Grants open to help new farms

Applications are now being accepted for a new grant program to support Minnesotans purchasing their first farms. The Down Payment Assistance Grant program is managed by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and offers dollar-for-dollar matching up to $15,000 for qualified small-farmers to purchase farmland.

The MDA’s Rural Finance Authority (RFA) is awarding this funding in a first come, first served application process that opened Jan. 4. The Minnesota Legislature appropriated $500,000 in Fiscal Year 2023 for these grants. Farmers must be Minnesota residents who will earn less than $250,000 annually in gross agricultural sales and plan on providing the majority of the day-to-day physical labor on the farm for at least five years. Applicants must not have previous direct or indirect farmland ownership.

The application and more information on the Down Payment Assistance Grant can be found at https://www.mda.state.mn.us/down-payment-assistance-grant-program.