Tipper-Gurley Grow-a-Farmer Fund

The Tipper-Gurley Grow-a-Farmer Fund provides needs-based farm start-up mini-grants to graduates of Future Harvest's Beginner Farmer Training Program (BFTP). "We distribute thousands of dollars directly to limited-resource farmers each year in the form of needs-based, farm start-up mini-grants."

The fund is "named after the BFTP's co-founders Cathy Tipper and Jack and Beckie Gurley (Calvert's Gift Farm)." Its purpose is direct start-up capital, not training tuition - the BFTP itself "provides a full year of FREE training to new farmers, ensuring that no farmer is ever turned away for lack of funds."

Future Harvest's rationale: "Trainees often come to us looking to apply to grants for start-up costs for their new farm businesses. In our experience, these grants typically do not exist... By offering start-up grants through the Grow-a-Farmer Fund, we can work to change this historic inequity."

"BFTP graduates from 2025 onward will be able to apply to the Grow-a-Farmer Fund to fund start-up costs for their new farms."

The Beginner Farmer Training Program page confirms trainees receive the "opportunity to apply for a farm start-up grant only available to BFTP graduates."

Awards are needs-based and targeted at limited-resource and historically underserved farmers. To become eligible, a farmer must first complete the BFTP, whose own requirements are: currently employed at (or a regular volunteer at) a soil-based vegetable, fruit, flower, or herb farm; some farming experience; and an interest in taking on a farm management role or starting a farm within 3-5 years.

Grants fund start-up costs for new farm businesses launched by BFTP graduates. Future Harvest states it distributes "thousands of dollars directly to limited-resource farmers each year," but publishes no per-award minimum, maximum, or annual pool for this fund.

Context on the participant pool: the BFTP has trained more than 400 new farmers since 2009; from 2022-2024, 53% of trainees identified as BIPOC and 62% as female. The 2026 BFTP cohort is smaller (10-15 trainees) with a focus on serving farmers in the Metro DC/Baltimore areas, though "folks across the Chesapeake region are welcome to apply."

There is no publicly posted application form or deadline for the Grow-a-Farmer Fund. Grants are available only to Beginner Farmer Training Program graduates (2025 cohort onward), who apply through the BFTP after completing the program.

To become eligible, apply to the Beginner Farmer Training Program: https://futureharvest.org/programs/beginner-farmer-training-program/program-structure-application/ - the 2026 BFTP application period has closed, and Future Harvest says to "stay tuned for the announcement of applications opening in very early December."

For Grow-a-Farmer Fund application details, contact Joanna Winkler, Beginner Farmer Training Program Officer, at joanna@futureharvest.org or Future Harvest at info@futureharvest.org / (410) 549-7878.

• Beginner Farmer Training Program overview: https://futureharvest.org/programs/beginner-farmer-training-program/

• BFTP Program Structure & Application: https://futureharvest.org/programs/beginner-farmer-training-program/program-structure-application/

• BFTP graduate profiles: https://futureharvest.org/programs/beginner-farmer-training-program/graduates/