About
rodale insitute farm fund
Official project title:
Advancing markets for producers through strategic funding opportunities
Led by Rodale Institute, the Rodale Institute Farm Fund works directly with farmers across the Southern United States to provide funding for regenerative agriculture, conservation planning, organic transition planning, irrigation infrastructure, market development, and other investments that support healthy soils, thriving farms, and resilient rural communities.
We will:
- Invest in regenerative farming practices.
- Support conservation and organic planning and implementation.
- Improve access to specialized equipment and infrastructure.
- Expand irrigation and water management capacity.
- Help farmers transition to organic production.
- Increase access to new and emerging markets.
- Strengthen farm profitability and resilience.
- Promote stewardship of soil, water, and natural resources.
- Provide funding opportunities that help farmers grow and innovate.
- Build a stronger future for agriculture across the South.
how the farm fund works
Eligible farmers can apply for funding opportunities that align with their goals and operation needs. Support is available for implementing regenerative practices, purchasing specialized equipment, developing conservation and organic transition plans, installing irrigation infrastructure, constructing high tunnels, and expanding market access.
Applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis, allowing farmers to access resources when they are needed most.
Dig Deeper Frequently Asked Questions
Interested in applying but not sure where to begin? Our team is here to help.
Eligibility
Yes. The farm will still need to be registered with the Farm Services Agency (FSA). In this case, it is ok to use the landowners FSA Farm, Track, and Field Ids, but you will need a letter from the landowner stating that you will be leasing the land for the lifespan of the practice you will be implementing. If the farm is registered under your name, you are good to go with your FSA documentation.
Any agricultural producer who farms in one of the eligible states
Anyone who:
▪ Establish Farm Records with the Farm Service Agency (FSA) (have
farm, tract, and field numbers in place)
▪ Complete an AD-2047 (Customer Data Worksheet to facilitate the
collection of customer data for Business Partner Record)
▪ Certify highly erodible land conservation (HEL) and wetland
conservation (WC) compliance via Form AD-1026, Highly Erodible
Land Conservation (HELC) and Wetland Conservation (WC)
Certification
▪ Certify that they are not a foreign person or entity.
Your budget should be as detailed as possible and clearly demonstrate how the grant funds will be used to support your project goals. Cost estimates should be realistic and based on expected expenses.
Yes!
We have program staff that will assist you.
Yes, but only if you are not receiving funds for the same practices in the same
fields.
o Examples:
▪ Yes:
-You receive Rodale funds for cover crops in field 1. You receive NRCS funds for ally cropping in field 1.
-You receive Rodale funds for cover crops in field 1. You receive NRCS funds for cover crops in field 2.
▪ No:
-You receive Rodale funds for cover crops in field 1. You receive NRCS funds for cover crops in field 1.
The program is open to producers in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
You cannot receive funds from the Rodale Institute Farm Fund if you are currently receiving funds from another Advancing Markets for Producers (AMP) program on the exact acreage enrolled in this project.
You can receive funds from the Rodale Institute Farm Fund as long as the acreage you are enrolling is different from the acreage you are already receiving funds from a different AMP project.
Program basics
Applications are rolling until funds are expended.
March 2028
When all grant funds have been received and used for their intended purpose, all approved activities have been fully implemented, and any required reporting have been completed and submitted.
Throughout the whole process.
funding and payments
Payments will be directly deposited into your bank account. You will have to sign up for our accounting software (RAMP) before you are able to receive any funds. This software will help us process more payments in a timely manner and reduce the time it takes for you to get your money.
No, our payment verification process is based on benchmark achievements.
These funding opportunities fall into two categories:
-Those that require a CPA 52 environmental evaluation (Regenerative Practices, High Tunnels, Wells and Irrigation Systems)
-The CPA 52s will be reviewed and signed by your state NRCS office. It is difficult to say how long this can take depending on their workload, capacity, and if they need to perform a deep review. Our estimation based off of other similar projects is anywhere from 1-4 months. Funds cannot be dispersed prior to approval of your farm’s CPA 52 by your state NRCS office.
-Those that do not require a CPA 52 environmental evaluation (Expanding Markets and Organic Transition).
-You should receive your first installment of funds shortly after your onboarding meeting with one of the AMP technical assistants.
You can apply for one opportunity at a time. However after your contract ends you can apply for another opportunity.
Yes!
Yes!
Yes. All NRCS grant funds are considered taxable income. Consult with your tax adviser if you need further information.
regenerative/stacked practices
Practices funded through the program must be verified using the Practice Verification Documentation provided by the program. Additional supporting materials, such as photos, receipts, invoices, or field records, may be required depending on the practice.
The stacked practices bonus is per acre. It requires you to be implementing 2 or more practices on the same acreage within your enrolled FSA field.
Practice Implementation Assistance
Yes. You can purchase as many specialized equipment as necessary to perform the NRCS practices under this grant opportunity.
Specialized equipment are equipment that are needed to do that NRCS practice specifically. For example: a no-till drill is need to plant a cover crop, but the tractor pulling it is not specialized because you use your tractor for many activities across your farm.
high tunnel and irrigation
No.
A professional installation is when you pay someone to install the high tunnel instead of you installing it yourself. We require this as a way of ensuring busy farmers are getting their high tunnels installed expediently; quicker grant turnovers also allow us to offer more grants to more farmers! You can either have a paid professional from the high tunnel company where you purchased your high tunnel, an installer recommended by the high tunnel company, or a general handyman do the work. We just need to see that you have a quote for the installation and a paid invoice once installation is complete.
–Soil & Water Conservation District office
–NRCS office
-County Cooperative Extension office
-Other helpful resource specific for well installation:
–Find Water Well Service Near Me – Water Well Contractor Directory – Wellowner.org
No, high tunnels must be professionally installed.
Some states require separate permitting, inspection, or reporting for well and irrigation installations. This is handled outside the CPA-52, usually by a state water agency or local groundwater district. Requirements vary by state and sometimes by district. Confirm with your state water agency before installation.
TSP and Practice planning
A Technical Service Provider (TSP) is an individual or organization certified by USDA-NRCS to provide technical assistance to farmers and ranchers. TSPs can help develop conservation plans, nutrient management plans, organic transition plans, engineering designs, and other conservation-related documents.
Applicants may choose their own qualified TSP. If you do not currently work with TSP., AMP program has a list of TSPs in the region.
Yes. Production Plan Grant funds may be used to cover the cost of hiring a qualified TSP to develop an eligible conservation, organic transition, or nutrient management plan.
The timeline varies depending on the complexity of the operation, the availability of the TSP, and the type of plan being developed. Most conservation plans can be completed within 30 to 90 days after the TSP has gathered the necessary farm information and conducted a site visit.
CPA-52 (Soil Health Management Plan) is an NRCS Conservation Planning Activity focused specifically on improving and maintaining soil health. It provides producers with a comprehensive, field-specific plan that identifies soil resource concerns and outlines management strategies to enhance soil function, productivity, and resilience.
Your TSP.
–NRCS Field Office Technical Guide
-Select your state from the dropdown box
-Click on Document Search
-Enter your practice in the Search Box
-CPS- Conservation Practice Standard
-This explains the practice and requirements
-IR – Implementation Requirements
-This worksheet acts as a checklist to ensure you complete the practice following the CPS
expanding markets funding
The Advancing Markets Grant supports a wide range of market opportunities, including direct-to-consumer sales, farmers markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, wholesale markets, food hubs, restaurants, institutions, retail outlets, value-added markets, and other market channels that help increase farm profitability and market access.
Eligible expenses may include marketing materials, branding and packaging, certification costs, food safety training, market development activities, value-added product development, processing costs, kitchen rental fees, transportation, market research, and other expenses that help expand market opportunities for agricultural products.
You can request funds needed for expanding your markets including items that are needed to get your value added items to market.
Yes. Eligible expenses may include commercial kitchen rental fees, co-packing services, processing fees, and other costs associated with preparing value-added products for market.
Yes!