The New Hampshire Conservation Districts, in partnership with the Cheshire County Conservation District, requests proposals from land trusts who seek funding to work with NH farms to conserve their land and improve the viability of their farm business.
Donor Name: Cheshire County Conservation District
State: New Hampshire
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/31/2026
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The mission of the NH Farm Future Fund is to provide funding for farm viability planning in concert with the conservation of important agricultural soils. This program will leverage the singular opportunity of putting a conservation easement on farmland to also invest in the future viability of the farm business. The goal of this fund is to ensure that farmland is conserved, productive, and available for future generations.
Funding is available to support activities in two broad categories:
- financial assistance to offset costs associated with farmland conservation projects and
- technical assistance to support farm business viability and succession planning. New this year: technical assistance to support the land trust partner in offering services/resources to farm business partner/farmland conservation projects.
Priority will be given to projects that:
- conserve important farmland soils (local, state, and prime) with permanent land protection through the acquisition of a fee interest or a permanent conservation easement,
- have a signed purchase and sales agreement on an agricultural easement or fee owned land,
- have a strong commitment from the partnering farm to engage and seek meaningful results from the technical assistance that will be provided (see section II. B. for farm partner scenarios),
- have conducted a minimum of one joint development Discovery Meeting with the land trust, farm partner, CCCD, and NH Farm Future Provider Network to identify clear goals for the technical assistance requested, and/or
- have a high imminence of threat (e.g. the farm is under financial duress, the land is highly developable, the owner has contemplated selling to a developer or been approached by developer(s), etc.).
Funding Information
There is $100,000 available in the 2026 funding cycle. Awards no greater than $25,000 will be considered.
Eligible Projects
Project Farm Partners could exist in the following scenarios:
- farmer who wishes to continue farming but needs business viability assistance,
- farmer who wishes the transfer the farm to the next generation but needs succession planning assistance, or
- farmland owned by a non-farming landowner who wishes to lease and/or sell the property to a farmer.
Eligible Criteria
Nonprofit tax exempt 501(c)(3) organizations that have land conservation as their primary function and are actively working to conserve farmland in the state of New Hampshire.
For more information, visit Cheshire County Conservation District.
