youngfarmers.org
The National Young Farmers Coalition is pleased to announce the opening of the Next Generation Farmer Fund grant program. The Next Generation Farmer Fund is a joint initiative between the National Young Farmers Coalition and Whole Foods Market, and these grants are specifically designed for farmers and ranchers 40 and under who are actively adopting climate-smart and more environmentally sustainable farming practices as they tackle the most pressing challenges facing American agriculture.
According to a national survey, 86% of young farmers identify their practices as regenerative and 73% say they have experienced at least one climate impact on their farms in the past year. We know that young farmers are climate leaders, and that they need targeted financial support and technical assistance to grow their businesses.
Young Farmers is offering $10K-50K grants, including conservation technical assistance, directly to young farmers and ranchers across the country who engage in regenerative practices. Grants will support efforts to improve soil health, water quality and water conservation, biodiversity, energy efficiency, and other regenerative practices.
“There is no mandate for young farmers to lead on climate, and very little support for their leadership when they show up. Yet we continue cover cropping, restoring water, and intentionally grazing, often at our own expense. What we’re missing is the capital to make those changes on our own timeline, before the next climate disaster forces us to. Young farmers told us our previous $5,000 grants helped but didn’t go far enough. In even tougher times, these grants are up to ten times larger because young farmers doing this work for our food system’s future shouldn’t have to finance it alone,” said Michelle A.T. Hughes, Executive Director of the National Young Farmers Coalition.
Full grant application eligibility can be found here, and applications are open through December 1, 2026. Awards will be announced in February 2027.
National Young Farmers Coalition
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