Regenerate Virginia Farm Vitality Grant

The Regenerate Virginia Farm Vitality Grant Program provides Virginia farmers with individual grants, focusing on efforts that support the adoption or expansion of regenerative practices and systems while also contributing to the long-term vitality of their operations. The Program also focuses on land access, tenure, and succession planning to ensure farms remain in regenerative operations for generations to come.

The grant helps Virginia farmers strengthen the long-term health and sustainability of their operations, supporting individualized, substantive business consulting and planning services that drive meaningful change. Eligible activities include farm succession planning, enterprise diversification, financial and labor management, and strategic transitions into regenerative or expanded operations. Individual producers may apply for awards up to $25,000.

The grant is one of two tracks of American Farmland Trust's statewide Regenerate Virginia initiative (alongside the Healthy Soils Grant), made possible by generous anonymous supporters and AFT's national Brighter Future Fund. Launched in 2020, the Brighter Future Fund helps farmers nationwide navigate challenges from climate impacts to market volatility while advancing equity, resilience, and long-term opportunities in agriculture.

Status: The Program runs an annual application window in December. Applications for the most recent cycle were accepted December 1–19, 2025, and are now closed; recipients were to be announced in early 2026. AFT has not published dates for the next cycle.

These grants are intended to provide producers with funds leading to powerful changes in operations. Only one grant can be awarded per farmer/farm family. Non-profit organizations are not eligible and are encouraged to take advantage of alternate funding opportunities and resources designed specifically for non-profits.

Eligibility criteria include:

• Individual, for-profit Virginia terrestrial-based farms or ranches that provide proof of income (or similar if the farm engages in barter, exchange, or community supply)

• Farmers with at least two seasons of production experience (for existing businesses)

• Startup farms (under two seasons of production) are eligible if they can provide documentation of at least two years of production experience (internships, farm management experience, education, and training, or similar)

• This funding is intended to support terrestrial, soils-based agricultural production; applications from aquaculture, equine, or forestry operations cannot be considered (agroforestry and silvopasture operations do qualify)

AFT cannot award grants to American Farmland Trust staff, board members, or substantial contributors to AFT (contributing $5,000 or more), or their family members (sibling, spouse, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, or great-grandchild).

The program prioritizes support to farmers who have experienced barriers to capital and other resources, and encourages Virginia farmers from all backgrounds to apply, including beginning farmers, limited-resource farmers, farmers of color, women farmers, veterans, LGBTQ+ farmers, and farmers with disabilities. Additional information considered: percentage of time currently dedicated to farming or ranching (or desired); potential impact of the grant award on overall farm growth and operations; and type of farm, acres in farming, and farm products grown, raised, or produced (AFT prioritizes awarding a diverse pool of farms operating at varying scales).

• Awards: up to $25,000 per producer; only one grant per farmer/farm family

• Funding requests are organized into three distinct tracks, and applicants may apply for only one track. All funding requests must align with the parameters of the selected track:

• Track 1: Equipment — special-purpose equipment that improves farm viability or profitability and supports regenerative practices (e.g. no-till seed drill, roller-crimper, precision planter, mobile fencing or water systems for managed rotational grazing, compost spreader, wash/pack station upgrades, cold storage, solar-powered irrigation pumps, silvopasture equipment, high tunnel). Maximum award: $15,000

• Track 2: Business Development — financial acumen, planning, and succession for regenerative farm businesses (e.g. farm business planning consultant, financial literacy training, bookkeeping setup, marketing and brand strategy, feasibility study, succession planning support, peer-to-peer coaching, market readiness assessments). Maximum award: $15,000

• Track 3: Product & Market Expansion — new products, broader markets, and wider distribution of regenerative goods (e.g. branding and packaging design, value-added product development, certification costs, e-commerce and website development, processing/packing equipment, market access tools, institutional market expansion, consumer outreach). Maximum award: $25,000

• Ineligible across all tracks: debt repayment or refinancing, general operating expenses (payroll, rent, utilities, fuel), routine equipment replacement, building construction, retroactive costs (expenses before the grant award date), and aesthetic upgrades

• Grant disbursement schedule (fixed, cannot be modified): the first 75% of the total awarded amount is disbursed approximately 90 days after receipt of a signed award agreement via the online grant portal; final reports are due to AFT 365 days after receipt of the initial funds, and the final 25% is disbursed approximately 90 days after submission of the final report

• Funding is contingent on the awardee completing a Grant Award Agreement form and submitting it, along with other requested information, within 7 days of being notified of the award

• AFT requires the awardee to provide its SSN/EIN/TIN for IRS reporting; the name on the application must match the name on that number

• Reporting: within one year of receiving funds, awardees must submit all receipts showing how funds were spent, one written page describing the project and its impact, and photos or documentation of project outcomes; an interview with AFT staff is optional and is not a substitute for written reporting

• Expenses incurred before receiving a fully executed grant award agreement are not reimbursable. AFT has no obligation to disburse amounts in excess of the approved grant; expenses exceeding the grant maximum are the awardee's responsibility. Any unspent grant funds may be dedicated toward further services for the applicant, pending written AFT approval.

• 2025 cycle context: AFT awarded $896,600 through the two Regenerate Virginia grant programs to 38 Virginia farmers and ranchers — one-third of all Brighter Future Fund grants nationwide.

To apply, farmers submit a completed Regenerate Virginia Farm Vitality Grant Application to AFT by the due date. Applications must be submitted electronically through the link on AFT's Mid-Atlantic grants webpage (https://farmland.org/mid-atlantic-grants), which goes live when the window opens on December 1; no applications are accepted outside the portal. A downloadable application copy is posted for reference alongside the guidelines, FAQ, and eligible project examples. AFT hosts virtual Q&A Office Hours during the window (for the December 2025 cycle: Wed. Nov. 19 7–8 PM, Mon. Dec. 1 1–2 PM, and Mon. Dec. 15 7–8 PM). Reporting and the final report are handled through AFT's online grant portal (SurveyMonkey Apply).

Applications for the most recent cycle are closed. Questions or assistance completing an application: Amanda Cather, Mid-Atlantic Deputy Director, (202) 378-1244, acather@farmland.org. AFT notes it will not evaluate applications on grammar or writing style, and encourages applicants to write in the style or language that feels most comfortable.

• Program page (Mid-Atlantic grants): https://farmland.org/mid-atlantic-grants

• 2026 Farm Vitality Guidelines: https://farmland.org/favicons/2026-farm-vitality-guidelines-final2.pdf

• FAQ: https://farmland.org/favicons/faq_2026_farmvitalitygrants.pdf

• Eligible Project Examples: https://farmland.org/favicons/fv26-eligible-project-examples.pdf

• Application (for reference): https://farmland.org/favicons/2026-fv-application-for-reference.pdf

• Brighter Future Fund: https://farmland.org/brighterfuture (farmland.org/grants redirects here)

• Regenerate Virginia initiative and report: https://farmland.org/regenerate-virginia/

• Announcement: https://farmland.org/blog/strengthen-your-farm-2026-aft-regenerate-virginia-grants-open-dec-1-19