Michigan Rural Infrastructure Grants

Michigan Rural Infrastructure Grants is sponsored by Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development. Rural communities and land-based industry partners in Michigan can seek funding to expand and sustain agriculture, forestry, mining, oil and gas, tourism, and related infrastructure.

Agriculture and Rural Development Contact Us / File a Complaint Go to Contact Us / File a Complaint Want to know how to contact the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development? On this page you will find phone numbers, email addresses, snail mail addresses, and online contact forms for everything we do here at MDARD. We even have a complaint form for those of you with complaints.

Go to Laws and Regulations Laws and Regulations pertaining to and governing the actions and policies of the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development. Michigan Craft Beverage Council Programs under the Private Forestlands Initiative, including the Forestry Assistance Program, Qualified Forester Registration, and Qualified Forest Program.

Retail Motor Fuel Outlet Licensing Find a Registered Serviceperson Serviceperson Examination Schedule Go to Migrant Labor Housing Good migrant labor housing is an essential element in securing an adequate supply of seasonal agricultural workers.

Agricultural Bulk Storage Go to Agricultural Bulk Storage Each new, existing, and proposed commercial pesticide or fertilizer bulk storage facility is required to register annually with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

| Animal Welfare Fund Grants | Animal Industry | Shelters | The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development offers this grant opportunity to animal shelters for programs that increase sterilization rates among dogs and cats prior to adoption, provide anti-cruelty training for animal law enforcement agencies, offer proper animal care programs, and assist shelters with the unreimbursed costs of care for animals involved in law violations.

| | County Fair Water Improvement Grant | Executive Office | Any county, city, township, village or public body. | The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development offers this grant opportunity to support county fairs across the state. This program assists with improvements to water systems, emphasizing projects that reduce the impact of emerging contaminants on county fairgrounds throughout Michigan.

| | County Fairs Capital Improvement Grants | Executive Office | Any county, city, township, villager or public body | The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development offers this grant opportunity to county fairs. This program will assist in the promotion of building improvements or other capital improvements on county fairgrounds within the state.

| | Equine Grant Program | Agricultural Development | Horse owner and breeder organizations, organizations that host and/or promote harness racing | This grant program provides funding for the promotion and marketing of horse racing, equine related research, equine related support and aftercare, and other equine related or horse racing programs.

| | Farm Innovation Grants | Agricultural Development | Universities, colleges, community colleges, tech centers, technology incubators, and research centers in Michigan | The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development offers the Farm Innovation Program to in-state educational and research centers to develop and support innovative solutions to real, immediate, and future farm problems facing Michigan’s food and agricultural industry.

| | Food and Agriculture Investment Fund Grants | Agricultural Development | Food and agriculture business in Michigan | The Food and Agriculture Investment Program provides financial support for food and agriculture projects that help expand food and agriculture processing to enable growth in the industry and Michigan's economy.

| | Food Hubs and Farm Stops | Food & Dairy | Michigan governmental and non-profit organizations and entities | MDARD supports the expansion of current service delivery, new service delivery, equipment, market access plans, distribution, and/or additional processing capacity expansion plans for current food hubs and farm stops.

| | Food Safety Education Fund Grants | Food & Dairy | Michigan based farm stops | The Food Safety Education grant program provides training and education to consumers on food safety; and training and education to food service establishment employees and agents of the director who enforce Michigan's food regulations.

| | Horticulture Fund Grant | Pesticide & Plant Pest Management | Professors, researchers, extension agents | The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development offers this grant opportunity to provide for research projects, to develop and improve training programs, and to develop outreach materials for the purposes of safeguarding plants and plant products from unwanted plant pests.

| | Last Food Mile Grant | Executive Office | Michigan-based farm businesses and Michigan-based food businesses/organizations that work directly with Michigan-based farmers.

| The Last Food Mile Grant a one-time funding opportunity offered by Farm to Family, an innovative program of the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD) that offers grants, networking opportunities, and marketing consultations for farmers, food businesses, and others in local food supply chains.

Funding will help producers deliver locally grown foods to Michigan institutions, markets and consumers by developing transportation and distribution infrastructure across Michigan.

| | Livestock and Commodity Exposition Competitive Grants | Executive Office | County fairs, regional fairs, local fairs, festivals or livestock and commodity expositions | The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development offers this grant opportunity to associations or other organized events hosting fairs or expositions showing livestock and commodities.

| | Michigan Craft Beverage Council Research Grants | Agricultural Development | Universities, colleges, community colleges, non-profit organizations, trade organizations, for-profit organizations | The Michigan Craft Beverage Council is a 10-member, governor-appointed board that is advisory to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The Council represents a unified craft beverage industry and coordinates research, promotion, and agricultural business development efforts. The council offers a research grant and an education grant.

| | NextGen Crop Insurance Pilot | Conservation and Stewardship | Farmers | The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is investing in the NextGen Crop Insurance pilot, an initiative designed to give farmers greater choice and flexibility in their crop insurance coverage when the implement regenerative practices that improve soil health.

| | Regenerative Agriculture Education and Outreach Grant | Conservation and Stewardship | Conservation Districts | The Regenerative Agriculture Education and Outreach Grants help accelerate the adoption of regenerative agricultural practices throughout Michigan by expanding and enhancing education and outreach events that promote regenerative agriculture and farmer-to-farmer networks.

| | Regenerative Farmer Network Grants | Conservation and Stewardship | Farm Owners | The Regenerative Farmer Network Grant Program seeks to develop farmer networks committed to implementing regenerative agriculture practices. This program empowers farmers to take the lead in implementing regenerative agriculture while networking with other farmers to collectively increase regenerative practice knowledge and adoption in Michigan.

| | Regenerative Value Chains Grant | Executive Office | Michigan-based farm businesses that can describe how they apply regenerative principles to their operation.

| The Regenerative Value Chains Grant is a one-time funding opportunity offered by Farm to Family, an innovative program of the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD) that offers grants, networking opportunities, and marketing consultations for farmers, food businesses, and others in local food supply chains.

Funding will expand market opportunities for farmers that use regenerative practices by funding the purchase of on-farm point-of-sale equipment, marketing materials, light processing equipment, and wash/pack infrastructure.

| | Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Grants | Agricultural Development | Agricultural producers or processors, Nonprofit organizations, Local government entities, Tribal governments, and Institutions such as schools, universities, or hospitals | The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) has a new grant program, Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program, to build resilience in the middle of the food supply chain, to support expanded capacity for the aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, and distribution of locally and regionally produced food products, including specialty crops, dairy, grains for human consumption, aquaculture, and other food products.

| | Rural Development Fund Grants | Agricultural Development | Individuals, organizations, businesses, local units of government, federally recognized tribes, and educational institutions in the eligible counties in Michigan | The MDARD Agriculture Development Division provides grant opportunities to promote the sustainability of land-based industries and support infrastructure that benefits rural communities.

| | Specialty Crop Block Grants | Agricultural Development | Non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, local, state, and federal government entities, including tribal governments | The MDARD Agriculture Development Division facilitates the grant funds to projects to enhance the competitiveness of Michigan specialty crops, which include fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture).

| | Study of PFAS in Michigan Agricultural Systems | Office of Agricultural Science and Research | Researchers at an institution of higher learning based in Michigan | This program offers individual awards of up to $400,000 for projects focused on the study of: PFAS sources and soil dynamics, PFAS uptake, storage and availability in crops, PFAS uptake, storage and availability in livestock and mitigating and remediating PFAS contamination on agricultural lands.

| | Underserved, Value-Added, Regional Food Systems, and Supply Chain Grants | Agricultural Development | Food and agriculture businesses, farmers, food hubs, and food access organizations | The MDARD Agriculture Development Division administers these grants to establish, retain, expand, attract or develop value added agricultural processing in Michigan, or that expand or develop regional food systems or access the healthy food.

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