Grants

It seems not a day goes by that I don't get a phone call or an email from someone asking about grants.  What I find interesting is the general mis-information that grants are free money.  Yes, grants can be considered "free money" in the sense that they don't have to be repaid back to the grantor.  But grants are very strict in what they can be used for.  I am not aware of any grant that will allow the purchase of land or animals, equipment more than $2,500, construction of a permanent structure (even a barn or a greenhouse) or to start a farm.  Grants generally are seed money to start on-farm research/demonstrations or educational activities.  With this being said, here is a great publication about grants and loans.  (debi)

Got a great idea? Need a grant or loan to get a jumpstart? Check out Building Sustainable Farms, Ranches and Communities, a guide to federal programs that provide financial and technical support for sustainable agriculture.


Written for anyone fostering innovative enterprises in agriculture and forestry in the United States, the guide features program resources in community development; sustainable land management; and value-added and diversified agriculture and forestry.

Building Sustainable Farms, Ranches and Communities is a collaborative publication of the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute and National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT). Additional funding was provided by the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE) program, U.S. Forest Service, and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

The book was coordinated and edited by Margaret Krome, Teresa Maurer, and Katie Wied, with major contributions from John English, Gini Knight, Kim Kroll, Susan LeVan, Patricia McAleer, Robyn Metzger, Greg Taylor, and Steve Yaddof, and staff with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. Website design, maintenance and hard copy distribution is conducted by the Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) project of the National Center for Appropriate Technology.