Active Grants
These are the federal or state grants of interest currently open as of May 16, 2025. Links to program information are included, but feel free to reach out to KCARD at (859) 550-3972 or kcard@kcard.info for more information as well.
Deadline: June 1, August 1, October 1, December 1, 2025
Funding Amount: Up to $5,000 per application with a lifetime maximum of $10,000 per farm business
Eligible Uses: There are five priority categories:
Value-Added Enterprise
Certified Organic Agriculture
Agroforestry/Specialty Crops
Food Systems Resiliency
Emerging Agricultural Technologies
Eligibility:
A Kentucky-based farm with gross annual agricultural sales greater than $1,000 and below $250,000 in the previous two years.
Kentucky-based, formal, non-governmental organizations and cooperatives that serve multiple Kentucky farms or producers
https://www.kysu.edu/academics/college-ahnr/school-of-anr/co-op/small-scale-farm-grant-program.php
Deadline: Concept proposals are due June 2, 2025
Funding Amount: All projects are subject to the availability of funds.
Eligibility:
Nonprofits
Government entities
Small business owners
Privately owned companies
Eligible Uses: The Kentucky Department of Agriculture administers funding received from the SCBGP each year. Projects must enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in either domestic or foreign markets and must provide a benefit to more than just the applicant. Specialty crops include fruits, vegetables, culinary herbs, tree nuts, Christmas trees, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops (including floriculture).
Projects will be evaluated on how well they enhance the competitiveness of Kentucky’s specialty crops, soundness of plan, measurable outcomes, and return on investment. Projects may include but are not limited to:
Pest and disease control
Enhancing food safety
Developing new and improved seed varieties
Increasing consumption of specialty crops
Market development
Developing good agricultural handling and manufacturing practices
Deadline: June 27, 2025
Funding Amount:
Capacity Building: $50,000 - $250,000
Community Development Training and Technical Assistance: $100,000 - $500,000
Turnkey Marketing and Promotion: $50,000 - $100,000
Turnkey Recruitment and Training: $50,000 - $100,000
Eligibility:
Agricultural businesses and cooperatives
Producer networks and associations
CSA networks or associations
Food councils
Regional farmers market groups
Nonprofit and public benefit corporations
Local and tribal governments
Eligible Uses: The Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) funds projects that develop, coordinate and expand direct producer-to-consumer markets to help increase access to and availability of locally and regionally produced agricultural products. Match must be 25% of the project total.
Project types include:
1. Capacity Building: Project should build long-term organizational capacity to develop, coordinate, and expand direct producer-to-consumer market opportunities, including projects such as market analysis/strategic planning, farmer/market manager training, recruitment of new farmers/consumers, farmer’s market/roadside stand/CSA/agritourism/online sales activity startup/operation/expansion, etc.
2. Community Development Training and Technical Assistance: Projects should provide outreach, training, and technical assistance to farm and ranch operations serving local markets to develop, coordinate and expand direct producer-to-consumer market opportunities such as statewide/regional trainings, technical support, etc.
3. Turnkey Marketing and Promotion: A streamlined application for common FMPP marketing and promotion activities; MUST include at least 3 of the following activities:
Identify and analyze new or improved market opportunities.
Develop or revise a marketing plan.
Design or purchase marketing and promotion media.
Implement a marketing plan.
Evaluate marketing and promotion activities.
4. Turnkey Recruitment and Training: A streamlined application for common FMPP recruitment and training activities for local and regional food system stakeholders; MUST include at least 3 of the following activities:
Identify and analyze new or improved strategies for vendor and producer recruitment, training, or both.
Develop or revise strategies or plans for vendor and producer recruitment, training, or both.
Design materials for vendor and producer recruitment, training, or both.
Implement plans for vendor and producer recruitment, training, or both.
Evaluate outcomes related to vendor and producer recruitment, training, or both.
Deadline: June 27, 2025
Funding Amount:
Planning: $25,000 - $100,000
Implementation: $100,000 - $500,000
Turnkey Marketing and Promotion: $50,000 - $100,000
Turnkey Recruitment and Training: $50,000 - $100,000
Eligibility:
Agricultural businesses and cooperatives
Producer networks and associations
CSA networks or associations
Food councils
Regional farmers market groups
Nonprofit and public benefit corporations
Local and tribal governments
Eligible Uses: The Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) funds projects that develop, coordinate and expand local and regional food business enterprises that aggregate, process, and/or distribute local food. These projects will help increase access to and availability of locally and regionally produced agricultural products. Match must be 25% of the project total.
Project types include:
1. Planning Projects: These projects develop, coordinate, or expand a food business that supports locally and regionally produced agricultural products and food system infrastructure, such as feasibility studies, hiring technical assistance for local food storage/transportation/processing facility, etc.
2. Implementation Projects: The projects establish a new food enterprise or market channel or to improve or expand an existing food enterprise or market channel that supports locally and regionally produced agricultural products and food system infrastructure such as developing/expanding food incubator programs or mid-tier value chains, instituting group-based Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) certification, cultivating new local and regional wholesale market channels through an online portal or virtual marketplace, etc.
3. Turnkey Marketing and Promotion: A streamlined application approach to some of the most common LFPP grant activities; MUST include at least 3 of the activities listed:
Identify and analyze new or improved market opportunities.
Develop or revise a marketing plan.
Design or purchase marketing and promotion media.
Implement a marketing plan.
Evaluate marketing and promotion activities
4. Turnkey Recruitment and Training: A streamlined application approach to some of the most common LFPP grant activities; MUST include at least 3 of the activities listed:
Identify and analyze new or improved strategies for vendor and producer recruitment, training, or both.
Develop or revise strategies or plans for vendor and producer recruitment, training, or both.
Design materials for vendor and producer recruitment, training, or both.
Implement plans for vendor and producer recruitment, training, or both.
Evaluate outcomes related to vendor and producer recruitment, training, or both.
Deadline: June 27, 2025
Funding Amount:
Planning and Design Projects: $100,000 to $250,000
Implementation and Expansion Projects: $250,000 to $1,000,000
Eligibility: MUST be a partnership between at least one eligible entity and at least one eligible partner.
Agricultural businesses and cooperatives
Producer networks and associations
CSA networks or associations
Food councils
Regional farmers market groups
Nonprofit and public benefit corporations
Local and tribal governments
Eligible Partners:
State agencies or regional authorities
Philanthropic corporations
Private corporations
Institutions of higher education
Commercial, Federal or Farm Credit system lending institutions
Eligible Uses: The RFSP supports partnerships that connect public and private resources to plan and develop local or regional food systems. The RFSP focuses on building and strengthening the viability and resilience of the local or regional food economy.
Project types include:
1. Planning and Design Projects: support partnerships in the early stages of convening, envisioning, goal setting and identifying strategies for developing local or regional food systems such as feasibility studies, conducting research on specific market, mid-tier value chain, or infrastructure investments, etc.
2. Implementation and Expansion Projects: support partnerships building on prior or ongoing efforts within a local or regional food system such as creating value chains, developing processes for ongoing community engagement, etc.
Deadline: The USDA is currently reorganizing the program that funds this opportunity. The team is working quickly to make changes to the program to meet AMP requirements, so there may be delays in enrollment.
Funding Amount: Varies based on implemented practice and incentive type
Eligibility: Farmers implementing relevant NRCS practices in the service area (including all of Kentucky)
Eligible Uses: Eligible NRCS practices are applicable to the following commodities: beef, cotton, fruits, pork, row crops, rice, specialty crops and wool.
Four type of cash incentives are offered:
Implementation Incentive.
Helps with the cost of implementing a new practice. The amount available per acre depends on the practice(s) you implement. If you’ve already implemented one or more of our approved practices, you are eligible to apply for the program.Drawdown Incentive. As you implement these practices, you’ll start to see an increase in organic matter and soil carbon. How well you manage your new practices will play a big role in this. Silvopasture and other agroforestry practices are often more expensive to implement but sequester and retain significantly more carbon in the soil as well as enhancing additional soil benefits.
Participation Incentive. In order to measure long term soil health benefits, Farmers/Growers must sign up for the duration of the program incentives (3 to 5 years). Farmers must be able to show that they have control over the land tracts entered into the program, either as land owners or a 3 to 5 year lease. Growers must agree to take soil samples at least twice a year. The Participation Incentive will cover the cost of soil testing and reporting, and other costs associated with program compliance.
Travel Incentive. BSBE participants will receive reimbursements for travel, lodging, and food during attendance to BSBE-sponsored and other CSAF field days.
Deadline: Ongoing
Funding Amount: $3,000/year for implementing practices + $500/year for completed farm assessment.
Eligibility: Kentucky farm businesses implementing or interested in implementing climate-smart NRCS practices (e.g. cover cropping, perennial planting, rotational grazing), collect data on outcomes and engage with emerging markets seeking positive environmental and climate impacts.
Enrolled acres must produce at least one of the following commodities: vegetables, fruits, beef, lamb, corn, soybeans, small grains, a range of agroforestry products. Participating farmers with enrolled acres are expected to share sales information about climate-verified commodities.
Three types of cash incentives are available:
$500/year when the farmer completes the Global Farm Metric - Farm Sustainability Assessment Tool, which provides an annual snapshot of farm resilience.
$3,000 in year one for implementing climate-smart practices. This is a flat incentive for one or multiple practices on small or large acreage. Farms are encouraged to enroll in the project in subsequent years and will receive an additional incentive payment each year.
$180/year in soil health tests paid for directly by OAK.
Deadline: Ongoing
Funding Amount: $10,000
Eligibility: Farm businesses interested in implementing climate-smart NRCS practices and potentially value added marketing linked to ecologically sound production.
Eligible Uses: Three types of cash incentives are available.
$10,000 to be directly spent on inputs and supplies selected by the farmer to improve their weakest link/greatest need related to their chosen practices.
$750 upon submission of receipts and baseline soil test.
$750 upon final soil sampling in 2028.
Ecological Outcomes Verification baseline and ongoing measurements through Savory Institute hubs paid for directly by Mt. Folly.
Deadline: Quarterly
Funding Amount: Up to 15% reimbursement can be earned on eligible local food purchases.
Eligibility: Kentucky Proud restaurants, caterers, schools and other food service participants that source and support local farms
Deadline: Last Friday of each month
Eligibility: For profit entities/businesses and nonprofit entities
Eligible Uses: Projects must benefit multiple producers as an investment in Kentucky Agriculture