Veterans & Heroes to Agriculture Grant Program — West Virginia

The Veterans and Heroes to Agriculture Grant Program, run by the West Virginia Department of Agriculture's Business Development Division, provides competitive grants of up to $24,000 to organizations across the state that work directly with, or provide support to, law enforcement, firefighters, emergency medical service, first responders, veterans, active-duty military, and/or their spouses and family within an agricultural capacity.

Organizations that serve or support the eligible service-member and first-responder populations in an agricultural capacity. Grants may not exceed $24,000. (Distinct from the program's $600-per-fiscal-year producer scholarship and the Veterans & Heroes Agribusiness Pitch Competition.)

"Grants may not exceed $24,000, and are awarded through an application process." No award floor, match requirement, cost-share percentage, or contract length is published.

Recent awards show the working range: WVDA announced "WV Gold Star Mothers Receive $24,000 in Veterans and Heroes to Agriculture Grant" and "Shepherd University and Patriot Guardens Receive $12,000 in Veterans and Heroes to Agriculture Grant Funding."

Separate from this organizational grant but published on the same WVDA page, individual producers can get a training reimbursement: "The West Virginia Department of Agriculture will reimburse up to $600 each fiscal year, ending June 30th, for any pre-approved agricultural-related classes, workshops, conferences, and certifications. You must fill out the Scholarship Application PRIOR to registering for the training event."

Awarded through a competitive application process administered by the WVDA Business Development Division. Contact vetstoag@wvda.us or 304-558-2210 (Business Development Division, ATTN: Veterans and Heroes to Agriculture, 217 Gus R Douglas Lane, Charleston, WV 25312). Past awards include WV Gold Star Mothers ($24,000) and Shepherd University/Patriot Guardens ($12,000).