The Soil Health Initiative supports farmers and ranchers who choose to improve soil health and promote a local, sustainable, and resilient food system.
Donor Name: Boulder County
State: Colorado
County: Boulder County (CO)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/09/2026
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
The Healthy Soils Initiative is a collaborative, multi-departmental grant program offered by Boulder County’s Parks and Open Space (BCPOS) Agricultural Division; and the Office of Sustainability, Climate Action, and Resilience.
The outcome of this grant program is a more climate-resilient, income-equitable, productive, and localized food system. A smaller version of the existing Sustainable Food and Agriculture Fund is still be available in 2026, focused on education, market infrastructure, processing, and frontline farm workers.
Categories
This funding opportunity is available for use in five categories of soil health based on the USDA’s NRCS principles to improve soil health:
- Increasing soil surface cover
- Increasing plant diversity
- Increasing livestock integration
- Minimizing soil and chemical disturbance
- Keeping a live root in the ground
Funding Information
- There is a total of $400,000 available through the Office of Sustainability, Climate Action, and Resilience for private land projects:
- Eligible projects must be between $40,000 and $100,000 in total budget.
Grant Period
Funds must be expended during the grant period of 12 months Boulder County will not be liable for any project costs incurred prior to the legal execution of the funding agreement, unless
mutually agreed upon in writing. Unused funds are not available for other uses.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must have been operating a farm or ranch in Boulder County for at least two years.
- Applicants may only submit one application.
Eligible practices include but are not limited to:
- No- or reduced-tillage
- Utilizing cover crops
- Rotational grazing and/or crop rotation
- Boulder County will make awards based on how well applicants incorporate USDA’s principles to improve soil health, including:
- Increasing soil surface cover
- Increasing plant diversity
- Increasing livestock integration
- Minimizing soil and chemical disturbance
- Keeping a live root in the ground.
For more information, visit Boulder County.
