee completing a Grant Award Agreement form and submitting it, along with other requested information, within 7 days of being notified of the award
- AFT requires the awardee to provide its SSN/EIN/TIN for IRS reporting; the name on the application must match the name on that number
- Reporting: semi-annual check-ins by phone or email with Program staff plus a one-page final report; communications and outreach efforts also serve as project reporting; additional reporting may be requested for specific project types (e.g. on-farm research)
- Expenses incurred prior to receiving a fully executed grant award agreement are not reimbursable. AFT has no obligation to disburse amounts in excess of the approved grant; expenses exceeding the grant maximum are the awardee's responsibility. Any unspent grant funds may be dedicated toward further services for the applicant, pending written AFT approval.
- 2025 cycle context: AFT awarded $896,600 through the two Regenerate Virginia grant programs to 38 Virginia farmers and ranchers. Funded projects are driving outcomes such as increased soil cover and biodiversity, expanded market opportunities, and reduced input costs through practices including diversified cover crops, biochar applications, and rotational grazing.

Kristin Irvin

New England Program Coordinator

**The Brighter Future Fund’s New England Regenerative Livestock Farming** **Grants** (formerly the Western New England Regenerative Livestock Farming Grant) provide funds to livestock farmers in select counties in Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut for the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices. The funds are intended to support field-based conservation practice projects that improve soil health, water quality, and pollinator habitat. Applicants can request **up&#x2004;to $10,000** under this funding opportunity. This grant will only fund existing livestock operations and is not able to fund start-up livestock operations. Applicants must be raising livestock products for their community for sale or for barter/exchange.The Western New England Regenerative Livestock Farming funding opportunity provides grants to livestock producers [in select counties in CT, MA, NH, and VT](https://farmland.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/NEFMP-Priority-Regen-Ag-County-List-2023.pdf) for projects that improve soil health through the adoption of regenerative agricultural practices. 

Applicants can request up to $10,000 under this funding opportunity. 



The Brighter Future Fund’s New England Regenerative Livestock Farming Grants (formerly the Western New England Regenerative Livestock Farming Grant) provide funds to livestock farmers in select counties in Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut for the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices. The funds are intended to support field-based conservation practice projects that improve soil health, water quality, and pollinator habitat. Applicants can request up to $10,000 under this funding opportunity. This grant will only fund existing livestock operations and is not able to fund start-up livestock operations. Applicants must be raising livestock products for their community for sale or for barter/exchange.The Western New England Regenerative Livestock Farming funding opportunity provides grants to livestock producers in select counties in CT, MA, NH, and VT for projects that improve soil health through the adoption of regenerative agricultural practices. 
Applicants can request up to $10,000 under this funding opportunity. 

- Livestock farmers in these counties seeking to implement practices for improved soil health, water quality, and pollinator habitat. Please consult the grant guidelines for more eligibility information. See the bottom of this page for Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, French, and Vietnamese translations of microgrant eligibility.

Livestock

Cattle

Pigs

Poultry

Sheep

Specialty Livestock

Beef Cattle

Dairy Cattle

Feeder Cattle

Slaughter Cattle

Calves

Heifers

Steers

Bulls

Barrows

Boars

Feeder Pigs

Hogs

Sows

Chickens

Cornish Hens

Ducks

Geese

Turkey

Ewes

Lambs

Rams

Alpacas

Beefalo

Bison

Buffalo

Caribou

Deer

Emus

Goats

Guinea Pigs

Llamas

Mink

Mohair

Ostrich

Pheasants

Quail

Rabbits

Reindeer

Water Buffalo

Beef Bottom Round

Beef Brisket

Beef Chuck Roast

Beef Eye Round

Beef Flank Steak

Beef Flat Iron Steak

Beef Heart

Beef Liver

Beef London Broil

Beef NY Strip Steak

Beef Oxtail

Beef Rib Steak

Beef Rump Roast

Beef Short Ribs

Beef Sirloin

Beef Sirloin Tip Roast

Beef Skirt Steak

Beef Soup Bones

Beef Stew Meat

Beef Tongue

Beef Top Round

Beef Whole Filet

Ground Beef

Broilers

Chicks

Fryers

Layers

Pullets

Roasters

Ducklings

Goslings

Poults

Toms

Ground Lamb

Lamb Chops

Lamb Heart

Lamb Leg

Lamb Liver

Lamb Shank

Lamb Shoulder

Lamb Stew Meat

Bison Calf

Bison Meat

Bucks

Nannies

Slaughter Goats

- New England Resource Directory For Farmers
- NEFMP Homepage

Farmers Market

Education

Historically Underserved

Food Systems

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. 
Grantees have one year to implement their projects from the date of award.

List of Brighter Future Fund Funding Opportunities