The Growing GRASS & Climate-Smart Value-Added U.S. Commodity Markets Project

Update (2026): This project continues; Growing GRASS is supported by the USDA Advancing Markets for Producers (AMP) initiative. Details: ggrass.org.

This multi-year project will pilot, test, and evaluate how the GRASS supply chain can be optimized for value and climate performance from farm and ranch to climate-smart markets, starting with the greenhouse gas benefits of grazing systems.

Open to individual producers nationwide, and only to beef and bison producers: "The Growing GRASS project has USDA funding to provide directly to eligible US beef and bison producers."

Every one of these must be true — the project's own eligibility list, verbatim:

• "Raise beef cattle and/or buffalo using prescribed grazing practices as defined by USDA NRCS Conservation Practice 528"

• "Be enrolled with the USDA Farm Service Administration (FSA), including: Having an active USDA Farm number. Having the farm 'fields' enrolled where you agree that you are implementing Practice 528 (prescribed grazing) of beef and/or bison. Having a current Subsidiary Print from USDA"

• "Confirmation you are not enrolled in another USDA AMP project for beef or bison."

• "Confirmation you do not operate a concentrated animal feeding operation ('CAFO') on the farm/ranch (as defined by the Environmental Protection Agency) on your registered USDA farm."

• "Agreement to share information with Growing GRASS for research purposes. Growing GRASS will only release producer data in aggregate and without identifiable producer information unless you have given explicit permission otherwise."

USDA enrollment is a hard gate, not a preference. Asked whether you can enroll without USDA, the project answers: "Unfortunately, no. As this is a USDA-funded project, for producers to be eligible for payments, USDA enrollment and an USDA Farm number is required." The Subsidiary Print is "available upon request from your local USDA NRCS office (where you enrolled your farm), or online through Farmers.gov."

Stacking. You may stay in other federal practice-payment programs — "Generally no, with the exception of enrollment in another USDA Advancing Markets for Producers grant program for the same farm/acres and associated conservation practices."

What to have in hand before the enrollment survey: your USDA farm number, and for every Practice-528 field — Field Name, USDA Farm #, FSA Tract #, FSA Field #, Acres — plus your farm's current subsidiary print.

No acreage minimum, herd-size floor, income test, years-of-experience requirement, or audience restriction (beginning, veteran, etc.) is published. No state limits — eligibility is national for US producers. Enrollment runs through the screener/enrollment survey on the producer portal; questions to info@ggrass.org (allow up to 14 business days).

Payments go directly to eligible beef and bison producers, funded entirely by the USDA AMP grant — "The Growing GRASS project has USDA funding to provide directly to eligible US beef and bison producers."

• Enrollment payment (the first step): "Eligible producers receive $3000 for completing an enrollment survey." This is the "NECESSARY 1st STEP" — you must enroll before anything else is funded.

• On-farm audits and value-added market certifications: the project "can provide funding for on-farm audits and certifications that demonstrate you are implementing prescribed / regenerative grazing on your operation."

• Soil sampling and on-farm research: "Growing GRASS can cover soil sampling, nutrient density testing, and other on-farm research."

• Training and peer connection: "Growing GRASS has funding available for training, educational events, and meetings."

No total per-producer ceiling is published beyond the $3,000 enrollment payment.

Conditions. You must be enrolled with USDA FSA with a farm number, have your fields enrolled implementing Practice 528 (prescribed grazing) for beef and/or bison, and confirm you are not enrolled in another USDA AMP project for beef or bison. You will need a current Subsidiary Print from your local NRCS/FSA office. "Unfortunately, no" — you cannot participate without USDA enrollment.

Reimbursement timing. "The Growing GRASS project cannot pay for costs (such as audits, certifications or other eligible expenses) incurred before you have completed the enrollment process AND have been approved for additional payments."

Not eligible: "Growing GRASS cannot pay for land acquisition, livestock purchases, infrastructure, equipment, or related expenses." You may stack other federal practice-implementation programs, just not another AMP grant on the same acres/practices. Payments are administered by the American Sustainable Business Institute, the grant recipient.

Fill out the screener survey here.