The Farm Transition Grant Program (FTG) is a competitive matching grant program for Connecticut farmers and agricultural cooperatives to support the diversification of existing farm operations, transitioning to value-added agricultural production and sales, and other venues in which a majority of products sold are grown in the state.
Donor Name: Connecticut Department of Agriculture
State: Connecticut
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 03/08/2022
Size of the Grant: $49,999
Details:
Applicants may select the category for which they think their project qualifies. DOAG reserves the right to alter the grant category selected by the applicant. Below are summaries of each category.
- New Farmer Micro Grants” Micro grants to support new individuals/partnerships who have one full year to three years of production history and are seeking long-term careers that financially support them through farming and agriculture.
- Max award amount: $5,000
- Match requirement: 25% of the project costs
- Examples of eligible expenses: Small equipment, buildings, greenhouses/hoop houses, irrigation, other equipment purchases related to production.
- Infrastructure Investment Grant: To support farmers who have been in production for a minimum of three years with infrastructure to expand the farm’s production and operation.
- Max award amount: $20,000
- Match requirement: 50% of the project costs
- Examples of eligible expenses: New fencing, barn remodeling/expansion, equipment that will assist in diversification of farm products, expansion of product offerings including value-added processing equipment
- Research and Development Grant: A grant program for farms to conduct research to assess the viability and interest for developing a new product line, service, or market.
- Max award amount: $25,000
- Match requirement: 40% of project costs
- Examples of eligible expenses: Consultant fees, pilot equipment, other expenses related to exploratory product development including fees associated with product and recipe testing
- Innovation and Diversification Grant: A grant program for the implementation of a new product or service for market or business expansion after a research and development phase has been explored.
- Max award amount: $49,999
- Match requirement: 50% of project costs
- Examples of eligible expenses: Infrastructure, equipment, software, consultant fees
Eligibility Criteria
The following entities are eligible to apply for all Farm Transition Grant categories:
- Agricultural producers, singularly or jointly, whether such producers are owners or tenants of existing agribusiness within the State of Connecticut
- Agricultural cooperatives
- To qualify for the New Farmer Micro Grant, eligible entities must meet the following to qualify:
- Apply for or possess a Farmers’ Tax Exemption Permit through the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services
- Have a 2-5-year business plan drafted
- Complete a crop plan
- Be the operation owner and have been in production for a full year or more
- Tenants must include a written agreement between all necessary parties regarding the submitted
project
For more information, visit Farm Transition Grant (FTG).