The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is accepting proposals for the Conservation Easements, Agricultural Development Projects, and Agricultural Plans.
Donor Name: North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
State: North Carolina
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 12/18/2023
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
Mission
To fund projects to encourage the preservation of qualifying agricultural, horticultural, and forestlands to foster the growth, development, and sustainability of family farms.
Funding Purposes
- To secure agricultural conservation easements on agricultural, horticultural, and forestlands for the active production of food, fiber, and other agricultural products.
- Conservation easement applications include four options for funding:
- Donated conservation easements. These applications are not eligible for conservation easement purchase grant funds as the landowner is providing an in-kind contribution of easement value.
- Appraised conservation easements. If awarded grant funds, these applications require an appraisal of the proposed conservation easement in accordance with rules of the funding sources.
- Present-Use Value conservation easements. If awarded grant funds, these applications do not require an appraisal of the proposed conservation easement. The conservation easement purchase grants funds are based on a calculation of the property tax value.
- Additional funds for easement purchase on existing conservation easement grant contracts.
- Donated and Appraised conservation easements include the following options:
- Perpetual
- 50-year term
- 40-year term
- 30-year term
- Present-Use Value conservation easements include the following options:
- Perpetual
- 50-year term
- Conservation easement applications include four options for funding:
- To support public and public-private enterprise programs that will promote profitable and sustainable agricultural, horticultural, and forestlands through assistance to farmers. These 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
- To support the preservation of agriculture/military-designated uses through conservation easements.
- To support county-level agricultural plans that promote farmland preservation and the agricultural economy. These include:
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- Voluntary Agricultural Districts
- Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural Districts
- Farmland Protection Plans
- Cost of Community Services Studies
Grant Amounts
- There is no maximum grant request for an agricultural conservation easement application.
- The maximum grant request per agricultural development project application is capped at $500,000.
- The maximum grant request per Local Agricultural Growth Zone application is capped at $2,000,000.
- The maximum grant request per Voluntary Agricultural District application is capped at $8,500.
- The maximum grant request per Farmland Protection Plan or Cost of Community Services Study application is capped at $17,000.
Eligibility Criteria
- All applicants must be non-profit conservation organizations or county agencies.
- Farmers, landowners, and others interested in applying must partner with a non-profit conservation organization or county agency to participate in an ADFP Trust Fund grant proposal.
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- To be eligible for a conservation easement through the ADFP Trust Fund’s program, the property must be privately-owned, located within the borders of the State of North Carolina, and in working lands use (agriculture, horticulture, forestry). Minimum acreage requirements must follow the present-use value guidelines: Five acres for horticulture, 10 acres for agriculture (row crops or pasture), 20 acres for forestry, or a combination of working lands use. If there are existing easements that have removed the development rights from the property, those easement areas will be ineligible for the program and do not count toward the minimum acreage requirements.
- Agricultural Plan grants are limited to requests that develop a Voluntary Agricultural District (VAD) or Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District (EVAD) program, a County Farmland Protection Plan, or a County Cost of Community Services Study.
- 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 for the production of food, fiber, and valueadded products, agritourism activities, marketing and sales of agricultural products produced on the farm, and other agriculturally related business activities.
For more information, visit NCDACS.
