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

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). Landowners contact a Local Sponsor during the annual LAEPP application period; application opportunities are open for a maximum of 90 days.

The Clean Ohio Local Agricultural Easement Purchase Program (LAEPP) provides funding to farmland owners for placing&#x2004;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 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.

Farmland owners whose farm can demonstrate that remaining in agricultural production in perpetuity is compatible with the local community plan and is not in the direct path of development. The 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). 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

Air Quality

Carbon Capture

Certification

High Tunnel

Landscape

Regenerative

Soil Health

Wildlife & Pollinator Habitat

Business Plan

Cash Rent

Refinancing

Transition

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.

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).

Farmers participate through H2Ohio's agricultural best-practices enrollment administered with the Ohio Department of Agriculture and partner organizations. Contact H2Ohio for current enrollment periods and requirements.

H2Ohio is Governor Mike&#x2004;DeWine's comprehensive, data-driven water quality plan to reduce harmful algal blooms, improve wastewater infrastructure, and prevent lead contamination. Through its agricultural component, H2Ohio incentivizes farmers to use best practices that are proven to improve water quality (such as cover crops and nutrient management). Numerous Ohio growers and farm organizations partner with H2Ohio, with key agricultural stakeholders and commodity groups helping to educate and support participating farmers. Per-acre incentive payment amounts are not published on this partner page.



H2Ohio is Governor Mike DeWine's comprehensive, data-driven water quality plan to reduce harmful algal blooms, improve wastewater infrastructure, and prevent lead contamination. Through its agricultural component, H2Ohio incentivizes farmers to use best practices that are proven to improve water quality (such as cover crops and nutrient management). Numerous Ohio growers and farm organizations partner with H2Ohio, with key agricultural stakeholders and commodity groups helping to educate and support participating farmers. Per-acre incentive payment amounts are not published on this partner page.

Ohio growers and farm organizations. Farmers enroll to implement H2Ohio best-practice conservation measures proven to improve water quality; commodity groups and agricultural stakeholders partner with the initiative to support participating producers.

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

Cost Share

Fertilizer

Waste & Manure Management

Weeds

Water Management

Conservation

No per-acre payment rate, cost-share percentage, or payment cap is published on the H2Ohio growers-and-farm-organizations page this record cites, and none appears on H2Ohio's other state pages (they are script-rendered and carry no dollar figures). H2Ohio's agricultural incentives are paid per acre on enrolled acreage for each best management practice, and the rate schedule is issued through the soil and water conservation district that administers enrollment in your county — so confirm current per-acre amounts with your county SWCD or ODA before budgeting.

What the state does publish is the gate you must clear before any practice payment: "Farmers must have an up-to-date soil test and develop an approved Voluntary Nutrient Management Plan (VNMP) to enroll into other best management practices being offered in 2025 and 2026. Available BMPs include overwintering cover, subsurface phosphorus placement and manure incorporation and utilization." No match requirement and no contract length are published. Because payments are per-acre practice incentives rather than a fixed award to the applicant, there is no award ceiling to quote.

A beginning farmer submits a completed Beginning Farmer Tax Credit application (PDF) with required attachments to ODA at BeginningFarmer@agri.ohio.gov. ODA reviews the application; once approved, a tax credit certificate is issued. Asset owners use the Asset Transfer Form.

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.

A beginning farmer is a resident of Ohio; is seeking entry into farming or has less than 10 years experience as a farm owner/operator; farms or intends to farm on land in Ohio; is not a partner, member, shareholder, or trustee of the assets they seek to purchase or rent; has a total net worth of less than $800,000 (including spouse and dependent assets, adjusted for inflation annually); provides the majority of daily physical labor and management of the farm; has adequate farming experience; submits projected earnings statements; demonstrates farming will be a significant source of income; and participates in an ODA-approved financial management program. A separate Asset Owner category applies to those who sell or rent agricultural assets to a beginning farmer.

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

Discount

Historically Underserved

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.

Complete the SLF Community Control Grant application and submit it to plantpest@agri.ohio.gov; direct questions to Jonathan Shields (Jonathan.Shields@agri.ohio.gov). Round 2 applications are due September 30, 2026. Applicants must provide a 10% match and an itemized budget; a final report is due within 30 days of the award end date. Grants are reimbursement-based.

Jonathan Shields

The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) offers grants of up to $15,000 (with a required 10% match, funds or in-kind) to organizations working to control the invasive spotted lanternfly (SLF) and its primary host, tree of heaven, which threaten Ohio's grapes, hops, and stone fruits. Grants are paid as reimbursement after project completion and reporting. Eligible activities include tree-of-heaven removal, herbicide and insecticide treatment, egg-mass identification and treatment, and community SLF-control events. Funding is provided under a cooperative agreement with USDA APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine.



State and local government agencies, park systems, and nonprofit organizations (such as cooperative weed management associations and land conservancies) with a track record in invasive plant or pest management. Universities and extension offices are excluded. Priority is given to applicants working in the most heavily infested areas. Recipients must register on SAM.gov (with a UEI), hold an Ohio ID, and be set up as a state payee.

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

Grant

Inputs

Nutrient Management

Award size and match. "To support local efforts, a limited number of grants—up to $15,000 each with an in-kind match of 10%—are available to organizations working to control SLF populations (universities and extension offices excluded)." No minimum award is published. The match may be either cash or in-kind: applicants must "provide a 10% match (either matching funds or in-kind match of labor, supplies, equipment, etc.)."

How you get paid. Reimbursement only, and only at the end: "ODA will provide reimbursement after the project is completed and reports are submitted." Grantees therefore carry the full project cost up front. The budget submitted with the application must be "itemized and reflects realistic costs."

Reporting tied to payment. "There will be a reporting requirement to be completed 30 days after award end date." The final report must describe "the project activities, participants, number of trees removed or treated, insects or egg masses addressed, expenses, and outcomes" and is due "no later than 30 days following the end of the award period." Grantees are also expected to give "project updates ... through participation in regular program meetings during the award period."

Administrative prerequisites before money moves. "Recipients will need to register on sam.gov and have an AUI ID and also need to have an Ohio ID and be set up as a payee."

Term. The award period is bounded by the funding cycle rather than a multi-year contract — the application states "Funding cycle runs through July 31, 2026."

One condition that can stop a project. "If accessing private landowner's property, documented authorization to access the landowner's property must be obtained prior to the commencement of any work and before acceptance of the proposal."

Funding flows from a cooperative agreement with USDA APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine. Priority "will be given to agencies working in the most infested areas."

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.

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

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