Browse Ambrook’s collection of funding programs by Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF)

Contact USU AgWellness to ask questions, find care, and get assitance with reimbursement.

Anne Dunaway

Josh Dallin

The Ag Stress Assistance Program provides reimbursement assistance, education, and resources for Utah farmers and ranchers to manage the unique set of stressors they face on a daily basis.



The program is focused on assisting Utah agricultural producers and their families with or without insurance. Applicants must have qualifying expenses for medical bills from mental healthcare treatment from the provider of their choice or participating providers through Intermountain Healthcare. Virtual treatment options are also available.

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

Grant

Nutrition & Food Safety

View and download the Emergency Disaster Loan Application below and then email the completed application to UDAF-Loans@utah.gov.

For additional information on applying for this loan, contact your local Resource Coordinator. To view full list of UDAF’s Resource Coordinators, click here.


Tony Richards

Brian Christensen

The Utah Conservation Commission (UCC) has recently approved an Emergency Disaster Loan Program. The purpose of the program is to assist agricultural producers by providing loan funds to help them address extraordinary circumstances related to drought that have resulted in production losses between Governor Cox’s declaration of a drought disaster on May 15, 2021 and October 1, 2022. The timeframe may be extended pending UCC approval.



Eligible Losses
- Crop producers may seek reimbursement for crop loss (including for orchard and row crops) if they can document a 50% loss since the declaration of drought disaster compared to their average production over the prior three years.
- Livestock producers may seek reimbursement for: death loss of breeding stock, the cost of replacement of breeding stock sold due to drought, and the cost of feed purchased. 
- Loan funds may be used to cover drought related losses only. 
- An addendum to the Agriculture Resource Development Loan (ARDL) Policies and Procedures handbook has been adopted and will govern this program. 

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

Loan

- Information Page
- Resource Coordinator Contacts
- Policies and Guidelines

Landscape

High Tunnel

Air Quality

Certification

Carbon Capture

Regenerative

Wildlife and Pollinator Habitat

Soil Health

Trade Relief

Trees

Wildfire

Coronavirus

Fencing

Certified Organic

Certified Grassfed

Cover Crops

Reduced Tillage

Hurricane

Tornado

Flood

Drought

Weather

Emergency

Disaster Relief

Loan Information
- Unsecured 7 year fully amortized loans. 
- 0% interest for the first 2 years, 2.75% thereafter. 
- Initial payment to be made in 2023. 
- Loan maximum is $100,000 per entity. 
- To be eligible, the agriculture producer must have an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of less than $250,000, as documented on their most recent tax return.
- All disbursements must be completed within six months of loan closing or before December 31, 2022 unless the program is extended by the UCC.
- A 12% late fee may be assessed on past due principal balance.

These funds are only available for agricultural producers to address drought related losses and cannot be used for any value-added projects. 

Contact your regional coordinator for an application and information on project requirements and work with your coordinator to applying for grant funds. Find your county coordinator using this map.

Utah Department of Agriculture & Food 

Troy Forrest

The Utah Grazing&#x2004;Improvement Program seeks to improve the productivity, health, and sustainability of Utah rangelands and watersheds. It’s believed that well planned and managed livestock grazing is the most important landscape-scale tool for maintaining healthy rangelands, watersheds, and wildlife habitats. Healthy rangelands contribute to a healthy livestock industry and productive rural economies. The goals are to strengthen Utah’s livestock industry, improve rural economies, and to enhance the environment. The program includes three grants:

**Utah Grazing Improvement Program Grant**

- Applications are open annually through January 1. 

- The Utah Grazing Improvement Program (GIP) provides cost-share grants to rangers for rangeland improvements. Eligible projects include any restoration work that will improve rangeland health, productivity and management. In order for proposals to be competitive, a recommended maximum request is $100,000. 

- Project examples: elimination of invasive species, reseeding, livestock water development and improvements, fencing, grazing management planning, and any other projects that improve watershed and rangeland health and productivity. 


**UGIP Predatory Animal Control Grant**

- 2022 Application window open through June 17, 2022. 

- This grant is open to eligible livestock producers who have suffered predation losses and provides reimbursement for up to 50% of the cost of the contracted amount for practices used to stop or reduce predation. A total of $150,000 is available.


**UGIP Small Livestock Producers Grant**

- 2022 Application window open through June 17, 2022

- This grant is open to small livestock producers (50 animal units or less) for projects that will improve grazing management on federal, state, or private land. A total of $100,000 is available with an award maximum of up to $10,000. 




The Utah Grazing Improvement Program seeks to improve the productivity, health, and sustainability of Utah rangelands and watersheds. It’s believed that well planned and managed livestock grazing is the most important landscape-scale tool for maintaining healthy rangelands, watersheds, and wildlife habitats. Healthy rangelands contribute to a healthy livestock industry and productive rural economies. The goals are to strengthen Utah’s livestock industry, improve rural economies, and to enhance the environment. The program includes three grants:
Utah Grazing Improvement Program Grant
- Applications are open annually through January 1. 
- The Utah Grazing Improvement Program (GIP) provides cost-share grants to rangers for rangeland improvements. Eligible projects include any restoration work that will improve rangeland health, productivity and management. In order for proposals to be competitive, a recommended maximum request is $100,000. 
- Project examples: elimination of invasive species, reseeding, livestock water development and improvements, fencing, grazing management planning, and any other projects that improve watershed and rangeland health and productivity. 

UGIP Predatory Animal Control Grant
- 2022 Application window open through June 17, 2022. 
- This grant is open to eligible livestock producers who have suffered predation losses and provides reimbursement for up to 50% of the cost of the contracted amount for practices used to stop or reduce predation. A total of $150,000 is available.

UGIP Small Livestock Producers Grant
- 2022 Application window open through June 17, 2022
- This grant is open to small livestock producers (50 animal units or less) for projects that will improve grazing management on federal, state, or private land. A total of $100,000 is available with an award maximum of up to $10,000. 


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

Cost Share

- How the GIP Program Works
- Representatives and Contacts (For GIP assistance in your area)
- Program Structure
- History
- Measuring Success
- The Future of Grazing
- History of Grazing in Utah
- Grazing Monitoring
- Utah Rangeland Improvement Act (Utah Code Annotated: Title 4, Chapter 20)


Water Management

Conservation

Read the Funding Criteria and apply online through Amplifund. 

Hannah Freeze

The Agricultural Water Optimization Program works with producers to help them optimize water use while maintaining or improving agriculture production.

The purpose of this&#x2004;grant is to effectuate the following goals:

- Optimize water use while maintaining or improving agriculture production and profitability, and providing increased operational flexibility for agriculture water users moving forward.

- Improve water quantification by showing accurate, real-time measurement of diverted water to demonstrate actual water savings in CFS and acre foot.

- Document the availability of water after implementation of a Water Optimization Project.

- Improve and protect surface and ground water quality by reducing overwatering of crops.



The Agricultural Water Optimization Program works with producers to help them optimize water use while maintaining or improving agriculture production.
The purpose of this grant is to effectuate the following goals:
- Optimize water use while maintaining or improving agriculture production and profitability, and providing increased operational flexibility for agriculture water users moving forward.
- Improve water quantification by showing accurate, real-time measurement of diverted water to demonstrate actual water savings in CFS and acre foot.
- Document the availability of water after implementation of a Water Optimization Project.
- Improve and protect surface and ground water quality by reducing overwatering of crops.

Utah-based individuals, entities, or farming operations with legal access to water and a water right or irrigation share in their name.

- Funding Criteria
- New User Registration
- Portal Navigation
- Opportunity Overview
- How to complete an Application
- How to complete a budget template

Irrigation

Wetland Conservation

Waterway Protection

Water Quality

- 50/50 cost share: the Water Optimization Grant Program funds will be limited to 50% of the total cost of the project. 
- 10% cost: producers are required to contribute at least 10% of the cost of the project. This can include in-kind match (if there is a question on the value of in-kind match, it will be valued on current NRCS EQIP cost list).
- Water savings will be based on the irrigation system efficiency standard for each irrigation method. If the irrigation practice is not on the list provided. The applicant will choose the closest irrigation practice and provide a description of the irrigation method in the comment box. Staff and the ranking committee will determine the irrigation system efficiency standard from the information provided.
- Metering requirements:
    - Must be a real time water meter capable of recording and storing data
    - Most common meter types are ultrasonic and electromagnetic flow meter
    - Can be cloud based and/or remote, as long as data can be collected from the meter

Aaron Eager

The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) is now accepting Invasive&#x2004;Species Mitigation Weed Control Grant Applications for the 2023-24 seasons. The goal of this program is to allocate funds to projects which have management strategies with a high degree of potential success in the State of Utah.

For FY 2023-24, UDAF is looking for projects that target high priority species and will reduce the number outlier populations. It is highly recommended that multi-year proposals include a 3-5 year management plan, an extensive monitoring component, solid participating partners, and a strong restoration component.



The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) is now accepting Invasive Species Mitigation Weed Control Grant Applications for the 2023-24 seasons. The goal of this program is to allocate funds to projects which have management strategies with a high degree of potential success in the State of Utah.
For FY 2023-24, UDAF is looking for projects that target high priority species and will reduce the number outlier populations. It is highly recommended that multi-year proposals include a 3-5 year management plan, an extensive monitoring component, solid participating partners, and a strong restoration component.

Eligible Applicants
- Universities;
- Cooperative Weed Management Areas (CWMA’s); 
- County Weed Boards; 
- Federal or State Agencies; 
- Federal, State, Tribal or Private Landowners; 
- Conservation Districts, 
- nonprofits, 
- and/or other Political Subdivisions.
Eligible Activities
- Early detection & rapid response
- Treating critical acres that protect larger land use areas
- Monitoring and preventing the spread of small populations and new introductions
- Monitoring and rehabilitating established infestations
- Research related to invasive species

Fertilizer

Inputs

Nutrient Management

For FY 2023-24, projects will be funded for the current year only, with the possibility of renewing funding for a multi-year project, based on available funds. Funding for projects will begin July 1, 2023 and terminate June 30, 2024.

Email your completed pre-application (available below) to Jeremy Christensen at jeremyc@utah.gov.

Jeremy Christensen

The LeRay McAllister Working Farm and Ranch Fund provides grants to preserve and restore working agricultural land in Utah, benefiting open space and wildlife as well. The Program uses funds appropriated by the Utah Legislature to purchase conservation easements on important pieces of private land, acquire small parcels in fee title under limited circumstances, and provide small restoration grants to improve conserved lands.



Eligible applicants are counties, cities, towns, the Utah Department of Natural Resources, other Utah Agencies, Land Trusts, and charitable organizations that qualify as tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

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

Easement

- Utah Land Conservation Program Grant Manual
- Pre Application Cover Sheet
- Eligible Cost Policy
- Appraisal Policy
- LeRay McAllister Glossary
- LeRay McAllister Grant Process Flow Chart
- Notice of Funding Opportunity

All applicants must submit through the online application form. Other forms of applying will not be accepted. 

### Program Purpose

- Increase the amount of available pollinator habitat throughout Utah

- Enhance and expand existing landscapes to improve resources (pollen and nectar) available for&#x2004;pollinators

- Provide better connectivity between habitats to better support beneficial species

- Increase access and availability of native seed resources across the state

- Increase public awareness and involvement to improve pollinator habitat state-wide

### **General Information**

- Habitat improvement priority areas will include watersheds and habitat corridors that provide connectivity

- Irrigation for plant establishment will be a requirement for project sponsorship

- Plants and seeds will be pre-selected and supplied as ready-to-plant habitat kits based on applicant's area and need



Program Purpose
- Increase the amount of available pollinator habitat throughout Utah
- Enhance and expand existing landscapes to improve resources (pollen and nectar) available for pollinators
- Provide better connectivity between habitats to better support beneficial species
- Increase access and availability of native seed resources across the state
- Increase public awareness and involvement to improve pollinator habitat state-wide
General Information
- Habitat improvement priority areas will include watersheds and habitat corridors that provide connectivity
- Irrigation for plant establishment will be a requirement for project sponsorship
- Plants and seeds will be pre-selected and supplied as ready-to-plant habitat kits based on applicant's area and need

- Projects must be in Utah to qualify
- All categories of applicants will be considered (individuals, non-profits, government agencies, academic institutes, commercial entities, Native American tribes, wildlife preserves, land trusts, etc.)
- Minimum space requirement of 900 square feet needed for consideration 
- Applicants must agree to a 3-year follow-up period

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

Discount

- Information Page
- Trifold Project Information Handout

Qualified applicants will be awarded up to 25% costs share through plant and seed contributions for selected projects. There will be no cash awards at this time.

List of Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) Funding Opportunities