Grants for Beginning Female Farmers
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture runs a U.S. Department of Agriculture or USDA grant program to support aspiring farmers. The program has over $18 million in grants spread across 24 states. Grants for beginning female farmers by government programs rather than going directly to individual farmers.
The Women Farmer Agricultural Network is one of 40 organizations to receive a BFRDP grant. They received over $400,000. The grants for beginning female farmers is designed to support aspiring women farmers in the states of Iowa and Nebraska through 2015.
The program will provide educational and networking opportunities for new women farmers to the industry. Each woman is also assigned a mentor to help them build a profitable farm.
Grants for Beginning Female Farmers
Budding farmers are given business planning guidance and the opportunity to work on a farm for direct experience. Women with less than 10 years of experience in agriculture receive more intensive business planning courses.
They also receive grants for a conference on sustainable agriculture. The women also receive software and other materials to help them set up their farms.
Experienced women farmers volunteer as mentors so that the new women farmers can benefit from their experiences.
If you find that you are not eligible for a women’s farming grant, you can apply for a Farm Service Agency (FSA) direct loan. The loans can be used for many agricultural purposes such as buying cattle and land.
You can be a beginner or an experienced farmer struggling to qualify. Guidelines for agricultural grants for women are available from your local FSA office.
The USDA sponsors the loan programs for farmers through the Farm Services Agency (FSA). There are direct farm ownership loans (DO) and farm operating loans (FO).
FO loans are used to settle real estate payments or to refinance debts. FO repayment periods are never more than 40 years. DO payback periods are 1-7 years and include expenses such as livestock, feed, and insurance.
Different Sources Of Grants for Beginning Female Farmers
The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture
The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture sponsors numerous grants in the fields of education, research and demonstration projects, including agricultural grants for women.
Farm Credit Services of America
This program provides financial support to aspiring farmers through the Young & Beginning Loan Program. Sometimes the new farmers starts farming as agricultural hobby.
Applicants must not be older than 35 years and have less than 10 years of experience in agriculture. Visit the Farm Credit Services of America website for more information.
NCR-SARE’s Farmer Rancher Grant Program
This competitive rancher grant program focuses on sustainable agriculture including pest control, quality of life issues, soil quality and many more topics. There are three types of scholarships – individual, partner and group scholarships. Rancher Grants range from $7,500 to $32,500.
The program funds an estimated 50 scholarships each year. Applications and a list of projects that have already been funded are available from the NCR-SARE office.
Simply Organic
Once your farm has educated the public about the organic farming, you can qualify for the Simply Organic 1% program.
Grants for beginning female farmers are granted on a case-by-case basis. Guidelines are available on the Simply Organic website.
State funding For Beginning Female Farmers
Lowa and Nebraska
The states of Nebraska and Iowa each offer a novice tax credit program. For details, see the Iowa Agricultural Development Authority website and the Nebraska Beginning Farmers website.
North Carolina
The Farm Bureau of North Carolina has a special women’s free money program for farmers. It funds educational and agricultural development resources for women. This is also a part of grants for beginning female farmers.
Additional Resources For Beginning Female Farmers
Coalition for Sustainable Agriculture
The Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (SAC) published the Grassroots Guide to the Farm Bill 2008 to provide information on all programs available to farmers. The 128-page guide is available on their website and is a helpful resource in finding grants for women farmers.
Crop Insurance
Agricultural grants for women include insurance programs to protect farmers against losses from weather, other natural disasters and animals too. The farmers need proper fencing to protect their corps from the animals.
There are some agencies who are giving fencing grants to the farmers. Numerous crop insurance policies are available to farmers. They do not cover incidents of negligence or bad management.
Hotline Information
Center for Rural Affairs (CFRA), Sustainable Options Hotline, is a Nebraska-based service helping farmers across the country. Agricultural aid for women can make a difference for individuals who are just starting out in the industry.
More experienced farmers can also benefit from one of the agricultural grants for women. Refer to these resources for more information on the many options that are available. The federal government and different private organizations giving a good amount of grants for beginning female farmers every year. The beginner farmers can apply these.
Grants For Women-Run Agricultural Businesses
There are several grant programs that help the female farmers by giving grants for beginning female farmers. Funding will be provided to develop business and marketing strategies to help women thrive in the agribusiness.
These programs ensure that women and other underrepresented groups have equal access to finance. These programs are under the US Department of Agriculture’s funding opportunities.
Scholarship Program For Socially Disadvantaged Producers
The US Department of Agriculture provides grants for beginning female farmers for the subsidy program for socially disadvantaged producers. A socially disadvantaged producer is defined as an agricultural producer belonging to a group that is exposed to ethnic and gender bias.
Female farm producers are eligible for a grant of up to $200,000 to conduct market research, obtain legal advice, develop a business or marketing plan, and receive training.
The grant can also be used for product improvements. Applicants are selected based on their experience, commitment and local support.
Subsidy Program For Value-Added Producers
The US Department of Agriculture also provides funding for the Value Added Producer Grant. The program provides agricultural producers with funding to develop business plans or create marketing opportunities.
Socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers, including women, are eligible to apply.
An agricultural value-added product is a commodity whose physical state has been changed, making it more marketable.
The farmer can apply for up to $300,000 for an equipment grant and up to $100,000 for a planning grant. Recipients are required to make a dollar-for-dollar contribution to the grant funds.
Grant From The Risk Management Agency
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s competitive scholarship program also offers grants for beginning female farmers. The funds can be used to develop business and marketing plans.
Farmers can be trained in creating brochures, basic web design, business card design, and selling agricultural products online. You can also hold training courses for planning special events or offer courses or workshops on your farm. These services are administered by regional risk management training centers.
Conclusion
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture also provides funding for the field program “Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering, Technology and Mathematics”. This grant finances research and advisory activities that need to benefit women and agricultural minority producers in rural areas.
Funding that is eligible for funding should lead to a training program for women, observation, mentoring or business internships being offered. State agricultural experimental stations, universities, research institutions, federal agencies and national laboratories administer this program for women farmers in rural communities.
- Grants for Beginning Female Farmers.