Minnesota Department of Agriculture Beginning Farmer Equipment and Infrastructure Grant is sponsored by Minnesota Department of Agriculture. This grant assists new farmers with the cost of purchasing necessary equipment and infrastructure, aiming to reduce barriers to entry in farming.

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Through this grant, beginning farmers are able to pay for: Agriculture-specific equipment needed to grow crops, raise livestock or store the related farm products Farm infrastructure investments related to water access; irrigation; fencing; electricity; walk-in coolers; livestock handling; grain storage; production-related structures such as barns, livestock buildings, and greenhouses; and other farm infrastructure.

Read the Beginning Farmer Equipment and Infrastructure Grant Request for Proposals (RFP) for program details. This program is funded by the Minnesota Legislature. For the Fiscal Year 2026/2027 program, the MDA expects to award approximately $700,000 through a competitive review process.

The maximum award is $10,000 and the minimum award is $1,000. For proposals requesting up to $2,000, no match is required, 100% of the costs can be reimbursed. For proposals requesting more than $2,000, grantees may be reimbursed up to 75% of their costs up to $10,000.

See the RFP for details. We expect to award between 70 and 95 of grants; however, the final number depends on the size of the awards and will be determined through the proposal review process. A beginning farmer, defined as a person who: farming within the last 10 years, Is a principal operator on a farm, and Has some farming experience and knowledge.

Farming within the borders of the State of Minnesota. In good standing with the State of Minnesota. Only individuals are eligible to apply.

Only one application per farm will be accepted. Individuals who received this grant previously are not eligible to apply. Public information session There was an online public information session about this program on Thursday, February 19, 2026 at 11 am CT.

Watch the recording here . During this session, the MDA will cover basic program information from the RFP including applicant eligibility, funding timeline, and how to apply. Applications are due by 4 p.

m. Central Time (CT) on Thursday, March 26, 2026 . Carefully read the full FY26/27 Beginning Farmer Equipment and Infrastructure Grant RFP (PDF) for eligibility and requirements.

(If you have trouble opening the PDF, try another browser — Edge and Chrome work well.) Apply for the Beginning Farmer Equipment and Infrastructure Grant using our online application system . If you are a new user, you need to create an account first.

Once you are logged in, select “Beginning Farmer Equipment and Infrastructure Grant. ” Contact us if you need this information in a different format. Awardees are selected through a competitive process where applications are evaluated by a review committee based on criteria described in the RFP.

Beginning Farmer Equipment and Infrastructure Grant Q&A See below for frequently asked questions as well as answers to questions submitted to the MDA. Questions from the public about this program will be posted with answers to ensure transparency and access to the same information for all potential applicants. If you have questions that are not addressed here, email them to Emily Toner at beginning.

farmer. grant. mda@state.

mn. us before 4 p. m.

CT on Thursday, March 19, 2026. Frequently asked questions (FAQs) What is the definition of "beginning farmer?" A beginning farmer is defined as someone who: Started farming within the last 10 years, AND Is a principal operator on a farm (see below), AND Has some farming experience and knowledge.

A principal operator is the person primarily responsible for the day-to-day operation of the farm, limited liability corporation (LLC), or other nongovernmental organization. The principal operator could be an owner, hired manager, cash tenant, share tenant, or partner. I run a nonprofit or other type of educational program for beginning farmers.

May I apply for this grant? Only individual beginning farmers are eligible to apply for this grant. Do I have to be the owner of a farm in order to apply for this grant?

The individual may be the owner of a farm, but this is not a requirement. May two people from the same farm or the same household apply? Only one application will be accepted per farm and per person.

In the case that two individuals share a household, but both are beginning farmers associated with different farms, then both could apply. What type of equipment and infrastructure can I pay for with this grant? Eligible expenses include: Agriculture-specific equipment needed to grow crops, raise livestock, or store the related farm products.

“Agriculture-specific” refers to equipment that is designed specifically for farm activities. This is different than general purpose equipment. A large variety of items qualify as agriculture-specific, if you want to check the eligibility of a certain type of equipment, contact the grant administrator.

Farm infrastructure investments related to water access; irrigation; fencing; electricity; walk-in coolers; livestock handling; grain storage; production-related structures such as barns, livestock buildings, and greenhouses; and other farm infrastructure.

Ineligible expenses include but are not limited to: General equipment and vehicles that are not specific to agricultural use such as: General purpose office supplies and equipment such as a computer, tablet or smart phone purchase. Improvements to residential infrastructure located on a farm. Processing and packaging equipment or infrastructure.

See the Request for Proposals for more information about eligible and ineligible expenses. When is the deadline to apply? Applications are due by 4 p.

m. on Thursday, March 26, 2026. How do I fill out the application?

Apply for this grant through the MDA's online application system . If you’re a new user, you need to create an account first. Once you’re logged in, select “Beginning Farmer Equipment and Infrastructure Grant.

” Contact us if you need this information in a different format. Before applying, read the Request for Proposals. How do I ask questions about this grant?

For questions on the grant program or application, submit them in writing before 4 p. m. CT on Tuesday, March 19, 2026, to MDA grant specialist Emily Toner at beginning.

farmer. grant. mda@state.

mn. us. I have many ideas for what I would fund with this grant on my farm.

Do certain items have a higher chance of being accepted? To consider what type of request might score higher in the grant review process, take a look at how applications will be evaluated, on page 19 of the RFP , the "Application Scoring Sheet." That table gives a breakdown of the scoring categories, so you could weigh your different ideas based on how you think they might be scored there.

Do I need to own the land where I make infrastructure improvements? No. You do not need to own the land where you do the infrastructure improvements. In fact, the grant gives preference to "limited land access" farmers.

See full definition of limited land access on page 18 in the grant's request for proposals PDF . I purchased equipment for my farm before I knew about this grant, can I apply to be reimbursed for those costs? No, the grant funds may only be used for future purchases that are agreed upon in a grant contract with the MDA, and the purchase must occur after the contract is signed by you and MDA.

If you propose a purchase or infrastructure investment in your application, do not make those investments before hearing back about the application result. Is drainage tile an eligible expense? Installing drainage tile is an infrastructure investment and, as long as the tile is laid for the purpose of agricultural production, it would be eligible.

The grant applicant would need to meet the other eligibility requirements which include being a beginning farmer based in Minnesota. Can I pay for a pickup truck with this grant? Vehicles that are general purpose, like a pickup truck, are not eligible expenses for this grant.

How do I know if a piece of equipment is "agriculture-specific?" To think through whether or not a piece of equipment is agriculture-specific, ask: could it easily be used off the farm for non-farm related tasks? That is what will be assessed by the review committee on all applications.

Does the amount of my farm product sales affect my ability to apply? Yes. Applicants must have sold at least $1,000 — and no more than $500,000 — of farm products in 2024, or 2025 if they did not begin farming until 2025.

Does submitting my application earlier than others give me an advantage? No, there are not points or preference awarded for submitting an application ahead of others. All applications submitted by the application deadline will get full consideration.

This is my 10th year in farming, am I eligible to apply? The grant program uses the language “started farming within the last 10 years” to define eligibility on this point. People who started farming in 2016 or after may apply for this grant.

If I am awarded the grant, how long do I have to make the purchases with these funds? Awardees of the FY2026/2027 program will have until at least June 2027 to make their grant purchases. Would fencing supplies to exclude wildlife from vegetable production be eligible for funding with the grant?

Does it matter if the fencing is permanent or or the portable woven wire type? Yes, fencing supplies and installment costs for agricultural crops are eligible. The fencing could be either permanent or temporary/portable.

If you are looking for technical assistance related to fencing installation and supply costs, consider contacting: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources – Wildlife Damage Management Program at 218-203-4336 I'm a beginning farmer with less than 10 years of experience and I'm joining a farm which has been in operation for more than 10 years. Do I qualify for this grant?

If you are in your first 10 years of farming and are a principal operator on a farm, then you are eligible to apply for this program. A principal operator is the person primarily responsible for the day-to-day operation of the farm, limited liability corporation (LLC), or other nongovernmental organization. The principal operator could be an owner, hired manager, cash tenant, share tenant, or partner.

May I purchase equipment from family members with this grant? No, you may not purchase from a direct family member with this grant. Direct family in this case is defined by Internal Revenue Code, section 267(c)(4) which includes, spouse, sisters and brothers including step-sister and step-brothers, parents, grandparents, children and grandchildren.

How is an incubator farm defined?

"Incubator farm" means a farm where: (1) individuals are given temporary, exclusive, and affordable access to small parcels of land, infrastructure, and often training, for the purpose of honing skills and launching a farm business; and (2) a majority of the individuals farming the small parcels of land grow industrial hemp, cannabis, or one or more of the following specialty crops as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture for purposes of the specialty crop block grant program: fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, medicinal plants, culinary herbs and spices, horticulture crops, floriculture crops, and nursery crops.

This definition was provided by the Minnesota State Legislature . In scoring an application, an applicant is given up to 10 points for meeting the definition of experiencing limited land access, which includes farming on an incubator farm. Are equipment and infrastructure related to beekeeping eligible for this grant?

Yes, as long as this is an activity related to a beginning farmer's business, and not a personal hobby. How specific does one need to be with the equipment type? If a 6 row no-till planter is desired does it need to be listed as "6 row no-till planter" or does it need to be more specific like "John Deer 7200 max emerge 6 row no-till planter"?

Six-row no till planter would be specific enough for the application. This gives flexibility to choose exact make and model after the grant is awarded. Can I pay my husband for contractor services with this grant?

It is not allowed to pay direct family members for services (or equipment purchases) with this grant. Would improving my driveway from mud to gravel to my farm shed be eligible? Yes, road improvements to the farm infrastructure, where the road connects to farm areas (not residential), would be eligible for this grant.

Would a 17-year-old person be eligible to apply? No. A person must be at least 18 years old in order to apply. Can you apply for this grant if you don’t have any reported income from your farm?

No. As part of the eligibility requirements for the 2026 round of this grant, you would need to have at least $1,000 in farm product sales in 2024 or 2025. I'm wondering if we need to purchase the desired item prior to applying for the grant or can we wait to see if we receive the grant? For this grant, you should not buy the item(s) in your grant proposal until after awarded the grant and having a signed contract with the MDA.

Only items that are purchased after a grant is offered and a grant contract is signed will be eligible for reimbursement. Can the farm product revenue include rental income, services or equipment sales? To meet the requirement of selling at least $1,000 of farm products, the products should be something you have grown or raised.

Selling agricultural services or equipment would not count towards farm product revenue. Rental income also does not count toward farm product sales. If I have been farming longer than 10 years, can I apply for this grant?

The eligibility standard for applying to this grant is that you started your farm in the last 10 years. The application question regarding this criteria asks you to select year when you first sold more than $1,000 of farm products. If the answer to that question is a year before 2016, then you would not be eligible to apply for this grant.

Could I use the grant to pay down the principal on an existing equipment loan? No. This grant must be used towards future purchases, that occur after a grant contract is assigned with the MDA. For electrical expenses, can I pay for labor and the hardware needed?

Yes, you can pay for services and materials related to your farm infrastructure project. Are projects for indoor vertical farming eligible for this grant? Yes, as long as the other eligibility criteria are met, indoor vertical farming is an eligible type of agriculture for this grant.

Can reimbursement funds be requested in stages as you work through a project? Yes, if awarded this grant, it is okay to complete your project in parts and request partial reimbursements over the life of a grant contract. FY26/27 Beginning Farmer Equipment and Infrastructure Grant RFP (PDF) 377.

6 KB How to Fill Out Your Online Application 395. 81 KB Reimbursement Guide - BFEI Grant FY25 537. 08 KB Reimbursement Worksheet - BFEI Grant FY25 12.

95 KB Beginning Farmer Equipment & Infrastructure Grant Ag Marketing & Development beginning. farmer. grant.

mda@state. mn. us