Browse Ambrook’s collection of funding programs by Future Harvest

Apply through the online Choose Your Own Consultant application form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdRaOxyZgy7Hj2ltl1r3VYjrKm4Wy12--xDB7Z2xPzadvllRQ/viewform

Applicants who wish to work with a consultant who is not on Future Harvest's list include that consultant's name and contact information on the application.

Status as of 2026-09-03: the program page still displays an "APPLY NOW" button, but the linked Google Form returns "no longer accepting responses," so the current round appears to be closed. No reopening date is published. Questions: email Joanna Winkler at joanna@futureharvest.org.

Joanna Winkler

Beginner Farmer Training Program Officer

Future Harvest Chesapeake Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture

"Launched in 2021 and reopened in 2025, this program provides **$1,000 grants** for farmers to work with&#x2004;the consultant of their choice. The goal of this program is to provide farmers with the opportunity to strengthen their business and address challenges with the support of in-depth, free-for-the-farmer consultations with experts."


Farmers may choose a consultant from Future Harvest's published consultant list or from their own research. "Topics farmers have previously requested range from improved marketing plans and financial record-keeping systems to creating nutrient management plans and enhanced soil fertility regimes."



"Launched in 2021 and reopened in 2025, this program provides $1,000 grants for farmers to work with the consultant of their choice. The goal of this program is to provide farmers with the opportunity to strengthen their business and address challenges with the support of in-depth, free-for-the-farmer consultations with experts."

Farmers may choose a consultant from Future Harvest's published consultant list or from their own research. "Topics farmers have previously requested range from improved marketing plans and financial record-keeping systems to creating nutrient management plans and enhanced soil fertility regimes."

"All farmers are invited to apply."

- Preference is given to farmers with over 5 years of experience, though "this program is also a good fit for farmers with less experience looking to establish new systems on their farms."
- Preference is also given to Future Harvest members.
- "Only one application per farm will be reviewed."
- Applicants "are required to identify their top two priorities for working with a consultant of their choice - either from our list of consultants or from their own research."

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

Grant

- Future Harvest consultant directory: https://futureharvest.org/consultants/
- Consultant Intake Form (for advisors who want to be added to the list, not for farmers): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfVQ2yEyM11-XsCZKAixmSzhmlTpRuDwainL6KLH7seOqosrQ/viewform

Certification

Distribution

Diversification

Events

Trade Show

Fertilizer

Waste & Manure Management

Reduced Tillage

Certified Organic

Trade Relief

Weeds

Conservation

Regenerative

Carbon Capture

From the program FAQ:

- "While awards are capped at $1,000, we encourage you to apply to at least offset some of the costs of the services your farm requires."
- Farmers do not pay the consultant if consulting expenses are under $1,000: "The consultant/advisor will invoice Future Harvest, and we'll handle payment up to $1,000." Selected participants receive additional instructions.
- Farmers may work with a consultant/advisor who is not on Future Harvest's list.

Applications are currently open (program page states "Applications are currently open"; application form verified live and accepting responses on 2026-09-03).

Apply through the online Future Harvest Feed the Need Application: https://forms.gle/P8efsbSeYp9mbtg98

No application deadline is published on the program page or the form. Questions: info@futureharvest.org or (410) 549-7878.

Grace Leatherman

Executive Director

Future Harvest's **Feed the Need** grant program "bridges this gap by directly funding local farmers to harvest, package, and deliver fresh, farm-grown produce directly to community food access partners." Originally launched in 2020 and back for 2026, Future Harvest is awarding Feed the Need mini-grants of **$2,000 to $3,000** for farmers who&#x2004;grow food for food assistance providers of their choice.


Future Harvest "recognizes that local farmers are perfectly poised to step up and fill the critical needs of area food assistance providers for fresh and nutritious products. This project will feed those in need and support farmers to build a more resilient regional food system."


Funding is available thanks to several private sources, as well as a grant awarded to Future Harvest from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield.



Future Harvest's Feed the Need grant program "bridges this gap by directly funding local farmers to harvest, package, and deliver fresh, farm-grown produce directly to community food access partners." Originally launched in 2020 and back for 2026, Future Harvest is awarding Feed the Need mini-grants of $2,000 to $3,000 for farmers who grow food for food assistance providers of their choice.

Future Harvest "recognizes that local farmers are perfectly poised to step up and fill the critical needs of area food assistance providers for fresh and nutritious products. This project will feed those in need and support farmers to build a more resilient regional food system."

Funding is available thanks to several private sources, as well as a grant awarded to Future Harvest from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield.

Open to farmers who grow food for food assistance providers of their choice in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia.

- Some geographic preference will be given to farmers supplying food to the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Prince George's County, Western Maryland, Baltimore, and Wards 7 and 8 in Washington, D.C.
- Farmers who wish to work with food assistance providers in other areas of Maryland, DC, and Virginia are invited to apply.

- 2020 Feed the Need Report (PDF): https://futureharvest.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/FEED-THE-NEED-REPORTFINAL030921.pdf
- Future Harvest resources for farmers: https://futureharvest.org/resources/resources-for-farmers/
- Donate to the Feed the Need Fund: https://futureharvest.org/donate/

Farmers Market

Food Systems

Local Food

Marketing

Grant funds support activities such as sliding-scale pricing on CSA orders, home deliveries, and donating produce to local food banks and pantries.

Historical context from the 2020 round: Future Harvest's Feed the Need Fund "raised more than $40,000 for the farming community in the Chesapeake region," making 22 awards ranging from $500 to $3,000, selected by a review committee of Future Harvest board members, staff, and farmers from a pool of 102 applicants requesting more than $300,000. Fourteen of the 22 grantees were Black, Indigenous, or other farmers of color. No total award pool or number of awards has been published for the 2026 round.

How to apply:

1. Enroll in the Million Acre Challenge (free self-assessment signup: https://millionacrechallenge.org/join-the-challenge/).
2. Request an RCPP application from the Million Acre Challenge or your local NRCS office.
3. Schedule a farm visit to identify resource concern(s) and begin the planning process.
4. Contract with NRCS for the approved practice(s) or enhancement(s).

Contact: info@millionacrechallenge.org. No application open or close date is published; enrollment is described as a rolling, step-by-step process.

Million Acre Challenge

RCPP enrollment inquiries

Future Harvest's Regional Conservation Partnership&#x2004;Program (RCPP) partner agreement with USDA-NRCS delivers soil-health conservation funding to Maryland farms through the Million Acre Challenge.


"Our partner agreement provides **100% cost share** (Base payment rates are set by NRCS)."


"Basic conservation practices are the foundation for this program, but the opportunity to also implement practice enhancements broadens the reach for producers who may have formerly 'maxed out' conservation funds from other programs. We are now able to offer 100% cost-share for practices and per acre rates for enhancements."



Future Harvest's Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) partner agreement with USDA-NRCS delivers soil-health conservation funding to Maryland farms through the Million Acre Challenge.

"Our partner agreement provides 100% cost share (Base payment rates are set by NRCS)."

"Basic conservation practices are the foundation for this program, but the opportunity to also implement practice enhancements broadens the reach for producers who may have formerly 'maxed out' conservation funds from other programs. We are now able to offer 100% cost-share for practices and per acre rates for enhancements."

Who is eligible:

- All Maryland farms
- Any production system
- Any scale
- Owned or leased land
- Priority to underserved producers

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

Cost Share

- Million Acre Challenge (enrollment gateway): https://millionacrechallenge.org/
- Million Acre Challenge farmer page: https://millionacrechallenge.org/farmer/
- Million Acre Challenge soil health funding guide: https://millionacrechallenge.org/soil-health-background/funding-opportunities/
- Future Harvest Million Acre Challenge overview: https://futureharvest.org/programs/million-acre-challenge/

Air Quality

High Tunnel

Landscape

Soil Health

Wildlife & Pollinator Habitat

Stewardship

Certified Grassfed

Cover Crops

100% cost-share for eligible conservation practices, with per-acre rates for practice enhancements. Base payment rates are set by NRCS, and the final financial-assistance contract is signed with NRCS - Future Harvest and the Million Acre Challenge are the Maryland lead partner and enrollment channel.

Participants can expect: support during the application process, soil health assessments, demonstrations and field days, soil-health-focused conference sessions, and help identifying complementary funding and technical support options.

There is no publicly posted application form or deadline for the Grow-a-Farmer Fund. Grants are available only to Beginner Farmer Training Program graduates (2025 cohort onward), who apply through the BFTP after completing the program.

To become eligible, apply to the Beginner Farmer Training Program: https://futureharvest.org/programs/beginner-farmer-training-program/program-structure-application/ - the 2026 BFTP application period has closed, and Future Harvest says to "stay tuned for the announcement of applications opening in very early December."

For Grow-a-Farmer Fund application details, contact Joanna Winkler, Beginner Farmer Training Program Officer, at joanna@futureharvest.org or Future Harvest at info@futureharvest.org / (410) 549-7878.

The Tipper-Gurley Grow-a-Farmer Fund provides **needs-based farm start-up mini-grants** to graduates of Future Harvest's Beginner Farmer Training Program (BFTP). "We distribute thousands of dollars directly to limited-resource farmers each year in the form of needs-based, farm start-up mini-grants."


The fund is "named after the BFTP's co-founders Cathy Tipper and Jack and Beckie Gurley (Calvert's Gift Farm)." Its&#x2004;purpose is direct start-up capital, not training tuition - the BFTP itself "provides a full year of FREE training to new farmers, ensuring that no farmer is ever turned away for lack of funds."


Future Harvest's rationale: "Trainees often come to us looking to apply to grants for start-up costs for their new farm businesses. In our experience, these grants typically do not exist... By offering start-up grants through the Grow-a-Farmer Fund, we can work to change this historic inequity."



The Tipper-Gurley Grow-a-Farmer Fund provides needs-based farm start-up mini-grants to graduates of Future Harvest's Beginner Farmer Training Program (BFTP). "We distribute thousands of dollars directly to limited-resource farmers each year in the form of needs-based, farm start-up mini-grants."

The fund is "named after the BFTP's co-founders Cathy Tipper and Jack and Beckie Gurley (Calvert's Gift Farm)." Its purpose is direct start-up capital, not training tuition - the BFTP itself "provides a full year of FREE training to new farmers, ensuring that no farmer is ever turned away for lack of funds."

Future Harvest's rationale: "Trainees often come to us looking to apply to grants for start-up costs for their new farm businesses. In our experience, these grants typically do not exist... By offering start-up grants through the Grow-a-Farmer Fund, we can work to change this historic inequity."

"BFTP graduates from 2025 onward will be able to apply to the Grow-a-Farmer Fund to fund start-up costs for their new farms."

The Beginner Farmer Training Program page confirms trainees receive the "opportunity to apply for a farm start-up grant only available to BFTP graduates."

Awards are needs-based and targeted at limited-resource and historically underserved farmers. To become eligible, a farmer must first complete the BFTP, whose own requirements are: currently employed at (or a regular volunteer at) a soil-based vegetable, fruit, flower, or herb farm; some farming experience; and an interest in taking on a farm management role or starting a farm within 3-5 years.

- Beginner Farmer Training Program overview: https://futureharvest.org/programs/beginner-farmer-training-program/
- BFTP Program Structure & Application: https://futureharvest.org/programs/beginner-farmer-training-program/program-structure-application/
- BFTP graduate profiles: https://futureharvest.org/programs/beginner-farmer-training-program/graduates/

Beginning Farmers

Socially Disadvantaged

Veterans

Español

Native Americans

People Of Color

Women

Historically Underserved

Labor

Grants fund start-up costs for new farm businesses launched by BFTP graduates. Future Harvest states it distributes "thousands of dollars directly to limited-resource farmers each year," but publishes no per-award minimum, maximum, or annual pool for this fund.

Context on the participant pool: the BFTP has trained more than 400 new farmers since 2009; from 2022-2024, 53% of trainees identified as BIPOC and 62% as female. The 2026 BFTP cohort is smaller (10-15 trainees) with a focus on serving farmers in the Metro DC/Baltimore areas, though "folks across the Chesapeake region are welcome to apply."

Monica Newman

The Agriculture Leadership Development Initiative (ALDI) is a transformative program funded by the USDA 2501 grant, dedicated to empowering underserved farmers. Our mission is to provide vital resources and support to those who need it most, fostering&#x2004;a new era of agricultural leadership and innovation.


**Who is this program for? **

ALDI is designed to equip underserved farmers as defined by the USDA with the tools they need to succeed, including grant writing assistance, advocacy training, networking opportunities, leadership development, and community building. By offering these essential services, we aim to bridge the gap in access to resources and create a more equitable agricultural landscape.

Our program not only helps farmers navigate the complexities of modern agriculture but also challenges them to shift the narrative and embrace forward-thinking approaches. Through ALDI, farmers are encouraged to lead with confidence, advocate for their needs, and build lasting networks that drive collective success.

Join us in our mission to reshape the future of agriculture and support those who are poised to make a significant impact. Your contribution to ALDI will help cultivate the next generation of agricultural leaders and strengthen the fabric of our farming communities.



The Agriculture Leadership Development Initiative (ALDI) is a transformative program funded by the USDA 2501 grant, dedicated to empowering underserved farmers. Our mission is to provide vital resources and support to those who need it most, fostering a new era of agricultural leadership and innovation.

Who is this program for? 
ALDI is designed to equip underserved farmers as defined by the USDA with the tools they need to succeed, including grant writing assistance, advocacy training, networking opportunities, leadership development, and community building. By offering these essential services, we aim to bridge the gap in access to resources and create a more equitable agricultural landscape.
Our program not only helps farmers navigate the complexities of modern agriculture but also challenges them to shift the narrative and embrace forward-thinking approaches. Through ALDI, farmers are encouraged to lead with confidence, advocate for their needs, and build lasting networks that drive collective success.
Join us in our mission to reshape the future of agriculture and support those who are poised to make a significant impact. Your contribution to ALDI will help cultivate the next generation of agricultural leaders and strengthen the fabric of our farming communities.

ALDI is designed to equip underserved farmers as defined by the USDA (Beginning, Socially Disadvantaged, Veterans, Limited Resource) with tools to succeed. Applicants are accepted from MD, DC, VA, WV, DE, and PA; two or more years of farming experience is preferred.

Education

Legal & Finance

This is a leadership and training cohort, not a grant — there is no award, and no participation fee is published. The only money that changes hands is an attendance-based stipend: "A $1,000 stipend upon 80% or more attendance online and four or more in-person field days."

So the honest answer for a farmer: you get training, grant-writing help, advocacy training, networking and mentorship, plus up to $1,000 if you show up for most of the cohort. No cost-share, match, award ceiling or contract term is published.

2026 Beginning Farmer Training Program Application

Our Beginner Farmer Training Program (BFTP) offers a 12-month immersive training experience that combines a comprehensive classroom curriculum with hands-on learning at some of the region’s leading sustainable farms. Applications for 2024 have closed. Applications for 2025 will open&#x2004;in the fall of 2024.


- We offer three training levels, designed to meet the specific needs of beginning farmers at different stages in their careers.

    - [Level 1](https://futureharvest.org/programs/beginner-farmer-training-program/hands-on-days/): Interested in farming but not sure where to start? Get your hands dirty with hands-on events and online classroom learning in this flexible program designed for folks who still work full time

    - [Level 2](https://futureharvest.org/programs/beginner-farmer-training-program/training-farms/): The flagship level of our program, designed for folks who have some on-farm experience build their skills and launch their farm businesses

    - [Level 3](https://futureharvest.org/programs/beginner-farmer-training-program/consultants/): A mentorship program for farmers who have started their businesses and seek targeted support in both production and business 

    - Not sure which level is the best fit?

- All three levels of the BFTP are FREE and trainees receive a host of benefits: annual FHCASA membership, free admission to our popular winter conference and year-round field days.

- Join a diverse, inclusive network of new and experienced farmers! We are committed to building a safe, supportive network for all trainees, free from discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, religion, veteran status, military obligations, or marital status.

- This is a region-wide program, open to beginning farmers in MD, VA, DE—including the Delmarva Peninsula—and DC, WV, and PA. We offer in-person farmer-to-farmer training opportunities throughout the Chesapeake region, and classroom requirements are completed online.

- We offer training in diverse operation types, including: vegetables, fruit, cut flowers, herbs, and livestock at urban, peri-urban, and rural farm settings.

- The program is also designed with built-in scheduling flexibility to allow new farmers to further their training while maintaining their own farms or other work.

- Accessibility: We are committed to making the BFTP accessible to all aspiring farmers. While our programs currently best serve folks located within 2 hours of DC or Baltimore or on the Delmarva peninsula, we work to develop custom learning plans for folks across the Chesapeake region. We want to make this work! Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns.




Our Beginner Farmer Training Program (BFTP) offers a 12-month immersive training experience that combines a comprehensive classroom curriculum with hands-on learning at some of the region’s leading sustainable farms. Applications for 2024 have closed. Applications for 2025 will open in the fall of 2024.

- We offer three training levels, designed to meet the specific needs of beginning farmers at different stages in their careers.
    - Level 1: Interested in farming but not sure where to start? Get your hands dirty with hands-on events and online classroom learning in this flexible program designed for folks who still work full time
    - Level 2: The flagship level of our program, designed for folks who have some on-farm experience build their skills and launch their farm businesses
    - Level 3: A mentorship program for farmers who have started their businesses and seek targeted support in both production and business 
    - Not sure which level is the best fit?
- All three levels of the BFTP are FREE and trainees receive a host of benefits: annual FHCASA membership, free admission to our popular winter conference and year-round field days.
- Join a diverse, inclusive network of new and experienced farmers! We are committed to building a safe, supportive network for all trainees, free from discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, religion, veteran status, military obligations, or marital status.
- This is a region-wide program, open to beginning farmers in MD, VA, DE—including the Delmarva Peninsula—and DC, WV, and PA. We offer in-person farmer-to-farmer training opportunities throughout the Chesapeake region, and classroom requirements are completed online.
- We offer training in diverse operation types, including: vegetables, fruit, cut flowers, herbs, and livestock at urban, peri-urban, and rural farm settings.
- The program is also designed with built-in scheduling flexibility to allow new farmers to further their training while maintaining their own farms or other work.
- Accessibility: We are committed to making the BFTP accessible to all aspiring farmers. While our programs currently best serve folks located within 2 hours of DC or Baltimore or on the Delmarva peninsula, we work to develop custom learning plans for folks across the Chesapeake region. We want to make this work! Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns.


Individuals apply — this is training for aspiring and beginning farmers, not an institutional grant. Future Harvest publishes three applicant tests for the current cohort, quoted verbatim. You should be someone who:

- "Are currently employed, have secured employment for 2026 or are a regular volunteer at a soil-based vegetable, fruit, flower or herb farm in Maryland"
- "Have some experience farming, and want to learn more about the 'how' and 'why' of sustainable agriculture."
- "Have an interest in taking on a management role on a farm and/or starting your own farm, in the next 3-5 years."

Read those carefully, because they are stricter than they first look:

1. You must already be working — paid or as a regular volunteer — on someone's farm. This is not a program for people with no farm connection yet; the on-farm placement is the spine of the training.
2. The farm must be a soil-based vegetable, fruit, flower or herb operation. Hydroponic operations and livestock-only operations fall outside that description.
3. As currently published, the farm must be in Maryland. Earlier cohorts were wider — Future Harvest's own history notes the program "grew beyond Baltimore County with trainees and training farmers across the state and into Virginia," and a past cohort of "over 90 trainees spanned three states plus Washington DC" — but the live requirement names Maryland only. If you farm in VA, DE, WV, PA or DC, ask before assuming you qualify.

No acreage minimum, income test, age limit, land-ownership or tenure requirement is published. No years-of-experience floor either, beyond "some experience farming."

No audience restriction is published. Future Harvest's earlier published program description committed the program to being "free from discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, religion, veteran status, military obligations, or marital status." Reported participation has skewed toward historically underrepresented farmers — "65% of trainees identify as female and nearly 50% identify as Black" — which is an outcome, not an eligibility rule.

Timing: "The application period for 2026 has closed," with the next application expected to open "in very early December."

No tuition figure, stipend amount, or grant ceiling is published on the program page. Future Harvest describes financial support without naming dollar amounts, so treat the numbers below as unpublished until you ask them.

What the page does publish:
- "A year-long program" — a full-season commitment, January through December.
- "Mini-grants available to fund start up costs on trainees' farming ventures," and "Opportunity to apply for a farm start-up grant only available to BFTP graduates."
- Scale of that pot, historically: "The program has distributed thousands of dollars directly to limited-resource farmers annually in the form of needs-based, farm start-up mini-grants." Grants are needs-based, so there is no fixed per-trainee amount.
- Host farmers/mentors receive "A stipend to offset the additional time spent working with a Trainee" — amount not published.

No program fee or tuition is stated either way, and no match or cost-share applies. Contact Future Harvest before budgeting: the mini-grant amount and any trainee cost are set per cohort.

List of Future Harvest Funding Opportunities