The National Young Farmers Coalition is partnering with Chipotle to offer $5,000 grants to 50 young farmers and ranchers to support them in building careers in agriculture.

Young Farmer Grants are designed to provide a flexible financial boost to young farmers building long term careers in agriculture. This fund can be used for anything that will further your goals as a farmer, even if that means just getting started. The goal of this fund is to provide financial assistance for any cost that currently limits your ability to start, run, or grow your operation in the way you’d like.

Grant funding may support completing a project, purchasing a new piece of equipment, covering operating costs such as seeds and compost, building new infrastructure, attending a farmer training program or conference, hiring additional farm labor, or covering personal finances that stand in the way of farm success, including but not limited to childcare, housing, or student loan payments. Funds, once awarded, may be used to match other grant opportunities.

Funding Information

• The National Young Farmers Coalition is offering $5,000 grants to 50 young farmers and ranchers.

Eligibility Criteria

• This program seeks to support “livelihood farmers and rancher” or those seeking long term careers that financially support them through agriculture. At this time thye are not able to offer funding to farmers who are not currently, or working toward making an income farming through long term careers in agriculture.
  • Applicant must be the operation owner or plan to start their own operation in 2021.
  • For non-profit farms without “owners” applicant must be the lead farmer/farm manager.
  • Farmer part-owners of cooperative or collective farms are qualified to apply. Please choose just one owner to represent the operation in the application.
• Young farmers and ranchers between 18-40 years of age as of April 1, 2021.
• Applicant must use farm practices that protect natural resources for future generations.
• Applicant must be farming or ranching in one of the 50 U.S. states, in Puerto Rico, or in the Virgin Islands.
• There are no preferences for what applicants produce on their operations or for current scale of farm.
• The Grant strongly encourages farmers of color, indigenous farmers, and farmers who are facing significant structural barriers to accessing other funding opportunities and success in agriculture to apply.
• Staff and Board members of the National Young Farmers Coalition are not eligible to apply.
• Recipients of the 2020 Young Farmer Grants are not eligible to apply.

For more information, visit Young Farmer Grant Program.