Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP)

Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) is sponsored by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) – National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The primary goal of BFRDP 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.

This is achieved through projects that provide training, education, outreach, and technical assistance.

Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) | NIFA The lifecycle of grants and cooperative agreements consists of four phases: Pre-Award, Award, Post-Award, and Close Out. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture is committed to serving its stakeholders, Congress, and the public by using new technologies to advance greater openness.

The Data Gateway enables users to find funding data, metrics, and information about research, education, and Extension projects that have received grant awards from NIFA. This website houses a large volume of supporting materials. In this section, you can search the wide range of documents, videos, and other resources.

Technical Assistance Webinar: The Equipment Grants Program (EGP) The Equipment Grants Program seeks to provide eligible institutions with the opportunity to acquire a shared-use piece of equipment/instrument that supports their research, research training, and extension goals. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture provides leadership and funding for programs that advance agriculture-related sciences.

Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) According to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service’s Ag Census data , over one-third of the United States’ 3. 4 million farmers are over the age of 65. Ensuring there will be a “new generation” of beginning farmers and ranchers – regardless of age or production choice – is essential to the continuation of agricultural production in the United States.

Beginning farmers and ranchers have unique training, education, outreach and technical assistance needs. Access to capital, land and knowledge that assists in ensuring profitability and sustainability are vital to farmers and ranchers in their first ten years of operation.

The primary goal of BFRDP 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 training, education, outreach, and technical assistance, BFRDP gives beginning farmers and ranchers the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to make informed decisions for their operations and enhance their sustainability. The term “farmer” is used in the broadest sense and may be interpreted to include agricultural farmers, ranchers, and non-industrial private forest owners and managers.

The term "beginning farmer or rancher" means a person who: Has not operated a farm or ranch; or Has operated a farm or ranch for not more than 10 years; and Meets such other criteria as the Secretary may establish. Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program 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... 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 Private for-profit organizations Exclusions and Limitations Application submission of a project effort that is a duplicate of a current beginning farmer project will not be accepted for review under this program.

Applications submitted by individuals, or by organizations that do not involve other entities in a network or partnership, are not eligible for consideration under any category applicable to the BFRDP and will be excluded from review. Please do not apply for another simplified standard grant if you were previously awarded a simplified standard BFRDP grant.

Simplified standard grants are designed for new trainers who have never received grants nor gained more than three years of experience in assisting with the development of beginning farmers and ranchers. To meet regional balance, multiple awards will not be made to the same organization, institution, or Project Director in the same calendar year.

Organizations and institutions that have received a regular Standard or Education Team grant in the FY2024 funding cycle are ineligible to apply. To avoid chances of Project Directors providing oversight on two BFRDP grants concurrently, Project Directors of active awards can apply for new BFRDP awards only when they are in their final year of project work.

It is unallowable to have a new project and at the same time have a project that has not yet been completed.

Previously Funded Projects BFRDP Education Team Projects Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) Contact FY 2026 Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program NOFO Technical Assistance Live Q&A Session In this technical assistance webinar, NIFA BFRDP program staff will moderate a live Q&A session in response to the FY 2026 Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program NOFO.

The primary goal of BFRDP, under assistance listing… USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) BFRDP Clearinghouse Competitive Grant Programs BFRDP Sample Commitment Letter Template BFRDP Grant Writing Resources Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program USDA How to Start a Farm: Beginning Farmers and Ranchers USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coordinators USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Beginning Farmer and Rancher Loans USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Outreach and Partnerships USDA Rural Development (RD) USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Publications Highlights Page last updated: May 27, 2026 Your feedback is important to us.