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October 6th, 2026

Coming Soon: Grazing Champion Grants

American Farmland Trust expects to open a Request for Applications for Grazing Champion Grants through the Beef Producer Economic Resilience project. This opportunity is designed for experienced beef producers interested in advancing sustainable grazing management, conservation practice implementation, market access, project data collection and sharing, and producer network development.

The application process is expected to include three stages: initial eligibility screening, project documentation needed to support CPA-052 completion, and confirmation that implementation matches the approved project or includes a documented reason for any change.

Full eligibility requirements, application instructions, funding details, and deadlines will be included in the forthcoming Request For Applications (RFA).

This project aims to improve the economic resilience of beef operations by providing funding for implementing sustainable grazing and other complementary conservation practices, and for coordinating access to markets that value these practices, including producer-led network coordination.

The Beef Producer Economic Resilience Project

Producers:

80 Grazing Champions - implement practices in year 1
620 Network Graziers - implement practices in years 2 & 3

Eligible States:

Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi

Eligible Practices:

The core conservation practice implemented in this program is expected to be Prescribed Grazing/Grazing Management (528). Alternative eligible practices may be funded: Fence (382), Livestock Pipeline (516), Silvopasture (381), Feed Management (592) or others. This project will also include training and support for Soil Carbon Amendment (336).

Who May Want to Watch for This Opportunity

Producers interested in implementing or expanding sustainable grazing and related conservation practices.
Producers ready to participate in project reporting, data sharing, and feedback activities.
Producers who are EQIP eligible or willing to complete the steps needed to confirm eligibility, if required.
Producers interested in contributing to producer networks connected to grazing, marketing, and implementation.

What Applicants Can Start Gathering

Basic farm or ranch business information.
USDA Farm, tract, or field numbers, if available.
Information about proposed grazing or conservation practices and project acres.
Any existing grazing plan, conservation plan, or project budget.
Information about other USDA or cost-share funding already supporting proposed practices or acres.