Deadline: 27-Apr-23
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is soliciting applications for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) for the fiscal year (FY) 2023 funding cycle to support delivery of education, mentoring, and technical assistance for beginning farmers and ranchers in the United States and its territories that are entering, establishing, building, and managing successful farm and ranch enterprises.
Purpose
The primary goal of BFRDP, under assistance listing number 10.311, is to help beginning farmers and ranchers in the United States and its territories enter and/or improve their successes in farming, ranching, and management of nonindustrial private forest lands, through support for projects that provide education, mentoring, and technical assistance to give beginning farmers and ranchers the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to make informed decisions for their operations and enhance their sustainability.
Priorities
BFRDP grants may fund programs or services relating to these priorities:
- Basic livestock, forest management, and crop farming practices.
- Innovative farm, ranch, and private, nonindustrial forest land transfer and succession strategies.
- Entrepreneurship and business training.
- Technical assistance to help beginning farmers or ranchers acquire land from retiring farmers and ranchers.
- Financial and risk management training, including the acquisition and management of agricultural credit.
- Natural resource management and planning.
- Diversification and marketing strategies.
- Curriculum development.
- Mentoring, apprenticeships, and internships;
- Resources and referral;
- Farm financial benchmarking;
- Agricultural rehabilitation and vocational training for veteran farmers and ranchers;
- Farm safety and awareness;
- Food safety and recordkeeping, and
- Other similar subject areas of use to beginning farmers or ranchers such as: projects that address climate change with climate smart agriculture, food, and forestry solutions.
Funding Information
- The amount available for Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) grants is approximately $28,000,000 in FY 2023.
- Approximately $250,000 per year for up to three years for large standard grants; Approximately $175,000 per year for up to three years for medium standard grants; Approximately $100,000 per year for up to three years for small standard grants and $49,999 or less for a simplified standard grant application process for one year
Target Audience
The target audience for BFRDP is farmers and ranchers who have not operated a farm or ranch or have operated a farm or ranch for not more than ten years. Applicants must identify as well as define Beginning Farmer and Rancher (BFR) category of trainees to be served. There are five BFR training categories: has not operated a farm or ranch is in category 1, years 1-3 in category 2, years 4-6 in category 3, years 7-10 in category 4, planning to serve trainees in all categories listed–category 5.
Eligibility Criteria
Applications may only be submitted by a collaborative state, tribal, local, or regionally based network or partnership of qualified public and/or private entities. These collaborations may include the following entities: State Cooperative Extension Services; Federal, State, municipal or tribal agencies; community-based organizations (CBOs); nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); junior and four-year colleges or universities or foundations maintained by a college or university; and private for-profit organizations. Inclusions of beginning and/or non-beginning farmers and ranchers as part of the collaborative group is strongly encouraged.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.