Award Amount and Project Eligibility
Grants will be awarded in amounts up to $5,000 per project. A project may involve one or more individual farmers or farm families. Only one grant can be awarded per farmer/farm family.
Funding for this program is limited. As funding remains, awards will be made on an ongoing basis to eligible applicants who fulfill all application requirements and meet selection criteria.
Land tenure (ownership, a lease, license, or other written agreement) for a reasonable time period will be required for projects that involve on-the-ground improvements to farmland. If tenure is less than five years, please be prepared to demonstrate in the application that the tenure is sufficient in relation to the improvements being made or services being provided.
Applicant Eligibility
AFT seeks to support farmers and ranchers across America through the Brighter Future Fund. Expanding on priorities established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Fund focuses its support on beginning, socially disadvantaged, limited resource, women, and veteran farmers and ranchers to support greater equity and opportunities for all in agriculture. For more information on AFT’s commitment to increased opportunity, please see AFT’s DEIJ statement.
Additional information that will be taken into consideration when making funding decisions include:
- Priority for individuals who dedicate a majority of their work time to farming or ranching;
- Need-based consideration of projects;
- Diversity in farms as determined by the dollar value of farm products sold, acres in farming, and farm products grown, raised, or produced.
- Projects that 1) Improve farm viability; 2) Access, transfer, or permanently protect farmland; or 3) Adopt regenerative agricultural practices
Farmers who previously received a Brighter Future Fund or The New England Farmer Microgrants Program grant are not eligible. However, those who applied but were not awarded funds during our previous Bright Future Fund grant cycles are encouraged to apply again.
