Farm and Ranch Transition Support Grants
February 11, 2025: Actions taken by the Trump Administration have put federal funding for work with farmers and ranchers in jeopardy. At this time, we are not receiving funds from the Federal government under our awards. As a result, AFT is limited in our ability to make funding available for grants, stipends or other support for farmers, ranchers and landowners. While the grant application remains open, we expect application review and payments on those awarded to be delayed.
AFT’s relationships with farmers, ranchers and landowners across the nation remain among our highest priorities. We recognize that this may pose a significant hardship for you and share in the frustration and disappointment that this important funding may be at risk. We are hopeful to be able to move forward with this work with you but fully understand that current conditions may present an insurmountable difficulty. Please contact our grant team at brighterfuture@farmland.org if you have questions.
PURPOSE
American Farmland Trust (AFT) is excited to announce our Brighter Future Fund’s Farm & Ranch Transition Support Grants to assist farmers, ranchers, and landowners in successfully transferring, accessing, or protecting farm and ranch land.
Funding will be allocated to two primary categories: professional services and equipment or infrastructure costs that can facilitate the transfer of a farm or ranch. (See eligible projects below for more information.) Applicants must be connected to land that is permanently protected, or is in the process of being permanently protected, with an agricultural conservation easement. Grants are intended to leverage other resources (either in-kind from the awardee, or other private and public funds) and make a difference for farmers, ranchers, and landowners to access, transfer, or permanently protect farm or ranchland.
AWARD AMOUNT & ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS
Grants will be awarded in amounts up to $10,000 per project.
Requirements:
Grants will only be awarded to applicants who are actively working with a Land Transfer Navigator on a farm or ranch transfer. Click here to see the list of Land Transfer Navigator organizations. Applicants will be required to enter the name of their Navigator organization in the application.
The land involved in the transfer must be permanently protected or in the process of becoming permanently protected, with an agricultural conservation easement. Applicants will be required to describe their land protection status in the application.
A project may involve one or more individual farmers/ranchers or farm/ranch families. Only one grant can be awarded per land transfer scenario per 12-month period. Those who have received a previous Farm & Ranch Transition Support Grant are not eligible to reapply in the same year. Applicants who applied but were not funded during previous grant cycles are encouraged to apply again. Previous recipients of other AFT grants may apply. We are unable to award grants to AFT staff, board members, or substantial contributors to AFT or their family members.
Funding for this program is limited. As funding remains, awards will be made on an ongoing basis to eligible applicants that fulfill all application requirements and meet selection criteria.
Those applicants who are selected for award will receive direct payment of funds from AFT. AFT will not provide payment to any third party. See additional requirements about Professional Services in the Eligible Projects section and support information in the Timeline section below.
Eligible farms or ranches must be for-profit and be able to provide proof of income (or similar if the operation engages in barter, exchange or community supply). This grant does not intend to support operations producing agricultural products mainly for personal/household/family consumption. Operations must be producing food or agricultural products for your community for sale, or barter or exchange. Nonprofit organizations are encouraged to take advantage of alternate resources designed specifically for nonprofits.
ELIGIBLE PROJECTS (include, but are not limited to):
Professional Services
Hiring a service provider to complete a land survey
Hiring a business, financial or estate planning consultant to assist with a farm transfer plan, business plan, or finance/loan plan
Hiring a service provider to support business planning and other services necessary for farm or ranch land access or expansion, such as land search planning, property assessment, facilitation, succession planning, or crafting agreements
Paying transaction costs associated with securing land to farm. These may include costs associated with purchasing a farm/ranch, negotiating a lease agreement, or developing an agricultural conservation easement (e.g. survey, appraisal, etc.)
Downpayment assistance on a farm or ranch transfer or farm or ranch loan
Infrastructure and Equipment
Purchasing farming/ranching equipment or implements essential to transitioning a business
Improving infrastructure or equipment (e.g. on-farm housing, infrastructure to diversify income streams) necessary to support transition
TIMELINE
Applications will be available beginning October 29, 2024. Applications will be reviewed on a quarterly, rolling basis with each quarter ending on the last day in the months of December, March, June and September. Applicants will be notified within 90 days of the close of the quarter in which they applied. Applications will be awarded based on eligibility of the proposed project.
If awarded, all approved expenses must be completed within 365 days of the receipt of funds. For grants funding long-range succession and transfer planning services, written statements showing progress/milestones may be requested.
AWARD PROCESS
If approved, AFT will send written notification in the form of a Letter of Award via email to the applicant within 90 days of the application closing date. The Letter of Award will detail the approved timeline and process for payment based on the individual project.
Terms for all awards:
Expenses incurred prior to receiving written notification of award may not be payable by the grant without written approval from AFT.
Funds may be used for purchasing equipment or infrastructure.
AFT anticipates disbursing funds for approved expenses directly to the awardee within 120 days of receiving requested award documentation.
AFT shall have no obligation to disburse amounts in excess of the approved grant amount for services not completed, or goods or services not approved by AFT. Any expenses that exceed the grant maximum amount are the responsibility of the awardee.
Any unspent grant funds may be dedicated towards further services for the applicant, pending written AFT approval.
AFT will require the awardee to provide a W9 via our secure online portal (or other secure online form) in order to fulfill AFT’s obligation to report grant activities on its annual report to the IRS. AFT does not file Form 1099s with respect to this grant.
SPECIAL NOTES
Funding is contingent on the awardee completing a Grant Award Form and submitting it within 7 days of award notification. Notification of award and other grant-related communication will be conducted via email and/or phone. Failure to respond by stated deadline could result in loss of award funds.
Awardees will be required to provide follow-up information to AFT about their award-funded project. Within one year of receipt of grant funds, awardees may be asked to submit: all receipts showing how the funds were spent, a written paragraph describing the overall project, progress toward completion if the overall project is not complete, the overall impact of the funds, and photos documenting how award funds were used. AFT will use this information to verify permitted use of funds and evaluate the success of the grant program.
The Brighter Future Fund has been established by AFT to provide support to awardees who need financial assistance to undertake proposed activities which further AFT’s charitable purposes. These grants are motivated by charitable intent. AFT however does not make any representation as to the tax consequences of any award, if any.
HOW TO APPLY
To apply, applicants should submit a completed Farm & Ranch Transition Support Grant application to AFT. Applications must be submitted electronically through our grant portal, Survey Monkey Apply.
The application will be available in English and Spanish.
QUESTIONS
If you have questions or need additional assistance completing your application please contact us at brighterfuture@farmland.org.
APPLICATION CHECKLIST
Completion of all required fields in the online grant application form
Estimate of costs, including a budget overview
If selected for an award, AFT may ask for the following:
Current photo representing yourself and your farm
A brief summary regarding planned use of the funds and results you expect to achieve with the assistance of the funds
A statement agreeing to complete a brief final report and interview by AFT upon completion of the project. For awardees who opt in, we will share selected projects via social media and in promotional materials. While sharing stories is a priority for AFT, we understand there may be reason for discretion and will honor those instances. Participation in public-facing stories will not affect the applicant’s receipt of funding.
Note on Language:
We encourage you to be thoughtful and diligent in completing your application, but we will not evaluate applications by grammar or writing style. Complete the questions to the best of your ability and take advantage of the narrative questions to describe your farm/ranch, your personal and professional goals, and the challenges you face in reaching them. Feel free to write in whatever style or language feels truest and most comfortable to you.
Farm and Ranch Transition Support Grant
Farm and Ranch Transition Support Grants
February 11, 2025: Actions taken by the Trump Administration have put federal funding for work with farmers and ranchers in jeopardy. At this time, we are not receiving funds from the Federal government under our awards. As a result, AFT is limited in our ability to make funding available for grants, stipends or other support for farmers, ranchers and landowners. While the grant application remains open, we expect application review and payments on those awarded to be delayed.
AFT’s relationships with farmers, ranchers and landowners across the nation remain among our highest priorities. We recognize that this may pose a significant hardship for you and share in the frustration and disappointment that this important funding may be at risk. We are hopeful to be able to move forward with this work with you but fully understand that current conditions may present an insurmountable difficulty. Please contact our grant team at brighterfuture@farmland.org if you have questions.
PURPOSE
American Farmland Trust (AFT) is excited to announce our Brighter Future Fund’s Farm & Ranch Transition Support Grants to assist farmers, ranchers, and landowners in successfully transferring, accessing, or protecting farm and ranch land.
Funding will be allocated to two primary categories: professional services and equipment or infrastructure costs that can facilitate the transfer of a farm or ranch. (See eligible projects below for more information.) Applicants must be connected to land that is permanently protected, or is in the process of being permanently protected, with an agricultural conservation easement. Grants are intended to leverage other resources (either in-kind from the awardee, or other private and public funds) and make a difference for farmers, ranchers, and landowners to access, transfer, or permanently protect farm or ranchland.
AWARD AMOUNT & ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS
Grants will be awarded in amounts up to $10,000 per project.
Requirements:
Grants will only be awarded to applicants who are actively working with a Land Transfer Navigator on a farm or ranch transfer. Click here to see the list of Land Transfer Navigator organizations. Applicants will be required to enter the name of their Navigator organization in the application.
The land involved in the transfer must be permanently protected or in the process of becoming permanently protected, with an agricultural conservation easement. Applicants will be required to describe their land protection status in the application.
A project may involve one or more individual farmers/ranchers or farm/ranch families. Only one grant can be awarded per land transfer scenario per 12-month period. Those who have received a previous Farm & Ranch Transition Support Grant are not eligible to reapply in the same year. Applicants who applied but were not funded during previous grant cycles are encouraged to apply again. Previous recipients of other AFT grants may apply. We are unable to award grants to AFT staff, board members, or substantial contributors to AFT or their family members.
Funding for this program is limited. As funding remains, awards will be made on an ongoing basis to eligible applicants that fulfill all application requirements and meet selection criteria.
Those applicants who are selected for award will receive direct payment of funds from AFT. AFT will not provide payment to any third party. See additional requirements about Professional Services in the Eligible Projects section and support information in the Timeline section below.
Eligible farms or ranches must be for-profit and be able to provide proof of income (or similar if the operation engages in barter, exchange or community supply). This grant does not intend to support operations producing agricultural products mainly for personal/household/family consumption. Operations must be producing food or agricultural products for your community for sale, or barter or exchange. Nonprofit organizations are encouraged to take advantage of alternate resources designed specifically for nonprofits.
ELIGIBLE PROJECTS (include, but are not limited to):
Professional Services
Hiring a service provider to complete a land survey
Hiring a business, financial or estate planning consultant to assist with a farm transfer plan, business plan, or finance/loan plan
Hiring a service provider to support business planning and other services necessary for farm or ranch land access or expansion, such as land search planning, property assessment, facilitation, succession planning, or crafting agreements
Paying transaction costs associated with securing land to farm. These may include costs associated with purchasing a farm/ranch, negotiating a lease agreement, or developing an agricultural conservation easement (e.g. survey, appraisal, etc.)
Downpayment assistance on a farm or ranch transfer or farm or ranch loan
Infrastructure and Equipment
Purchasing farming/ranching equipment or implements essential to transitioning a business
Improving infrastructure or equipment (e.g. on-farm housing, infrastructure to diversify income streams) necessary to support transition
TIMELINE
Applications will be available beginning October 29, 2024. Applications will be reviewed on a quarterly, rolling basis with each quarter ending on the last day in the months of December, March, June and September. Applicants will be notified within 90 days of the close of the quarter in which they applied. Applications will be awarded based on eligibility of the proposed project.
If awarded, all approved expenses must be completed within 365 days of the receipt of funds. For grants funding long-range succession and transfer planning services, written statements showing progress/milestones may be requested.
AWARD PROCESS
If approved, AFT will send written notification in the form of a Letter of Award via email to the applicant within 90 days of the application closing date. The Letter of Award will detail the approved timeline and process for payment based on the individual project.
Terms for all awards:
Expenses incurred prior to receiving written notification of award may not be payable by the grant without written approval from AFT.
Funds may be used for purchasing equipment or infrastructure.
AFT anticipates disbursing funds for approved expenses directly to the awardee within 120 days of receiving requested award documentation.
AFT shall have no obligation to disburse amounts in excess of the approved grant amount for services not completed, or goods or services not approved by AFT. Any expenses that exceed the grant maximum amount are the responsibility of the awardee.
Any unspent grant funds may be dedicated towards further services for the applicant, pending written AFT approval.
AFT will require the awardee to provide a W9 via our secure online portal (or other secure online form) in order to fulfill AFT’s obligation to report grant activities on its annual report to the IRS. AFT does not file Form 1099s with respect to this grant.
SPECIAL NOTES
Funding is contingent on the awardee completing a Grant Award Form and submitting it within 7 days of award notification. Notification of award and other grant-related communication will be conducted via email and/or phone. Failure to respond by stated deadline could result in loss of award funds.
Awardees will be required to provide follow-up information to AFT about their award-funded project. Within one year of receipt of grant funds, awardees may be asked to submit: all receipts showing how the funds were spent, a written paragraph describing the overall project, progress toward completion if the overall project is not complete, the overall impact of the funds, and photos documenting how award funds were used. AFT will use this information to verify permitted use of funds and evaluate the success of the grant program.
The Brighter Future Fund has been established by AFT to provide support to awardees who need financial assistance to undertake proposed activities which further AFT’s charitable purposes. These grants are motivated by charitable intent. AFT however does not make any representation as to the tax consequences of any award, if any.
HOW TO APPLY
To apply, applicants should submit a completed Farm & Ranch Transition Support Grant application to AFT. Applications must be submitted electronically through our grant portal, Survey Monkey Apply.
The application will be available in English and Spanish.
QUESTIONS
If you have questions or need additional assistance completing your application please contact us at brighterfuture@farmland.org.
APPLICATION CHECKLIST
Completion of all required fields in the online grant application form
Estimate of costs, including a budget overview
If selected for an award, AFT may ask for the following:
Current photo representing yourself and your farm
A brief summary regarding planned use of the funds and results you expect to achieve with the assistance of the funds
A statement agreeing to complete a brief final report and interview by AFT upon completion of the project. For awardees who opt in, we will share selected projects via social media and in promotional materials. While sharing stories is a priority for AFT, we understand there may be reason for discretion and will honor those instances. Participation in public-facing stories will not affect the applicant’s receipt of funding.
Note on Language:
We encourage you to be thoughtful and diligent in completing your application, but we will not evaluate applications by grammar or writing style. Complete the questions to the best of your ability and take advantage of the narrative questions to describe your farm/ranch, your personal and professional goals, and the challenges you face in reaching them. Feel free to write in whatever style or language feels truest and most comfortable to you.