Browse Ambrook’s collection of funding programs by Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA)

Beginning farmer. Submit a complete Beginning Farmer Tax Credit application (PDF) with required attachments to ODA's Beginning Farmer Tax Credit Program by email. After submitting, you will receive an acknowledgement email from the Beginning Farmer Tax Credit Program. ODA reviews the application. Once approved, a tax credit certificate is issued to the beginning farmer. If denied, an email is sent to the applicant stating the denial.

Asset owner. Submit a complete Asset Transfer Form (PDF) with required attachments to ODA's Beginning Farmer Tax Credit Program by email.

Questions. Email or call ODA's Office of Farmland Preservation.

The Beginning Farmer Tax Credit program was created through House Bill 95, signed into law&#x2004;by Governor Mike DeWine on April 21, 2022. This is a state income tax credit offered in two categories: (1) beginning farmers who attend an ODA-approved financial management program receive a tax credit for the cost of the program; and (2) individuals or businesses that sell or rent farmland, livestock, buildings, or equipment to a beginning farmer receive a credit. Administered by the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Office of Farmland Preservation. Amounts are set as tax credits in statute; no absolute per-recipient dollar award is published.



The Beginning Farmer Tax Credit program was created through House Bill 95, signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine on April 21, 2022. This is a state income tax credit offered in two categories: (1) beginning farmers who attend an ODA-approved financial management program receive a tax credit for the cost of the program; and (2) individuals or businesses that sell or rent farmland, livestock, buildings, or equipment to a beginning farmer receive a credit. Administered by the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Office of Farmland Preservation. Amounts are set as tax credits in statute; no absolute per-recipient dollar award is published.

- Beginning farmer: is a resident of Ohio.
- Beginning farmer: is seeking entry into farming or has less than 10 years experience as a farm owner/operator.
- Beginning farmer: farms or intends to farm on land in Ohio.
- Beginning farmer: is not a partner, member, shareholder, or trustee of the assets they seek to purchase or rent.
- Beginning farmer: has a total net worth of less than $800,000, including spouse and dependent assets, as adjusted for inflation each year.
- Beginning farmer: provides the majority of daily physical labor and management of the farm.
- Beginning farmer: has adequate farming experience or knowledge in the type of farming for which they are seeking assistance.
- Beginning farmer: submits projected earnings statements and demonstrates profit potential.
- Beginning farmer: demonstrates farming will be a significant source of income.
- Beginning farmer: participates in a financial management program approved by ODA.
- Asset owner: an individual or business that sells or rents agricultural assets to a beginning farmer.
- Asset owner: land must total at least 10 acres or produce an average annual income of at least $2,500 from farming.
- Asset owner: equipment dealers and similar businesses that sell agricultural assets for profit are not eligible for the credit.

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

Discount

- Beginning Farmer Tax Credit Application (PDF)
- Beginning Farmer Tax Credit Asset Transfer Form (PDF)
- House Bill 95 (PDF)
- ODA Beginning Farmer Tax Credit Program page

Historically Underserved

Transition

Labor

Legal & Finance

A state income tax credit, so the benefit is a percentage of a transaction rather than a fixed award. ODA publishes no dollar ceiling, floor, or total credit cap for either category.

For the beginning farmer: "The beginning farmer receives a tax credit for the cost of the financial management program." The credit equals what the ODA-approved financial management course cost — no percentage or cap is stated.

For the asset owner who sells or rents to a beginning farmer, "the credit equals 3.99% of one of the following":
• "In the case of a sale, the sale price. The credit must be claimed in the year of the sale."
• "In the case of a rental, the gross rental income that the individual or business received during the first three years of the rental agreement. To qualify for the credit, an asset must be rented at prevailing community rates. In the case of a rental, the credit is claimed over the first three years of the rental or share-rent agreement."
• For a share-rent agreement, the gross rental income received during the first three years of that agreement.

So a rental credit is spread across three years rather than paid at once, and the rent must be at prevailing community rates to qualify at all. Land only counts as an eligible agricultural asset if "it must total at least 10 acres or produce an average annual income of at least $2,500 from farming." "Equipment dealers and similar businesses that sell agricultural assets for profit are not eligible for the credit." A qualifying beginning farmer must have "a total net worth of less than $800,000, including spouse and dependent assets, as adjusted for inflation each year."

Approval produces a tax credit certificate issued by ODA; there is no cash disbursement, cost-share percentage, or match requirement.

The 2026 landowner application window (January 15–April 15, 2026) has closed. The 2027 Local Sponsor certification window ran September 21–October 23, 2026.

- Landowners cannot apply directly to ODA. Applications must be submitted on the landowner's behalf by a certified Local Sponsor (a municipal corporation, county, township, soil and water conservation district, or charitable organization).
- During an open application period, landowners apply through a certified Local Sponsor using ODA's online LAEPP Landowner Application (https://www.apps.agri.ohio.gov/laeppapplication/); application opportunities are open for a maximum of 90 days.
- Questions: contact ODA's Office of Farmland Preservation.

The Clean Ohio Local Agricultural Easement Purchase Program (LAEPP) provides funding to farmland owners for placing an agricultural easement&#x2004;on their property, keeping the farm in agricultural production in perpetuity. Monies are issued for up to 75 percent of the appraised value of a farm's development rights, with a payment cap of $2,000 per acre and a maximum of $500,000 per farm. All easement transactions are recorded on the property deed and transfer with the land; the land remains on the tax rolls under private ownership and management. Administered by the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Office of Farmland Preservation.


The 2026 landowner application period (January 15–April 15, 2026) has closed.



The Clean Ohio Local Agricultural Easement Purchase Program (LAEPP) provides funding to farmland owners for placing an agricultural easement on their property, keeping the farm in agricultural production in perpetuity. Monies are issued for up to 75 percent of the appraised value of a farm's development rights, with a payment cap of $2,000 per acre and a maximum of $500,000 per farm. All easement transactions are recorded on the property deed and transfer with the land; the land remains on the tax rolls under private ownership and management. Administered by the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Office of Farmland Preservation.

The 2026 landowner application period (January 15–April 15, 2026) has closed.

- Farm must be enrolled in CAUV and the Agricultural District Program through the county auditor's office.
- Farm must be a minimum of 40 acres, or 25 acres if adjacent to a preserved farm; farms of 10-24 acres sharing a substantial border with permanently protected compatible land may request an eligibility determination.
- The landowner must demonstrate that retaining the farm in agricultural production in perpetuity is compatible with the township's or county's community plan and that it is not in the direct path of development.
- Where local governments have adopted zoning, the farm must be zoned for agricultural use.
- The farmland owner must certify that the property does not contain hazardous substances.
- The farmland owner must have been in compliance with state and federal agricultural laws for the past five years.
- The farmland owner must have possession of clear title to the property.
- The local sponsor must agree to share monitoring and enforcement responsibilities.
- A minimum of 25 percent of the points-based appraised value of the easement must be provided as cash match by the local sponsor, donation by the landowner, or a combination.

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

Easement

- 2026 LAEPP Policies and Guidelines (PDF)
- LAEPP program overview
- Local Sponsors page: current application dates

Air Quality

Carbon Capture

Certification

High Tunnel

Landscape

Regenerative

Soil Health

Wildlife & Pollinator Habitat

Business Plan

Cash Rent

Refinancing

Certified Organic

Certified Grassfed

Cover Crops

Reduced Tillage

Succession

Easement payment. ODA issues "up to 75 percent of the appraised value of a farm's development rights." Payment caps: "$2,000 per acre, with a maximum of $500,000 per farm." No minimum payment is published.

Required match. "A minimum of 25 percent of the points-based appraised value of the agricultural easement must be provided either in cash match by the local sponsor, donation by the landowner, or a combination of donation and cash match."

Term. The easement is perpetual. It is recorded in the county recorder's office, "limits the use of the land to predominantly agricultural activity and prohibits the conversion of the land to non-agricultural uses," and "is binding on all future owners of the property." The land "remains under private ownership and management and stays on the tax rolls under Current Agricultural Use Valuation (CAUV)," and can still be sold or gifted at any time.

Timing. "Application opportunities are open for a maximum of 90 days." A landowner cannot apply directly — a certified Local Sponsor submits on the landowner's behalf. No individual may sell more than one easement in a funding round, and title, escrow, closing and recording costs are deducted from the easement purchase payment at closing.

Verified 2026-09-04 on ODA's Clean Ohio LAEPP program page (the Landowners page linked as this record's website does not restate the payment terms).

H2Ohio is not in an active enrollment period as of November 2026. If you're interested, contact your county Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). When an enrollment period opens, SWCDs notify interested producers in their counties.

Enrollment runs through your county SWCD, which reviews and approves your nutrient management plan and verifies practices. Plans are built in ODA's MyFarms application. You can also reach H2Ohio at 614.752.9817.

H2Ohio is Ohio's water quality initiative. Through its agricultural program, the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) pays farmers per acre to adopt best management practices (BMPs) that reduce the nutrient runoff behind harmful algal blooms. Local Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) help deliver it. Once offered only in the 24 Western Lake Erie Basin counties, the program now covers farmers in 75 counties.



- Ohio farmers with cropland in the H2Ohio program area (75 counties).
- Every participant must have a Voluntary Nutrient Management Plan (VNMP), reviewed and approved by the local SWCD. Livestock operations producing more than 350 tons, or 100,000 gallons of liquid manure, a year need a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP) instead.
- Acres already receiving payment for the same practice under another county, state or federal program (such as EQIP, a separate H2Ohio contract or MWCD) are not eligible.

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

Cost Share

Fertilizer

Waste & Manure Management

Weeds

Water Management

Conservation

Payments are per acre per year, made after practice requirements are verified:

- Basic VNMP/CNMP implementation: $10/acre/year.
- Precision VNMP/CNMP implementation: $15/acre/year.
- Subsurface phosphorus placement: $20/acre/year on eligible acres, for up to two years.
- Manure utilization: $35/acre/year for dry manure and $60/acre/year for all other manure, plus a $15/acre/year bonus for fields averaging under 25 ppm Mehlich-III phosphorus.
- Overwintering cover: $40/acre/year.

Rates are from ODA's practice standards dated April 10, 2025, linked from H2Ohio's farming practices page.

Ohio’s SCBG Request for Proposals is now closed.
2025 Request for Proposals (RFP)
PLEASE SEE RFP FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO APPLY. PLEASE NOTE, THERE ARE SEVERAL PARTS TO THIS YEAR’S APPLICATION, LISTED BELOW:
1. 2025 OH SCBG Applicant Information Form
2. USDA Project Profile Template
3. A PDF of appendices, which should include:
    a. An abstract or executive summary of your project (300 words or less)
    b. A budget outline of your 25% match
    c. Three letters of support for your project
    d. Current résumés for each individual working on the project
    e. Copy of IRS 501(c)3 determination, if applicable
Below is an estimate of the timeline for Ohio’s 2025 SCBG Program.
- January 2025: Gather stakeholder input/feedback
- Feb. 3, 2025 – Mar. 3, 2025: Ohio SCBG
- February 18, 2025: SCBG Application Webinar
- March 2025: Internal application review
- Early April 2025: Review Panel and project selection
- Mid-April 2025: Ohio recommendations and revisions to proposals
- Early May 2025: Submit selections to USDA (this is based on historically when applications were due to USDA)
- May – September 2025: USDA recommendations/revisions
- September- October 2025: ODA contract w/ projects (This will be after revisions are complete and USDA accepts them. This date could be later depending on plan revisions and how long they take).


Grant funding is provided by&#x2004;the USDA Agriculture Marketing Service. Grants range from a minimum of $25,000 to a maximum of $150,000. In addition, all applicants must provide a minimum match of 25 percent of the requested grant amount.

Project proposals are sought that will advance the long-term economic viability of the state’s specialty crop industry, while increasing the marketability of specialty crops. Higher rankings will be given to projects that demonstrate profit potential for growers and that could boost employment opportunities in the specialty crop industry.



Grant funding is provided by the USDA Agriculture Marketing Service. Grants range from a minimum of $25,000 to a maximum of $150,000. In addition, all applicants must provide a minimum match of 25 percent of the requested grant amount.
Project proposals are sought that will advance the long-term economic viability of the state’s specialty crop industry, while increasing the marketability of specialty crops. Higher rankings will be given to projects that demonstrate profit potential for growers and that could boost employment opportunities in the specialty crop industry.

Food and agricultural non-profit organizations, associations or commodity groups, universities and research institutions are eligible to submit specialty crop proposals. Projects that have a focus on the benefit a particular commercial product, or provide a profit to a single organization, institution or individual will not be considered.

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

Grant

Specialty Crops

Aloe Leaves

Blackberries

Fruits

Honey

Horticulture

Mamey Sapote

Maple Syrup

Mustard Greens

Parsnips

Passion Fruit

Pineapples

Plantains

Pummelos

Raspberries

Rutabagas

Tree Nuts

Vegetables

Abiu

Achachairu

Antidesma

Apples

Apricots

Bananas

Barbados Cherry

Blueberries

Breadfruit

Cacao

Caimito

Calabaza Melon

Canary Melon

Canary Seed

Caneberries

Canistel

Cantaloupes

Casaba Melon

Cherries

Chinese Bitter Melon

Chokeberry

Citron

Citron Melon

Coconuts

Cranberries

Crenshaw Melon

Custard Apple

Dates

Dragon Fruit

Durian

Elderberries

Figs

Genip

Goji

Gooseberries

Grapefruit

Grapes

Guava

Guavaberry

Honeyberries

Honeydew

Huckleberries

Israel Melons

Jack Fruit

Jujube

Juneberries

Kiwiberry

Kiwifruit

Korean Golden Melon

Kumquats

Langsat

Lemons

Limequats

Limes

Longan

Loquats

Lychee

Mangos

Mangosteen

Mayhaw Berries

Mesple

Mulberries

Nectarines

Oranges

Papaya

Passion Fruits

Pawpaw

Peaches

Pears

Pineapple

Plantain

Plumcots

Plums

Pomegranates

Prunes

Pummelo

Raisins

Rambutan

Sapodilla

Sapote

Schizandra Berries

Soursop

Sprite Melon

Star Fruit

Star Gooseberry

Strawberries

Sugar Apple

Tangelos

Tangerines

Tangors

Wampee

Watermelon

Wax Jamboo Fruit

Winter Melon

Apiary

Anise

Basil

Cassava

Chia

Cinnamon

Ground Cherry

Wine

Cilantro

Boston Lettuce

Green Leaf Lettuce

Iceberg Lettuce

Lolla Rossa Lettuce

Oak Leaf Lettuce

Red Leaf Lettuce

Romaine Lettuce

Dry Onions

Green Onions

Bell Peppers

Potato Seeds

Processing Potatoes

Russet Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes

Zucchini

Turnip Top

- Proposal Instructions
- SCBGP Performance Progress Report Template Instructions (pdf)
- 2025 OH SCBG Applicant Information Form
- USDA Project Profile Template
- What is a Specialty Crop?
- One-Minute Overview of SCBGP
- Previous SCBGP Awards

Due dates vary depending on award year. Please click here to review due dates.
Quarterly Reimbursements and Reporting:
- Reimbursement Request Form
- Quarterly Report Form
Annual Reports:
All annual and final reports are due December 1 each year. Project reports should cover their performance period, which is September 30 through September 29 each year.
- Annual Report Template (for awards made 2021 and prior)
- Annual Report Template (for awards made 2022 and after)
For directions on completing your report template, please refer to the document below. 
- SCBGP Performance Progress Report Template Instructions (pdf)
Please refer to the below documents for additional information on outcomes and indicators. Please refer to the document for the year your project was awarded.
- Specialty Crop Outcomes and Indicators (Awarded 2022 and forward)
- Specialty Crop Outcomes and Indicators (Awarded 2021 and prior)
Grant Amendments: 
Below are examples of changes that require prior approval and examples of those requests. Please refer to your project agreement and USDA General Terms and Conditions for additional information.
- Budget Change (pdf)
- Change of Scope (pdf)
- Extension of Grant Agreement (pdf)
- Special Purpose Equipment (pdf)


Distribution

Diversification

Events

Trade Show

Farmers Market

Local Food

Trade Relief

Public Health

USDA General Terms and Conditions can be found here. Please sure to select the terms and conditions specific to your projects award year. 

List of Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) Funding Opportunities