October 17th, 2022
By Emeran Irby
American Farmland Trust Opens Applications for 2023 New England Farmer Microgrants Program: Grants of Up to $10,000 Available to Livestock Producers
Northampton, MA—American Farmland Trust opened applications today for the 2023 New England Farmer Microgrants Program (NEFMP). Now in its fourth year, the program addresses regional barriers farmers face: access to land, farm succession and land transfer planning, and adopting regenerative agriculture or soil health practices on livestock operations. While the program will continue to fund projects across New England, most of the funds will be used to adopt regenerative agriculture and soil health practices on livestock operations as a result of increased funding through the Western New England Regenerative Agriculture Project.
NEFMP awards made in 2023 will be granted through two separate funding opportunities. Most funds will be awarded as $10,000 grants through the Western New England Regenerative Livestock Farming conservation partnership project, aimed at livestock producers in select counties. Other awards will be granted through the Farmland Access, Succession, and Transfer Support funding opportunity, in the amounts of $5,000 each, for farmers located throughout New England.
“Farmers know their lands, their community, and farms better than any of us. With these grants we are helping them to advance their vision for regenerative agriculture on their farms and helping them better secure their future on the land,” said Nathan L’Etoile, New England director for American Farmland Trust. “Nothing makes me prouder than our work on the ground to support the crucial work of our region’s famers as we work together across New England to conserve farmland, protecting farmland by the acre, by the inch, and by the farmer.”
Since 2020, AFT has provided approximately $3.5 million in grants to more than 2,000 farmers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico to adopt regenerative farming practices, acquire equipment, or make improvements to enhance viability, access land, and address other needs. For additional information or to support the Brighter Future Fund, visit https://farmland.org/brighter-future.
Since 2020, AFT has also operated a microgrants program in New England. For more information about the New England Microgrants Program, visit https://farmland.org/new-england-farmer-microgrants-program.
“Building on the initial, generous gift from Tillamook County Creamery to launch the Brighter Future Fund in 2020, American Farmland Trust continues to develop and expand microgrant programs on both a regional and national scale,” said Ashley Brucker, ACI outreach and program manager. “The success of all microgrants programs in the past years has exhibited an extensive need for this type of direct-to-farmer support and AFT continues working to expand resources available to American farmers. The nationwide Brighter Future Fund for minority, beginning, and veteran farmers will be open for applications on Nov. 1.”
Learn more and how to apply for the New England Farmer Microgrants here, or reach out to Kristen Irvin, New England program coordinator, at kirvin@farmland.org.
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American Farmland Trust is the only national organization that takes a holistic approach to agriculture, focusing on the land itself, the agricultural practices used on that land, and the farmers and ranchers who do the work. AFT launched the conservation agriculture movement and continues to raise public awareness through our No Farms, No Food message. Since our founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect over 6.8 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally-sound farming practices on millions of additional acres and supported thousands of farm families.