Grant application period is now open to veterans who farm in Pa.

The Pa. Veteran Farming Project Network announced Thursday that the 2024 Force Multiplier Grants program is now open. Funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, this grant program recognizes military veteran owner-operator farmers in Pennsylvania and supports them in expanding their farming operations to make them more profitable and sustainable.

Total project budgets may not exceed $10,000, a release said. The application period closes at 5 p.m. Eastern Time on April 1. Awards are anticipated to be announced in May. On-farm projects must be completed/installed by Dec. 1.

When announcing that the Pa. Veteran Farming Network would be receiving funding to administer the program in January, Pa. Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding stated: “2 percent of Americans feed us, and 2 percent of Americans protect us. The Shapiro administration is deeply grateful to those who have bravely served our country. We are proud to support these heroes by connecting them with opportunities to grow and succeed in agriculture.”

This is the second round of the grant program initiated in 2022, with funding from the Pennsylvania Legislature through the Pa. Farm Bill, unique in the nation. In that round, 11 projects ranging from livestock shelter to watering systems to poultry processing equipment were funded to improve the operations on farms owned by those who have served our nation.

It is expected that competition will be keen again in this round, so applicants are encouraged to begin preparing their proposals now and submit them before the deadline.

Project proposals that will directly improve the efficiency of farm operations, build infrastructure to stabilize and enhance operations, and/or grow farms’ customer bases are invited.

Eligible applicants are U.S. military veterans who own and operate working, for-profit farms in Pennsylvania. Applicants must reside in Pennsylvania, and the veteran must be a 50% or more owner of the farm and invest significant daily effort in farm operations.

Full application guidelines for the Force Multiplier Grants and other open opportunities for veterans and military who farm in Pennsylvania can be found at https://www.pavetfarms.org/funding.

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