General Ag Resources

For a listing of activities, be sure to check out the calendar tab and the Home Page and each of the Specialist Teams’ websites.

GRANTS – All of these grants are for businesses that have already started and want to develop a new idea or test an idea or do something different.These are not for farms that need money for general development.

NYS Ag and Markets Grants for New and Beginning Farms. Application deadline is usually the end of January.  More information is here.

NYSERDA – funding opportunities for energy related projects and research. Also look at Ag and Markets for partnership grant money.

NYS Farm Viability Institute Grants. Go to the website.

DEC - grants for water protection

Northeast Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program – Grower Grants Now Available !  Click Here. Farmer/Grower grants are due in Nov and Partnership grants are due in Oct. There are other grants available. Check it out!

Ag and Markets Current Funding Opportunities – Click here for various closing dates and sources.

Small and Beginning Farms USDA grants and loan program.

Small Farm Program Highlights from USDA:  Each month the USDA publishes programs and activities (including grant information) regarding Small Farms.  A report of resources and programs is published as needed.  A sample report from 2017 is attached here. and includes information on how to contact that office and get on the email list. 

Rural Development Office – Several grant and loan programs are available including – Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Grant Program.

If you are applying for Federal grants, many times you will be asked for a DUNS and/or SAM number - you will need to get this far in advance of applying for the grant money.  Information on how to do that can be found here.

If you would like help applying for any of these grants, please email Josh Bowman, 315-226-8149, cjb394@cornell.edu.

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Websites and Resources Helpful for Agriculture

Soil Testing

• About Soil Laboratory | Dairy One

• SoilWeb: An Online Soil Survey Browser | California Soil Resource Lab- Used to find information about soil in your area. 

NYS and US:

• NYS Agriculture and Markets
• 2022 Census by State - New York | 2022 Census of Agriculture | USDA/NASS
• NYS Ag Statistic
• NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
• Clean Sweep New York - Chemical disposal for farms
• US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• NY State Certified High Quality Foods Initiative - Assists farmers and food processors in branding products. Helps link consumers with growers and high-quality food products.
• Soil Survey Information Now on Line!
• National Ag Law Center
• Food Systems Policy Database at University at Buffalo
• Dairy Practices Council – Anything you would need to know regarding the rules and regulations of running a dairy farm, including processing – from the Dairy Food perspective

Cornell and Cooperative Extension:

• Cornell Cooperative Extension
• National Good Agricultural Practices Program | CALS (GAP)
• Cornell University Cooperative Extension Small Farms Program
• NY Farm to School Project
• Cornell Maple Production Program
• Organic | CALS
• NY FarmNet
• NYS IPM program
• Trac Software – IPM tracking system
• Smart Marketing – Archives articles: newsletter by Cornell faculty and staff about elements critical to successful marketing in the food and agricultural industry.
• eXtension – National pool of topics from across the US provided and sources through Cooperative Extension

Other Websites:

• New England Small Farm Institute (NESFI)
• Northeast Organic Network
• NOFA-NY

Specialty Crops:

• Juneberries
• Malting Barley
• Hard Cider Apples
• NYS Nut Growers

Other Important Resources:

• Guide To FSA Loans 
• Alternative Crop Budgets
• Do's and Don't During Tough Financial Times - Prepared for Dairy, but applicable to all

Last updated August 20, 2025