Browse Ambrook’s collection of funding programs by Farm Credit East

Apply through the Farm Credit East community-support scholarships page.

Farm Credit East — Customer Service

Farm Credit East provides scholarships to teachers and educators within its eight-state territory attending institutes offered by the Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE), supporting agricultural education in the Northeast.



To be eligible, educators must teach in a school district within Farm Credit East's eight-state territory (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont) and must currently teach, or plan to teach, agriculture or natural resources courses.

Education

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

Grant

Stewardship

Labor

Scholarships offset the cost of attending CASE institutes for qualifying agricultural educators.

Applications close June 30 and December 31 at 5:00 PM EST. Apply at https://farmcrediteast.smapply.us/prog/ffasaescholarship.

The Farm Credit East FFA SAE Scholarship provides scholarships for high school students involved in The National FFA (Future Farmers of America) Organization to support their Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) or educational opportunities within the agriculture, commercial fishing, or forest products industries.



Applicants must be active FFA members with strong SAE projects, residing within Farm Credit East's eight-state service area: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

$1,000 scholarships are awarded twice per year. Funds support current or new SAE projects or enhance knowledge of agriculture, commercial fishing, or forest products industries. Recipients must wait one full cycle before reapplying and should demonstrate growth in subsequent applications.

Contact your local Farm Credit East office to start an application.

FarmStart is a Farm Credit East program that makes working capital investments of up to $75,000 to northeast agricultural ventures showing promise of&#x2004;success. The innovative program targets startup farmers and ag businesses with limited financial resources and who are not generally eligible for conventional lending programs.

The investment functions the same as an operating line of credit and is intended to provide the critical last dollar of funding to overcome the financial challenges that true startup farming operations initially face in generating working capital. Repayment of these funds is up to five years.



FarmStart is a Farm Credit East program that makes working capital investments of up to $75,000 to northeast agricultural ventures showing promise of success. The innovative program targets startup farmers and ag businesses with limited financial resources and who are not generally eligible for conventional lending programs.
The investment functions the same as an operating line of credit and is intended to provide the critical last dollar of funding to overcome the financial challenges that true startup farming operations initially face in generating working capital. Repayment of these funds is up to five years.

Farmers, forestry producers, fishermen, farm-related service businesses and cooperatives, generally in their first three years of business.

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

Loan

Historically Underserved

A working-capital investment that behaves like an operating line of credit, capped at $75,000: "FarmStart is a Farm Credit East program that makes working capital investments of up to $75,000 to Northeast agricultural ventures showing promise of success with limited financial resources."

This is credit, not a grant — it is repaid. But no interest rate, fee schedule, or repayment term is published on the program page; Farm Credit East routes applicants to a local branch or advisor for the actual terms. Ask for the rate and repayment schedule in writing before you commit.

What it is designed to be: "a source of credit for startups who are not generally eligible for conventional lending programs" — the last dollar of working capital a true startup cannot raise elsewhere.

Who qualifies: "Farmers, forestry producers, fishermen, farm-related service businesses and cooperatives, generally in their first three years of business," expected to be "rural entrepreneurs or cooperatives with very little accumulated net worth and few financial resources," and "an independent enterprise" that "cannot be affiliated with an established operation."

Non-cash terms that come with it: every participant is paired with a Farm Credit advisor knowledgeable in financial management, who "stay[s] in touch with participants to help them follow through with their business plan." You must submit a written business plan with a first-year monthly cash flow spreadsheet.

Farm Credit East's own caution on cash flow: "During the first year, the average new FarmStart business made $19,000 in farm profit before owner's income."

For rate and repayment terms: your local Farm Credit East office or FarmStart@farmcrediteast.com.

Apply through the Farm Credit East community-support grants page.

Farm Credit East — Stewardship Program

Farm Credit East's Food Access Infrastructure Initiative financially supports organizations with grants of up to $50,000 as they work to improve food security in the Northeast.



The initiative financially supports organizations such as food banks, food hubs, and other non-profit food distribution and infrastructure organizations/facilities within Farm Credit East's eight-state Northeast territory.

Buildings

Construction

Fencing

Greenhouse

High Tunnel

HVAC

Irrigation

Lighting

Repairs

Storage

Trade Relief

Local Food

Farmers Market

Marketing

Grants are up to $50,000 per organization.

Application Requirements
- Complete the AgEnhancement application at the bottom of this page.
- Upload a letter to the AgEnhancement Application outlining the purpose of the proposed program, activity or event and describing how it will be conducted.
- Up to three pages supporting materials may also be included.

Proposals for Farm Credit Northeast AgEnhancement Grant funding will be considered three times per year.

Application materials must be received by the close of business April 1, August 1 and December 1. Receipt of projects after these dates will be held for consideration in the next review. It is recommended that the application be submitted in a grant cycle well in advance of the project date so that if the project is funded, the applicant will receive funding prior to the project start date. For example: If the project date is August 29-31, 20XX, then the application should be submitted for the April 1 grant cycle. The application form will be closed for the month directly after the grant cycle due date. 

Applicants will be notified by email that the application has been received. Applicants are encouraged to contact AgEnhancement if they do not receive an acknowledgement email.

Notification of the funding decision will normally be within 30 days of the application deadline.

Kyle Bell

Each year, Northeast agricultural credit associations and CoBank award&#x2004;grants ranging from $500 to $10,000 to help organizations promote awareness and strengthen agriculture, commercial fishing and forest products in the six New England states, New York and New Jersey. Since its inception in 1996, the Farm Credit AgEnhancement Program has awarded more than two million dollars in grants to organizations across the Northeast. [Learn more](https://www.farmcrediteast.com/industry-support/AgEnhancement-grants/agenhancment-projects) about the projects we support and what some of the recipients say about the AgEnhancement Grants


**Applications are accepted three times a year:**

**April 1st, August 1st and December 1st**



Each year, Northeast agricultural credit associations and CoBank award grants ranging from $500 to $10,000 to help organizations promote awareness and strengthen agriculture, commercial fishing and forest products in the six New England states, New York and New Jersey. Since its inception in 1996, the Farm Credit AgEnhancement Program has awarded more than two million dollars in grants to organizations across the Northeast. Learn more about the projects we support and what some of the recipients say about the AgEnhancement Grants

Applications are accepted three times a year:
April 1st, August 1st and December 1st

Eligible projects are ones that promote and strengthen the agriculture, forest products or commercial fishing industries in any of the following ways:
- Development of young and beginning farmers
- Encourage leadership
- Develop a greater understanding of agriculture
- Recognize the accomplishments of ag leaders
- Study the economic viability of agriculture
- Promote interest in the industry
- Impact the Northeast (statewide and regional projects also eligible)

The following projects are not eligible:
- County or local school projects
- Programs and projects of non-agricultural charities
- Contributions for political support purposes, scholarships or memberships in professional societies or trade organizations
- General operating funds and ongoing program support
- Support for website administration and enhancement
- Capital or building projects
- Projects for an individual or individual farm operation
- Funding for annual state meetings general business or corporate meetings or regularly scheduled conferences 
- Indirect costs associated with sponsored projects

Trees

Deadlines
- Proposals for Northeast Farm Credit AgEnhancement grant funding will be considered three times per year.
- Application materials must be received by the close of business April 1, August 1 and December 1. Receipt of projects after these dates will be held for consideration in the next review. It is recommended that the application be submitted in a grant cycle well in advance of the project date so that if the project is funded, the applicant will receive funding prior to the project start date. For example: if the project date is August 29-31, 20XX, then the application should be submitted for the April 1 grant cycle.
- Applicants will be notified by email that the application has been received. Applicants are encouraged to contact AgEnhancement if they do not receive an acknowledgement email.
- Notification of the funding decision will normally be within 30 days of the application deadline.


Apply through the Farm Credit East community-support grants page. This is a recurring annual program (typically promoted around National Farmers' Market Week).

Farm Credit East offers Northeast Farmers Market Grants of up to $500 to support public farmers markets. Grants may be used to support participating farmers, market enhancements, marketing efforts, and/or programs to support disadvantaged communities or improve access to fresh, local food.



These grants are intended for public markets where multiple farms sell products, not for individual farm markets. Farmers markets must be within Farm Credit East's eight-state territory: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Certification

Distribution

Diversification

Events

Trade Show

Certified Organic

Food Systems

Apply Here

The application includes short answer questions and essay questions to demonstrate your plans to pursue a career in agriculture.

Any individual pursuing a full-time, post high school education during the upcoming fall semester who demonstrates, through their career plans, experience, program of study and extracurricular activities, significant progress toward and a clear intention for a career in agriculture, forestry, commercial fishing or a related field is eligible to apply.


An associate, bachelor’s or graduate degree, as well as technical school attendance, qualifies as post high school education.



Any individual pursuing a full-time, post high school education during the upcoming fall semester who demonstrates, through their career plans, experience, program of study and extracurricular activities, significant progress toward and a clear intention for a career in agriculture, forestry, commercial fishing or a related field is eligible to apply.

An associate, bachelor’s or graduate degree, as well as technical school attendance, qualifies as post high school education.

Any individual pursuing a full-time, post high school education (this includes colleges and technical schools) during the upcoming fall semester who demonstrates, through their career plans, experience, program of study and extracurricular activities, significant progress toward and a clear intention for a career in agriculture, forestry, commercial fishing or a related field. An associates, bachelors or graduate degree, as well as technical school attendance, qualifies as post high school education.
Candidates for the scholarship must have a permanent home address within the area served by Farm Credit East’s eight state territory: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. Candidates must also plan to attend post high school education in the upcoming fall semester. Applicants are eligible to win this scholarship only once.

Requirements
Each candidate for the scholarship must have a permanent home address within the eight-state territory served by Farm Credit East: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. Candidates must also plan to attend post high school education in the upcoming fall semester. $5,000 scholarships will be awarded to recipients. Applicants are eligible to win this scholarship only once.

Use of Funds
Scholarships can be used to defray the cost of tuition, room and board, books and other academic charges. Payment will be made directly to the student in June 2022. Proof of college and photo of student suitable for publicity is to be submitted by hard copy before check will be issued. Scholarship award is merit-based.Scholarships can be used to defray the cost of tuition, room and board, books and other academic charges. Payment will be made directly to the student in June. Proof of college and photo of student suitable for publicity is to be submitted by hard copy before check will be issued. Scholarship award is merit-based.

List of Farm Credit East Funding Opportunities