Grant Writing
We position our clients to succeed.
Types of grants we work with
A variety of grants exist for producers, ag startups, and young and beginning producers. Value-added grants help producers turn the raw material they grow into a value-added product.
Grants that aim to enhance rural communities, including development of rural areas or providing jobs, are available from several sources.
Energy-related grants are available for producers seeking to implement renewable energy sources as well as energy audits.
State and regional grants exist for those working to support the development and interest of Northeast agriculture and its rural communities.
How we can help you
- Articulate your project’s story and its benefits effectively.
- Determine a grant’s applicability to your objectives.
- Meet the application’s objectives and requirements.
- Prepare a feasibility study for programs that require one.
Ongoing Grants
- Agricultural Management Assistance Program
- Environment Quality Incentives Program
- Conservation Innovations Grants
- Wetlands Reserve Program
- Northeast SARE Farmer Grants
- NYSERDA Agriculture Energy Efficiency Program
- NYS Good Agricultural Practices
- Agricultural Preservation Restriction Program
- USDA Grants and Loans
- USDA Rural Energy for America Program
Get Started
Contact your local office to learn more about our grant writing programs.
Grants & Incentives for Northeast Agriculture
This document contains grants and other incentives available in the Northeast states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont, serviced by Farm Credit East. The listings include grant programs, tax incentives and loan programs from various funding sources available to agricultural producers and other entities involved in agriculture or related industries.
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Grant Writing FAQs
The cost varies based on the number of hours required to complete the grant application and its related reports. Our goal is to not go over the threshold of 5 percent of the expected grant return.
Yes. Our team is skilled and in demand; their time has a value, as does yours.
That depends entirely on the funding entity and their process for scoring and announcing awardees. It can range from a few weeks to several months.
It varies depending on the program and, more importantly, on the quality (preparedness, detail, eligibility for program) of the project and the skills and experience of the grant writer. You are investing based on both of these factors. If we don’t see reasonable opportunity for success, we won’t take on your project.
The success of a grant request is largely based on the applicant’s preparedness to apply for a grant, which is the product of your thorough understanding of your project mission and objectives. A successful grant request requires a well-thought-out business plan (either on paper or in explanation), plus a drive to succeed and a minimum of funds to provide the required match.
“The Farm Credit East team was able to put our proposal into a much more advantageous format because of their familiarity with the process.”
Jeff King
Kings-Ransom Farm
Schuylerville, New York
View From the Field
“The grant writing folks at Farm Credit East made the whole process so much easier.”
Jeff King is a partner in his family’s fourth-generation dairy farm, Kings-Ransom Farm in Schuylerville, New York. When trying to diversify and begin a retail business to sell fluid milk and ice cream under a new entity, King Brothers Dairy, Jeff drafted an application for a USDA value-added producer grant to help with some of the costs. “We attempted to apply on our own, and we were turned down the first time,” said Jeff.
As a long-time Farm Credit East customer, Jeff was directed to Farm Credit East's grant writing services. “We worked with Farm Credit to tweak our application from the previous year and we were successful in obtaining funding the second time around,” said Jeff. The grant was instrumental in covering operating expenses, allowing us to implement an effective marketing plan, and defraying some of the packaging and labor costs early on in the business.
“Farm Credit East is familiar with the process, and they have an idea of what the evaluators are looking for,” said Jeff. “Thanks to their help, we were much more successful than we ever could have been on our own. We highly value the service we received.”