2022 Farm Viability Grant to advance Farming and Agriculture in Connecticut

The Farm Viability Grant provides matching funds to Connecticut municipalities, groups of municipalities, regional councils of governments, and/or agricultural non-profit organizations for projects that directly impact and/or foster agricultural viability.

Donor Name: Connecticut Department of Agriculture

State: Connecticut

County: All Counties

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 02/14/2022

Size of the Grant: $49,999

Grant Duration: 18 Months

Details:

All projects funded by the Farm Viability Grant must advance farming and agriculture as defined by Connecticut General Statutes Section 1-1(q).

Funding for the Farm Viability Grant is provided through the State of Connecticut Agricultural Viability Grant Program, established in 2005 through Public Act 05-228, An Act Concerning Farmland Preservation, Land Protection, Affordable Housing, and Historic Preservation.

The Farm Viability Grant Program and any awards are subject to limitations of state funding. The amount awarded to any applicant through the Farm Viability Grant shall not exceed $49,999.

2022 Questions of Focus

Four Questions of Focus are proposed below. Each Question of Focus addresses a specific problem, interest, or need of the agricultural industry. Eligible applicants applying must describe how their project answers and responds to one of these Questions of Focus. DoAg reserves the right to alter the Question of Focus selected by the applicant. This approach enables the agency to better serve the industry by supporting and funding viable solutions, outcomes, or responsive programming for the betterment of CT agriculture.

Project Duration

Projects must be completed within 18 months of contract execution. Contract and project extensions are not allowed. Please anticipate a project start date of May 2022.

Eligible Applicants

The following entities are eligible to apply for all Farm Viability Grants:

  • Municipalities with a current Plan of Conservation and Development.
  • Regional councils of governments organized under the provisions of sections 4-124i to 4-124p, inclusive.
  • Groups of municipalities that have established a regional inter-local agreement pursuant to sections 7-339a to 7-339l, inclusive.
  • Agricultural non-profit organizations.

To qualify for the Farm Viability Grant as a non-profit, the non-profit must be registered with the Connecticut Secretary of State and provide a copy of the federal IRS exemption letter. Non-profits must have submitted Form 990 and been in existence for the previous three years. If non-profits or municipalities are applying for a project relating to a farmers’ market, the market needs to be a certified CT Grown farmers’ market.

Prior grantees may reapply for a Farm Viability Grant. However, open awards, past awards, and corresponding project completion and outcomes will be taken into consideration. Applicants who have an open agreement and a project in progress are ineligible to apply.

For more information, visit Farm Viability Grant.