Free legal guides, templates, and workshops built for small farms: leases, employment law, liability, CSA agreements, farm entity structures, and on-farm sales rules.
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
Beginning, veteran, and historically underserved producers are prioritized
No cost to the producer in most cases — advising, not funding
How to apply
1Contact Farm Commons 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: Farm Commons — contact details are on the official program page
Ready to apply?
Applications go through Farm Commons, 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.
Searchable list of every certified Community Development Financial Institution by state. Many lend to farms and food businesses with flexible underwriting when banks say no — this is the fastest way to find local ones.
Open nationwide — check for state-level ranking or set-asides
Individual farmers, ranchers, and farm businesses may apply
Free search tool
Business & legalIndividual producerNon-profitTribal
Official feed of every open federal grant. Filter by the Agriculture category and set a saved-search email alert to catch new opportunities the day they post.
Open nationwide — check for state-level ranking or set-asides
Individual farmers, ranchers, and farm businesses may apply
Free search and alerts
Business & legalIndividual producerNon-profitTribal