Minnesota Beginning Farmer Equipment and Infrastructure Grant
Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA)
$1,000–$10,000
Equipment grants for new MN farmers
A state grant from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture that helps beginning farmers purchase agriculture-specific equipment and build farm infrastructure. Grants range from $1,000 to $10,000 and are reimbursed after purchase; requests up to $2,000 are reimbursed at 100% with no match, while requests over $2,000 are reimbursed at up to 75% of cost (capped at $10,000). Eligible applicants are individuals who started farming within the last 10 years, are the principal operator, farm within Minnesota, and sold between $1,000 and $500,000 of farm products in 2024 or 2025. For FY2026/2027 the program had roughly $700,000 available, expecting 70–95 grants. The application deadline was 4:00 p.m. CT on March 26, 2026.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- State
- Amount range
- $1,000 – $10,000
- Realistic amount
- Spreading ~$700,000 across an expected 70–95 grants implies a typical award in the ~$7,000–$…
- Deadline
- Annual cycle — the application deadline was 4:00 p.m. CT on March 26, 2026.
- Status
- active
- States
- Minnesota
- Payment model
- reimbursement
Who qualifies
- Individual (no nonprofits or organizations)
- Started farming within the last 10 years
- Is the principal operator (primarily responsible for day-to-day operations) with some farming experience/knowledge
- Farms within the borders of the State of Minnesota
- Sold at least $1,000 but no more than $500,000 of farm products in 2024 or 2025
- At least 18 years old and in good standing with the State of Minnesota
- Previous grant recipients are ineligible
Hard requirements
- Minimum $1,000 annual revenue
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Agriculture-specific equipment to grow crops, raise livestock, or store related farm products
- Water access and irrigation
- Fencing and livestock-handling infrastructure
- Electricity, walk-in coolers, grain storage
- Production-related structures such as barns, livestock buildings, and greenhouses
Ineligible expenses
- General-purpose equipment (trucks, mowers, skid steers)
- Residential improvements
- Processing equipment
- Office supplies
How to apply
-
1
Confirm beginning-farmer eligibility
Verify you started farming within the last 10 years, are the principal operator, farm in Minnesota, are 18+, and sold $1,000–$500,000 of farm products in 2024 or 2025.
~1 hrs
-
2
Scope eligible equipment/infrastructure and budget
List the ag-specific equipment or infrastructure (e.g. irrigation, fencing, walk-in coolers, grain storage, barns/greenhouses) you need and price it; note the 100%-up-to-$2,000 vs. 75%-over-$2,000 reimbursement structure.
~3 hrs
-
3
Apply online before the deadline
Create an account on grantinterface.com and submit the application before the 4:00 p.m. CT deadline (March 26, 2026 for the current round).
~3 hrs
-
4
Purchase and request reimbursement
After the grant contract is signed, make purchases and submit for reimbursement (partial reimbursements are allowed throughout the project). Awardees have until at least June 2027 to complete purchases.
~3 hrs
If your need is small, request $2,000 or less — that tier is reimbursed at 100% with no match, whereas larger requests only get 75% cost-share, so a $2,000 ask can net more cash than a poorly-matched larger one. Because it's reimbursement-based and purchases must come after the contract is signed, line up vendor quotes now but do not buy before you have a signed contract.
Deadline & timing
One application window per year (closed March 26, 2026 for the FY2026/2027 round). Purchases must be made after the contract is signed; awardees have until at least June 2027 to complete purchases. Watch the MDA grants page for the next annual cycle.
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Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.