Three Federal Agencies Commit $1 Billion to Farm Modernization
March 23, 2026 · 2 min read
Jared Klein
Three federal agencies have announced a combined $1 billion-plus investment in farm modernization and food supply security, anchored by USDA's $700 million Regenerative Pilot Program and supplemented by new EPA and HHS initiatives targeting pesticide reduction and chemical safety research.
$700 Million for Regenerative Agriculture Through USDA
The largest piece is USDA's Regenerative Pilot Program, which dedicates $400 million through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and $300 million through the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). The program introduces a whole-farm planning approach that bundles multiple regenerative practices — soil health, water conservation, and biodiversity — into a single application, streamlining what was previously a fragmented process across separate NRCS programs.
Both beginning and advanced producers are eligible. Farmers apply through their local NRCS Service Center, with state-level ranking dates determining FY 2026 funding cycles. The program measures outcomes rather than prescribing specific practices, giving producers flexibility to design regenerative strategies that fit their operations.
EPA's $30 Million Pesticide Alternatives Challenge
EPA is investing $30 million in a grand prize challenge to develop cost-effective alternatives to pre-harvest pesticide desiccation — the practice of spraying crops with herbicides before harvest to dry them uniformly. The challenge targets innovations that reduce chemical exposure in the food supply while giving farmers practical replacement tools.
Separately, EPA, USDA, and the National Institutes of Health are developing a joint research framework to assess cumulative chemical exposure across the food supply, using new methodologies to evaluate health risks from multiple chemical classes simultaneously.
How Farmers and AgTech Innovators Can Participate
The USDA regenerative programs accept rolling applications through local NRCS offices — contact your nearest Service Center for state-specific deadlines. Agricultural researchers should also watch for USDA's $140 million Strengthening Agricultural Systems program through NIFA, which funds new crop applications, pest solutions, and diet-related disease research. More coverage on agricultural funding is available at grantedai.com.