Your county extension office runs soil testing, pest diagnostics, produce-safety training, business planning classes, and on-farm visits — usually free or near-free, and consistently the most underused resource in agriculture.
Typical award
Free to low-cost
Deadline
Always available
Type of support
Technical assistance · Technical assistance
Who can apply
Individual producer, Beginning / underserved, Non-profit, Tribal, Other
The eligibility and application details below are general guidance for this kind of program, not text copied from the funder. The facts above — who runs it, how much, and when it closes — are hand-checked. Always confirm specifics on the official page.
Am I eligible?
Open nationwide — check for state-level ranking or set-asides
Individual farmers, ranchers, and farm businesses may apply
Non-profits, co-ops, and community organizations may apply
Tribes, tribal producers, and tribal enterprises are eligible
Beginning, veteran, and historically underserved producers are prioritized
Active SAM.gov registration and UEI number required before award
Must be in compliance with USDA/federal program rules (AGI limits, conservation compliance)
No cost to the producer in most cases — advising, not funding
How to apply
1Contact Land-grant universities in every state through the official page and describe your operation
2Schedule an intake call or farm visit
3Agree on a scope of work — what questions you need answered
4Work through the recommendations and follow up as your season changes
What you'll need
Farm or business name, address, and tax ID / EIN
Short description of your operation and acreage
The specific question or bottleneck you want help with
Any existing records, maps, or plans that give context
Timeline & contact
Usually days to a few weeks from first contact to real help
Get help: Land-grant universities in every state — your local USDA Service Center or state office can walk you through it
Ready to apply?
Applications go through Land-grant universities in every state, not through this site. Open the official page below for eligibility rules, forms, and contacts. For federal programs it's worth calling your local USDA Service Center or Cooperative Extension office first — they help with paperwork for free and know what your county actually funds.
National Center for Appropriate Technology (USDA-funded)
Always available
Free one-on-one help from ag specialists plus hundreds of practical publications on organic production, season extension, small-scale marketing, and enterprise budgets. Call or email a specialist directly.
Open nationwide — check for state-level ranking or set-asides
Individual farmers, ranchers, and farm businesses may apply
Free mentoring and business-plan review from retired executives and campus-based advisors. Useful for pricing, bookkeeping, and the loan packaging that trips up most first grant and loan applications.
Open nationwide — check for state-level ranking or set-asides
Individual farmers, ranchers, and farm businesses may apply