Browse Ambrook’s collection of funding programs by Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry

Submit the Louisiana Forest Legacy Program Project Application to the LDAF Office of Forestry. Recurring annual cycle; most recently documented application deadline was May 30, 2026.

Office of Forestry

A voluntary conservation program that protects environmentally sensitive, privately owned Louisiana forest lands threatened by conversion to non-forest use, through land acquisition and conservation easements. Most FLP easements restrict development and require sustainable forestry practices while keeping land in private ownership. TRUE LEAD: USDA Forest Service, in partnership with Louisiana (LDAF Office of Forestry administers locally). Funded by annual Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) appropriations from Congress.



Willing private forest landowners in Louisiana with environmentally sensitive forest lands threatened by conversion to non-forest use.

Payment per unit of land to do or avoid certain practices related to land management.

Easement

Trees

Air Quality

Carbon Capture

Certification

High Tunnel

Landscape

Regenerative

Soil Health

Wildlife & Pollinator Habitat

Certified Organic

Certified Grassfed

Cover Crops

Reduced Tillage

No award ceiling, payment rate, or landowner cost-share percentage is published for this program. Landowners are not reimbursed for costs here — they are paid for a property interest, at a price negotiated per project, so there is no standard figure to quote.

What the 75% figure actually refers to. LDAF's application states: "The U.S. Forest Service provides up to 75% of the funds through a nationally competitive grant program to the state, and the program is managed locally by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF)." That 75% is the federal share of the state's project cost (the remaining 25% comes from non-federal sources), not a cost-share offered to the landowner. Do not read it as "you pay 25%."

How a landowner is compensated. Two routes, both voluntary: "Landowners may either sell (or donate) their property outright or choose to conserve the property through the use of a conservation easement" (USDA Forest Service). Under an easement, "the landowner retains ownership of the property and sells a portion of the property's development rights, which allows the landowner to continue to use and manage the property in accordance with an approved forest management plan." LDAF "collaborates with private landowners to acquire perpetual conservation easements" and "also purchases and accepts donations of forestland in full fee."

Term: permanent, not a number of years. "All easements and interests in land acquired through the program are conveyed in perpetuity and must contain such covenants and language to ensure perpetuity of FLP easements." This is the single most consequential term — the restriction runs with the land forever and binds future owners.

Ongoing obligations. "Most FLP conservation easements restrict development and require sustainable forestry practices," managed under an approved forest management plan.

Voluntariness and gating. "Participation is strictly voluntary" and "The FLP only works with willing sellers or donors." Only property inside a designated Louisiana Forest Legacy Area qualifies (Northwest: Caddo, Bossier, Webster; Central: Vernon, Rapides, Grant; Southeast: West Feliciana, East Feliciana, St. Helena, Tangipahoa, Washington, St. Tammany, Livingston, Baton Rouge, Ascension). Funding depends on annual Land and Water Conservation Fund appropriations, and projects compete in a national ranking, so no landowner is guaranteed funding in a given year. Note that only the designated state lead agency may receive FLP grants from the Forest Service.

Applications are available from LDAF foresters, industry foresters, forestry consultants, or foresters from other governmental agencies, and a non-refundable application fee is required. A professional forester trained in Louisiana's FPP prepares a management plan stating the practice(s) and acres requested; an LDAF forester approves the plan and forwards it to the state office. As each practice is completed, the landowner notifies the LDAF forester, who makes a final inspection; the landowner then provides copies of all receipts to the LDAF forester for payment. Contact your local District Office or email LDAF for questions.

The Forest Productivity Program (FPP), administered by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF), provides financial assistance to eligible landowners for establishing and improving a crop of trees. The program provides an incentive to offset the cost of implementing specific forestry practices designed to&#x2004;produce a timber crop. Incentive payments to the landowner help with the cost of implementing one or more forestry practices to establish and manage a timber crop, and eligible landowners can receive up to the maximum approved amount of FPP assistance each fiscal year. Eligible forestry practices include tree planting, post-planting site preparation to control undesirable vegetation, site preparation for natural regeneration, and control of competing vegetation (chemical herbicides or prescribed burning). Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.



The Forest Productivity Program (FPP), administered by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF), provides financial assistance to eligible landowners for establishing and improving a crop of trees. The program provides an incentive to offset the cost of implementing specific forestry practices designed to produce a timber crop. Incentive payments to the landowner help with the cost of implementing one or more forestry practices to establish and manage a timber crop, and eligible landowners can receive up to the maximum approved amount of FPP assistance each fiscal year. Eligible forestry practices include tree planting, post-planting site preparation to control undesirable vegetation, site preparation for natural regeneration, and control of competing vegetation (chemical herbicides or prescribed burning). Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

FPP assistance is available to landowners in all Louisiana parishes who own a minimum of 10 contiguous acres suitable for growing a commercially valuable timber species. There is no maximum size of ownership limiting participation. Each landowner who participates in an FPP cooperative agreement with LDAF is required to maintain the forestry usage for a period of 10 years; if the land is sold or conveyed before the end of the agreement, the original recipient of funds is bound unless the new owner assumes responsibility in writing.

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

Cost Share

Forest Management

Disaster Relief

Fertilizer

Emergency

Inputs

Nutrient Management

Cost-share rate: 50% of your actual cost, capped at a per-practice rate schedule. The application/cooperative agreement states: "I will be paid a cost-share rate of 50% of the actual cost not to exceed the stated rate in effect at time this agreement is signed and that I am not allowed to receive more that $15,000 in any one fiscal year."

Annual cap: $15,000 per landowner per fiscal year. Where forestland is owned jointly, the joint owners count as a single eligible landowner for the maximum payment, and multiple ownerships apply under a single tax ID number.

Per-practice rates: Set annually, not on the program page. The State Stewardship Coordinating Committee reviews rates, the Forestry Commission approves them, and "the approved rates will be published in the Louisiana Administrative Code" (maximum payment limitation is set in LAC 7:XXXIX.1307). Ask your LDAF forester for the rate sheet in effect.

Application fee: $25, non-refundable, per application — "Each application will be assessed a $25 fee." A separate application is required for each non-contiguous property.

Contract length: 10 years. "Each landowner who participates in a cooperative agreement with the LDAF shall be required to maintain the forestry usage for a period of 10 years" from the date of Certification of Performance (prescribed burning exempted). If the practice is not maintained, LDAF initiates a refund and can sue to recover the state's cost plus court costs and attorney fees.

Timing: You have 11 months (July 1 – May 31) to complete the authorized practices, and "no extensions will be granted." You bear all costs up front; payment follows LDAF's final inspection and your submission of receipts. Partial payments are not made.

Complete the Application Form and Supplemental Questions and email both in a single email to agworkforce@ldaf.state.la.us; reviewed first-come, first-served. Application window currently CLOSED — the next window will be 'announced soon.'

Louisiana Agricultural Finance Authority

Grant helping Louisiana agricultural businesses establish internship programs. Participating businesses are reimbursed up to 50% of intern hiring costs, to a maximum of $5,000. Interns must be Louisiana secondary/postsecondary students or beginning farmers/ranchers, work at least 130 hours (not exceeding 1 year), and be paid at least the FLSA minimum wage; businesses must carry Workers' Compensation insurance. Administered by the Louisiana Agricultural Finance Authority (LAFA).



Louisiana agricultural producers, entities engaged in agriculture, and businesses providing related support activities or services.

Training

Stewardship

Labor

Award size and cost share. "Participating businesses may receive reimbursement of up to 50% of the intern hiring costs, with a maximum award amount of $5,000." Both limits bind, so the effective payout is the lesser of half your intern costs or $5,000 — reaching the full $5,000 requires at least $10,000 of eligible intern hiring cost. No minimum award is published.

How you get paid. Reimbursement to the business after the fact, so the business funds the internship first and claims back its share.

Order of review, not scoring. "Applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis" — this is a queue, not a competitive round, so timing matters more than proposal polish.

Conditions attached to the internship itself (all must hold for the cost to qualify): "Internships should offer at least 130 hours of work experience, not exceeding 1 year in duration, and interns must be paid at least the minimum wage rate under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. Businesses are required to carry Workers' Compensation insurance." The intern must be a Louisiana secondary or postsecondary student or a beginning farmer/rancher.

A second application step after selection. "If selected, the Louisiana Agricultural Finance Authority (LAFA) will provide an internship application to be submitted by the intern or beginning farmer" — so the intern also has paperwork to file before the placement is complete.

Match: none beyond the business's own 50%+ share of intern costs. No fee or interest applies — this is a grant, not a loan.

Current status affecting access: the "Application period is CLOSED" and "The new application window will be announced soon," so the terms above describe the program as it will reopen rather than a live window.

Claim on the Louisiana state income tax return; LDAF determines the credit amount administered to producers. Contact LDAF Commodity Promotion and Research for details.

Michelle Estay

Director of Commodity Promotion and Research

Dollar-for-dollar&#x2004;Louisiana state income tax credit for Louisiana milk (dairy) producers, created by Act 461 of the 2007 Louisiana Legislature. Triggered when the USDA Uniform Price drops below the announced production price in a quarter. Individual producers may receive credits ranging from $3,600 to $21,600 per year; total statewide credits are capped at $1.8 million per year. Per-producer amount depends on total claims against the $1.8M cap, milk production, milk prices, production costs, and number of qualifying quarters. Administered by LDAF with the LA Dept of Revenue, LSU AgCenter, and the Federal Milk Market Administrator.



Dollar-for-dollar Louisiana state income tax credit for Louisiana milk (dairy) producers, created by Act 461 of the 2007 Louisiana Legislature. Triggered when the USDA Uniform Price drops below the announced production price in a quarter. Individual producers may receive credits ranging from $3,600 to $21,600 per year; total statewide credits are capped at $1.8 million per year. Per-producer amount depends on total claims against the $1.8M cap, milk production, milk prices, production costs, and number of qualifying quarters. Administered by LDAF with the LA Dept of Revenue, LSU AgCenter, and the Federal Milk Market Administrator.

Louisiana commercial milk (dairy) producers.

A reduction or waiving of fees for meeting a certain criteria.

Discount

Form: a dollar-for-dollar state income tax credit, not a payment. LDAF: "Created by ACT 461 of the 2007 Louisiana Legislature, this income tax credit is a direct dollar-for-dollar reduction against dairy producers' income tax for the taxable year that is filed with the state."

Per-producer range: "Louisiana dairymen may be eligible to receive tax credits ranging from $3,600 to $21,600."

Statewide ceiling: "The total amount of the tax credit that may be given to Louisiana milk producers is limited to $1.8 million dollars per year." That is the program pool — your individual credit shrinks as more producers claim against it.

How your amount is set: "The amount of tax credit is based upon the total claims made to the $1.8 million dollar cap allotment, milk production during the year, milk prices, production costs, and the number of quarters in a year that the USDA Uniform Price drops below the announced production price." So the credit only triggers in quarters when the USDA Uniform Price falls below the announced production price, and the amount is not knowable in advance.

Who computes it: "Through the combined efforts of the Louisiana Department of Revenue, LSU AgCenter, Department of Health and Hospitals, and the Federal Milk Market Administrator for Federal Milk Order #7, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry will then determine the amount of tax credit that will be administered to producers."

No match, fee, interest, or contract term applies. No carry-forward or refundability rule is published on the LDAF page.

File a claim with LDAF. For the active Hansen-Mueller event, submit to hmclaims@ldaf.state.la.us; general fund questions to Agro-Consumer Services.

Agro-Consumer Services (ACS) Office

State indemnity fund (LA R.S. 3:3412.1) that compensates Louisiana producers for losses when a licensed grain dealer or cotton merchant becomes insolvent and fails to fully pay for delivered grain/commodities. Financed by mandatory assessments (0.0004%, i.e. 1/25 of 1%) on the value of commodities sold to licensed dealers/merchants. This is an INDEMNITY (triggered by dealer insolvency), not a competitive grant. Currently active: on Nov 20, 2025 the Louisiana Agricultural Commodities Commission declared Hansen-Mueller Co. insolvent and opened the fund; producers not fully paid may file claims, with priced/delivered grain prioritized.



Louisiana producers who delivered grain or agricultural commodities to a licensed dealer/merchant that became insolvent and did not fully compensate them per the sale.

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

Grant

Business Plan

Cash Rent

Refinancing

Transition

Succession

An indemnity payout tied to what the producer is actually owed — not a fixed award and not a competitive grant. LDAF states that "when a producer has not been fully paid for their agricultural commodities due to a dealer's insolvency, the fund can pay the producer any compensation owed." No per-producer cap, percentage of loss, or deductible is published on the program page, the press release, or the claim packet.

Eligibility is triggered by the dealer's failure to pay: "In accordance with La. R.S. 3:3412.1(F), a producer shall be eligible to receive indemnity payments from the GCIF if the licensee, Hansen - Mueller Co., did not fully compensate the producer in accordance with a sale of agricultural commodities." For the open Hansen-Mueller event, "claims for delivered and priced grain will be prioritized."

What producers pay in: the fund is financed by a mandatory assessment on their own sales, not by an application fee. "These assessments are a percentage of the value of all agricultural commodities grown in Louisiana and sold to licensed dealers and merchants. The assessment rate is 0.0004% (1/25 of 1%)."

The condition most worth knowing before filing: accepting fund money assigns your claim against the dealer to the state. The sworn Proof of Loss reads, "I acknowledge that receipt of funds from the Grain and Cotton Indemnity Fund requires subrogation of claims I may have against the licensee in favor of the Louisiana Agricultural Commodities Commission pursuant to La. R.S. 3:3412.1(L). I understand that if I receive payment from the licensee following receipt of GCIF funds, I shall remit the payment to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry to reimburse the Grain and Cotton Indemnity Fund." The Proof of Loss must be notarized and accompanied by a worksheet and supporting documentation.

Submit a proposal per LDAF's annual Request for Applications. Most recent cycle: RFP released ~March 20, 2026; proposals due April 30, 2026 by 4:30 CST. Recurs annually.

Allison Dumas

USDA-AMS Specialty Crop Block Grant Program administered by LDAF. Competitive sub-grants that enhance the competitiveness of Louisiana specialty crops (fruits, vegetables, dried fruits, tree nuts, horticulture and nursery crops including floriculture) through marketing/promotion, research and development, expanding access, and addressing challenges facing specialty crop producers. Institutional: LDAF includes selected projects in Louisiana's annual State Plan submitted to USDA. Recurring annual cycle.



Louisiana individuals and organizations (producers, producer associations, universities, nonprofits) proposing specialty-crop competitiveness projects.

Distribution

Diversification

Events

Trade Show

Trials

Trade Relief

No per-project award ceiling or floor is published. Per the 2026 Request for Applications, "Grant Applicants may be awarded funding at varying levels depending on the nature of the project," and "LDAF reserves the right to fund projects partially or fully." Applications must demonstrate strong justification for the requested budget.

Pool, not a per-award figure: LDAF "anticipates approximately $350,000 will be available for Louisiana projects" in the 2026 cycle, subject to change upon the formal USDA-AMS Notice of Funding.

No match: "No in-kind donations or matching funds are required."

Payment: cost reimbursement. LDAF approves reimbursement of up to 90% of the total grant award on timely receipt of payment requests and documentation; the final 10% is released once all required reports, including the Final Performance Report, are submitted and approved.

Term: funding is available for projects extending no more than two (2) years and eleven (11) months beyond the state project start date. Records must be retained a minimum of three years after project completion. Selected grantees must register as a LaGov Supplier.

Source: LDAF 2026 SCBG Request for Applications (MF-38-27, R03/26).

The 2026 SCMP grant application period is now open, and entities in a non-participating state may apply to USDA AMS directly. Louisiana is not among the participating states USDA AMS lists for 2026. Applications go through Grants.gov (opportunity USDA-AMS-TM-SCMP-G-26-0020) and close December 4, 2026. The LDAF page still reflects the 2023-24 cycle.

USDA AMS Specialty Crop Grants (SCMP)

USDA AMS's Specialty Crop Multi-State Program (SCMP) funds 3-year projects that bring partners in several states together to make specialty crops more competitive: food safety, plant pests and disease, research, crop-specific issues, and marketing and promotion.


Louisiana is not a participating state in 2026, so Louisiana entities apply to USDA AMS directly (or ask an adjacent participating state to apply on their behalf). About $14.3 million is available in FY 2026.



USDA AMS's Specialty Crop Multi-State Program (SCMP) funds 3-year projects that bring partners in several states together to make specialty crops more competitive: food safety, plant pests and disease, research, crop-specific issues, and marketing and promotion.

Louisiana is not a participating state in 2026, so Louisiana entities apply to USDA AMS directly (or ask an adjacent participating state to apply on their behalf). About $14.3 million is available in FY 2026.

- Entities in a non-participating state such as Louisiana may apply to AMS directly, or ask an adjacent participating state to apply on their behalf.
- Applicants must be domestic entities owned, operated, and located in the United States or a U.S. territory.
- Projects must be multi-state partnerships that enhance the competitiveness of U.S.-grown specialty crops.

Public Health

Compliance

Award. $250,000 to $1,000,000 per project; all projects run 3 years.

Cost share. A mandatory non-Federal cost share (cash and/or in-kind) equal to 25% of the Federal funds requested.

Funding. About $14.3 million is available for FY 2026 projects.

The application period is closed. The grant proposal submission period closed April 15, 2024 (4:30 PM), followed by competitive review (April 16 - June 11, 2024). Applicants were informed of USDA-approved, selected funded grants tentatively by July 31, 2025, with the funding period tentatively beginning September 1, 2025.

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) was awarded the USDA Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) grant program. The goals of RFSI are to build resilience in the middle-of-the-food supply chain, provide&#x2004;more and better markets to small farms and food businesses, and support the development of value-added products for consumers, fair prices, fair wages, and new and safe job opportunities. Through the cooperative agreement, LDAF coordinates initiatives to build resilience across the middle of the food supply chain in Louisiana; funds support expanded capacity for aggregating, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, and distributing locally and regionally produced food products. LDAF partnered with USDA to award over $4 million to strengthen Louisiana's food supply chain infrastructure.



The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) was awarded the USDA Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) grant program. The goals of RFSI are to build resilience in the middle-of-the-food supply chain, provide more and better markets to small farms and food businesses, and support the development of value-added products for consumers, fair prices, fair wages, and new and safe job opportunities. Through the cooperative agreement, LDAF coordinates initiatives to build resilience across the middle of the food supply chain in Louisiana; funds support expanded capacity for aggregating, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, and distributing locally and regionally produced food products. LDAF partnered with USDA to award over $4 million to strengthen Louisiana's food supply chain infrastructure.

Stakeholders include, but are not limited to, small and underserved business owners, historically underserved farmers or ranchers, and other businesses that qualify under the Small Business Administration (SBA) categories of small, disadvantaged businesses, women-owned small businesses, and veteran-owned small businesses.

List of Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Funding Opportunities