Soil Health Financial Assistance Program Grants

Soil Health Financial Assistance Program Grants is sponsored by Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA). This program provides cost-share funding to purchase or retrofit equipment that supports soil-building practices. Eligible new or used equipment includes, but is not limited to, no-till drills, air seeders, and strip-tillage units.

Soil Health Financial Assistance Program Grants | Minnesota Department of Agriculture Business Dev, Loans, Grants Corporate Farm Information Food Business Development Exporting & International Trade Beginning Farmer Tax Credit Farm, Property, Real Estate Listing (MN FarmLink) Disaster & Cleanup Assistance Agriculture Chemical Response & Reimbursement Account Livestock Dealer Licensing Agricultural Best Management Practices (AgBMP) Loan VIEW ALL Grants & Funding Beginning Farmer Equipment and Infrastructure Grant Local Food Purchase Assistance Down Payment Assistance Grant Agricultural Growth, Research & Innovation (AGRI) Program Livestock Investment (AGRI) More Business Development, Loans, Grants Topics Environment, Sustainability Minnesota Ag Water Quality Certification Program Best Management Practices Minnesota Organic Conference Governor's Council on Biofuels AGRI Bioincentive Program AGRI Biofuels Infrastructure Grant Clean Water Fund Activities Minnesota Ag Water Quality Certification Program Water Monitoring Programs Agriculture in a Changing Climate More Environment, Sustainability Topics VIEW ALL Specific Pesticides Apply, Register, Store, Sell Pesticide Use & Sales Data Monitoring Pesticides in Water Regulation, Inspection & Enforcement Integrated Pest Management Apply, Register, Store, Sell Fertilizer Use & Sales Data Monitoring Nitrate in Water Anhydrous Ammonia Program Certified Testing Laboratories (soil & manure) Pesticide Container Recycling Pesticide & Fertilizer Complaints Fertilizer Tonnage Reporting & Inspection Fees Pesticide Dealer Licensing & Sales Reporting Registered Product Search Find Pesticide, Fertilizer Products Clean Water Fund Activities Clean Water Fund Activities Best Management Practices Pest Control without Pesticide BMPs More Pesticide & Fertilizer Topics Resources for New Food Businesses How to Start a Food Business Licensing Liaison Request Meat & Poultry Processing Recent Recall Notifications Food & Feed Inspection Programs Manufactured Food Inspection Program Commercial Feed & Pet Food Secure Milk Supply Program Food Ingredients/Allergens Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Feed & Pet Food Business Info VIEW ALL Insect Pests & Diseases Report a Plant, Pest or Disease Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Bacterial Canker of Tomato Biological Control of Emerald Ash Borer Nursery Certification and Plant Regulation Export Certification Program More PLANTS, INSECTS topics Pesticide Dealer Sales Reporting Learn, Apply, Renew or Train Fertilizers, Pesticides & Chemicals Food – Cottage, Retail, Wholesale Produce, Fruits, Vegetables View all Licensing & Inspections Soil Health Financial Assistance Program Grants Minnesota Department of Agriculture Business Dev, Loans, Grants Soil Health Financial Assistance Program Grants The application for the Fiscal Year 2027 Soil Health Financial Assistance Grant will open on August 3, 2026, and close on August 31, 2026.

Recipients will be announced by January 1, 2027 The Soil Health Financial Assistance Grant provides cost-share for the purchase and retrofit of soil health equipment. Adopting soil health practices often requires expensive and specific pieces of equipment, creating a need for a cost-share opportunity to offset those costs. One of the first and only programs to reimburse for equipment.

Covers purchase of new equipment, used equipment, and parts to retrofit existing equipment. Awards range from $500-$45,000 (up to 50% cost share). Individual producers, producer groups, and local government units are eligible to apply.

Eligible equipment purchases must advance soil health in Minnesota. These grants are competitive. Awarded contracts will last for 12 months.

This is a reimbursement grant. If any documentation submitted for reimbursement indicates that an invoice, sales order, purchase order, or purchase agreement of equipment, parts, or services took place prior to the effective date of the contract or the date the State obtains all required signatures, whichever is later, the purchase will be deemed ineligible for reimbursement.

The application will require the cost of the equipment, an explanation of how the equipment will be used to advance soil health on your farm, the number of acres the equipment will be used on, and other information. This is a competitive grant program. Applications are not reviewed until after the application period ends.

When you submit your application does not impact whether you receive funding or not, as long as you apply before the deadline. Late applications are not accepted. Individual producers, producer groups, and local government units (including cities, towns, counties, soil and water conservation districts, tribal nations, and joint powers boards).

A local government unit that receives a grant for equipment purchases must make those purchases available for use by the public. Prioritization points will be awarded to applicants who are beginning farmers. Prioritization points will also be awarded if an operation is actively certified or assessed and working towards certification in the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program .

Applicants who have not previously been awarded a Soil Health Financial Assistance Program grant will be prioritized. Up to $5 million is allocated for distribution through the Soil Health Financial Assistance Program in Fiscal Year 2027. Grant awards will provide up to 50% cost-share, with a minimum award of $500 and a maximum award of $45,000.

The SHFAP is funded by Minnesota’s Clean Water Fund and General Fund. Additional federal investment is leveraged by the ongoing CWF and GF support. Grant applications must be for the purchase of equipment that will be used to establish, improve, or accelerate soil health.

Equipment can be new or used. Parts and materials used to retrofit existing equipment (this does not include tools that can be used again on another project) may also be eligible. To receive funding, successful applicants must submit proof of payment for their equipment.

Examples of eligible equipment include, but are not limited to, no till drills, air seeders, agricultural drones for cover crop seeding, and more. Note that equipment purchases must not be made until after the start date of the grant contract. Note that equipment purchases from family members are not eligible for reimbursement.

What will I need for my application? Be prepared to provide a justification for how the equipment you plan to purchase will contribute to soil health on your operation. Additionally, you will need to report how many acres you plan to use the equipment on and provide a budget that includes the cost of the equipment you plan to purchase.

Additional information is required in the application; these are just some of the key aspects that could take more time to prepare. See the Request for Proposals for more detailed information about the application questions and evaluation criteria. Frequently Asked Questions Can I buy equipment from outside Minnesota?

Yes. As long as the person or entity purchasing the equipment is in Minnesota and the equipment will be used in Minnesota, it can be purchased from somewhere out of state. Are equipment shipping costs eligible?

No. Shipping and transportation costs are not eligible for reimbursement. What kinds of equipment are eligible? You can submit an application for any equipment not listed under the “ineligible expenses” section of the RFP.

Rather than MDA providing a finite list of eligible equipment, we are asking that applicants present an explanation for how the equipment they want to buy is necessary to advance soil health on their operation. What qualifies an individual or group of individuals to apply for this grant? Applicants must be owners or lessees of farmland in Minnesota.

It must be the owner or lessee of farmland involved in a given operation who applies for a grant on behalf of that operation. Local government units (including cities, towns, counties, soil and water conservation districts, Tribal nations, and joint powers boards) do not have to be owners or lessees of farmland to apply. When can I pay for the equipment?

No money can be spent on the equipment until the grant is awarded and a grant contract agreement is signed by the Commissioner of Agriculture. Is labor an eligible expense? No, labor incurred for any purpose cannot be reimbursed under this program.

If I applied for this grant in a previous year, do I need to reapply? Yes, you need to submit a new application. However, if parts of your old application are still relevant and true, please feel free to incorporate them into your new application.

Application for Soil Health Financial Assistance Grant Pesticide & Fertilizer Management Brad. JordahlRedlin@state. mn.

us Pesticide & Fertilizer Management