Grants & cost-share Opportunities
Resources for Kentuckians
While there are many financial resources available to support landowners in Eastern Kentucky, identifying them can be difficult. We have worked to create a one-stop shop for grants and cost-share opportunities available specifically to landowners in Jackson and Estill Counties, Kentucky. These include state and federal grants as well as a limited number of opportunities through private organizations. These grants support agriculture, forestry and forest stewardship, and conservation efforts like water management and wildlife habitat improvement.
Grants
| EQIP Grant https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/apply-for-environmental-quality-incentives-program-eqip | This grant by the USDA aims to provide assistance to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who own productive land and have agricultural operations of any size. The program provides 1-on-1 support for landowners to implement improvement methods that will improve the sustainability and productivity of their land. |
| Conservation District Environmental Grant by the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet https://eec.ky.gov/Natural-Resources/Conservation/Conservation%20Forms%20Library/Conservation%20District%20Environmental%20Grant%20Application_Fillable.pdf | This is a grant program that private landowners would need to work with their conservation district to obtain funding for. It helps to reduce agricultural non-point sources of pollution, addresses local environmental issues, educates local citizens, and more. The money can go towards buying trees, tire removal, and more. |
| Kentucky State University Small-Scale Farm Grant Program https://www.kysu.edu/documents/college-of-agriculture-communities-the-sciences/value-added-application-031924.pdf | The Small-Scale Farm Grant Program offers three different programs for farmers who wants to improve their agricultural operations, improve the marketability of their products, and/or increase their knowledge of agriculture/farming through educational programs. This program is for small-scale farmers as defined by the USDA and can offer funding for specific improvements. |
| Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) by the NRCS of the USDA https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2023-11/is-csp-right-for-me-11062023.pdf | This NRCS program offers technical and financial assistance to help agricultural and forest producers/landowners take their conservation efforts to the next level. Some benefits include increased crop productivity, decreased inputs, wildlife habitat improvement, and increased resilience to weather extremes. |
Cost-Share Programs
| Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program https://southern.sare.org/state-profiles/kentucky/ | This loan program is specifically designed to support farmers of all sizes, with no minimum acreage requirement, making it ideal for small farms recovering from lost tobacco sales. SARE understands the unique challenges faced by these farmers, and thier flexible financial solutions are tailored to meet producers’ specific needs. |
| Estill Conservation District Soil Quality Cost Share Program https://estill.ca.uky.edu/newsletters/estill-county-farm-scoop-july | This cost share program aims to help Estill County farmers and gardeners improve their soil health and productivity through the use of diverse cover crops. Funds are limited and are on a first come-first serve basis. Signups begin July 22, 2024 and close August 2, 2024. |
| Forest Land Enhancement Program (FLEP) https://www.timbertax.org/getstarted/costshare/programs/flep/ | This cost-share program offers non-industrial private forest landowners technical, financial, and educational assistance. FLEP helps to create sustainability for private forestlands that will last, and the cost-share may pay up to 75% of costs to implement a forest management plan that has been approved by a state forester. |
| Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program https://southern.sare.org/state-profiles/kentucky/ | This loan program is specifically designed to support farmers of all sizes, with no minimum acreage requirement, making it ideal for small farms recovering from lost tobacco sales. SARE understands the unique challenges faced by these farmers, and their flexible financial solutions are tailored to meet producers’ specific needs. |