The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) invites Massachusetts agricultural operations to submit proposals for reimbursement grant funds to implement practices that address the agricultural sector’s vulnerability to climate change, mitigate climate change, safeguard natural resources, increase energy efficiency, promote renewable energy, improve on farm food safety, and enhance economic resiliency.
Donor Name: Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources
State: Massachusetts
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant | Reimbursement
Deadline: 06/18/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
The Climate Smart for Agriculture Program links MDAR’s water, climate, energy, and food safety, grants into one streamlined application process. The goal of the Program is to help agricultural operations adapt and build resiliency while improving sustainability and increasing productivity. By providing reimbursement directly to agricultural operations that implement eligible projects, the program will contribute to the agricultural sector’s efforts to cultivate climate resiliency, mitigate climate change, safeguard natural resources, increase energy efficiency, promote renewable energy, improve on-farm food safety, and enhance economic resiliency.
Types of Grant Programs
- ACRE- Agricultural Climate Resiliency & Efficiencies Program
- AEEP- Agricultural Environmental Enhancement Program
- ENER- Agricultural Energy Program
- AFSIP- Agricultural Food Safety Improvement Program
- ACIP- Agricultural Composting Improvement Program.
Project Areas
- Food Safety
- Environmental
- Energy.
Funding Information
- Food Safety Maximum funding per applicant is 80% of total project costs up to $50,000.
- Environmental Maximum funding per applicant is 80% of total project costs up to $50,000.
- Energy Maximum funding per applicant is 80% of total project costs, up to $50,000.
- Maximum funding for solar photovoltaics (PV) shall be $2,000/kW without battery storage; and $2,500/kW with battery storage.
Grant Period
July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026.
Eligible Projects
Projects that help the agricultural sector reduce vulnerability to climate change impacts (adaptation), reduce greenhouse gas emissions or sequester carbon (mitigation), safeguard the Commonwealth’s natural resources, and improve on-farm food safety. Proposals will be considered for projects that focus on improving soil health, enhancing water use efficiency and availability, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing carbon sequestration, improving energy efficiency, adopting clean energy technologies, and strengthening on-farm food safety.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must be an agricultural operation, that is engaged in the business of production agriculture within the Commonwealth. The property included in the proposed project must be in active agricultural use and managed by the applicant for a minimum of the previous three years prior to the application date.
For more information, visit MDAR.
