The N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services is requesting proposals for Agricultural Development Projects.
Donor Name: North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services
State: North Carolina
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 08/29/2025
Size of the Grant: Not Available
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
Addressing this critical loss of farmland requires innovative projects that strengthen farming communities. The NC Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation (ADFP) Trust Fund advances this mission by using competitive grants to promote profitable and sustainable family farms through assistance to farmers in developing and implementing plans to produce food, fiber, and value-added products, agritourism activities, marketing and sales of agricultural products produced on the farm, and other agriculturally related business activities. The Agricultural Development Projects application process is how the ADFP Trust Fund evaluates a diverse set of farmer-focused enterprise programs, ranking them by priority in alignment with its mission.
Examples of Agricultural Development Projects include:
- Marketing plans and marketing studies
- Livestock facilities
- Farmers markets
- Shared-use equipment and low-cost rentals
- Slaughter and meat-processing facilities
- Processing and value-added facilities
- Vocational-agricultural education and outreach
- Farm-to-table, local foods, and agritourism initiatives
- Training and certification programs for farmers
- Pilot programs for farmland preservation, cost-effective on-farm practices, new products or markets, or improved yield and productivity
- Agricultural economic development studies and programs
- On-farm and value-added studies to increase yields, profitability, or sustainability
- Alternative fuels and sustainable energy for farming practices
- Climate-resilient farming practices, pilot programs, and demonstrations.
Eligibility Criteria
- All applicants must be nonprofit conservation organizations or county governments.
- Farmers, landowners, and others interested in applying must partner with a nonprofit conservation organization or county government to participate in an ADFP Trust Fund grant proposal.
- Agricultural Development Projects are limited to public or public-private enterprise programs that will promote profitable and sustainable family farms through assistance to farmers in developing and implementing plans to produce food, fiber, and value-added products, agritourism activities, marketing and sales of agricultural products produced on the farm, and other agriculturally related business activities. No grants that will provide an individual benefit will be allowed.
- Each organization or agency may submit an unlimited number of proposals per funding cycle, regardless of category (perpetual easements, term easements, agricultural development projects, agricultural plans, agricultural growth zones, additional easement purchase funds).
- Contract awards are based on funding availability.
- If total grant requests exceed the funding allocation for the grant cycle, the ADFP Trust Fund will fund a maximum of four (4) applications per category (perpetual easements, term easements, agricultural development projects, agricultural plans, agricultural growth zones, additional easement purchase funds) per applicant.
- Applications for donated easement proposals requesting only transaction cost assistance are not considered in this contract limit.
- If the funding allocation for the grant cycle is greater than the total grant requests, the contract maximum per applicant is waived for the grant cycle.
- Current grantees are subject to the Grantee Risk Assessment Guide. High-risk grantees will have the review of proposed grant requests discontinued, and no grant contract may be offered.
For more information, visit NCDACS.
