National Young Farmers Coalition: 2026 Next Generation Farmer Fund

"We are very excited to announce the Next Generation Farmer Fund! A new grant program that will provide $10K-$50K grants and technical assistance to young, regenerative farmers and ranchers across the country.

This will be our largest grant program yet: a $1 million+ initiative supporting farmers and ranchers under 40 who are stewarding land through sustainable farming practices. Applications will open in October 2026, with recipients announced in early 2027. Eligible practices will include carbon sequestration and soil health efforts, water quality improvements, biodiversity, supply chain resilience initiatives, and other efforts. The Next Generation Farmer Fund is made possible through major gifts from Whole Foods Market and other corporate partners, as well as generous individual donations.

In our last national survey, 86% of young farmers identify their practices as regenerative and 41% named access to capital to grow their businesses as very or extremely challenging, with this challenge even greater for farmers of color: 59% of Black farmers and 54% of all BIPOC farmers named access to capital as a top challenge. Our hope is that this grant program, a big jump from our past grants of $5K, will allow more farmers the access to capital they need for their businesses to thrive.

If you haven't yet, sign up for our newsletter at https://confirmsubscription.com/h/j/6F6A65945D5CAAC2 to be notified when applications open." - National Young Farmers Coalition