The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is now accepting applications for its 2026 Urban Farm Conservation Mini-Grant.
Donor Name: Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA)
State: Minnesota
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 12/18/2025
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
The intent of this grant program is to support commercial urban farmers to pay for equipment, materials, and services they may need to manage their farm’s soil, water, and plant and animal life with conservation in mind. Learn more about conservation basics for farmers and landowners from the funder of this grant, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS).
Through this grant, urban farmers will be able to pay for conservation-related efforts including but not limited to:
- Soil improvement
- Soil testing including for nutrients, biology, and contaminants
- Urban farm composting facilities
- Multi-species cover cropping
- Specialty crop rotations
- Reduced tillage practices
- Raised bed systems including soil and compost
- Water management
- Micro irrigation systems
- Mulching with natural materials
- Rain barrels and rainwater management
- Plant and animal health
- Pollinator mixes for plant cover
- Perennial vegetation including field borders
- Conservation-minded weed treatment
- Low tunnel systems
- Urban forestry.
Funding Information
- Applicants may request up to $5,000. The minimum request allowed is $500.
- MDA expects to award $100,000 using a competitive review process.
Grant Period
Grant contract agreements are anticipated to be for one year, with an expected start date of February 2026 and an expiration date of January 2027.
Eligibility Criteria
- Entities that 1) grow or raise farm products in an urban setting, and 2) sell those farm products, are eligible. This includes but is not limited to:
- For-profit businesses
- Nonprofit organizations
- Native American tribal communities
- Local government entities
- Schools and universities
- Applicants must be:
- A commercial farm, meaning they sell at least $1,000 of their farm products annually.
- Based in a Minnesota location that meets one of the following criteria:
- Farming or selling farm products in a Minnesota town with a population over 5,000, or
- Farming within the boundaries of federally recognized tribal land and serving tribal community members, regardless of population size.
- Able to provide proof of earning less than $300,000 in agricultural sales per year for the past three calendar years (2022-2024).
- In good standing with the State of Minnesota.
For more information, visit MDA.
