By Tiffany Williams –
AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry announced two funding opportunities now open to Maine farmers, making hundreds of thousands of dollars available to support soil health improvements and specialty crop production.
Together, the grant programs are aimed at helping farms strengthen operations, adopt best practices and enhance long-term sustainability at a time when producers continue to face rising costs and operational pressures.
Approximately $500,000 is available through the Maine Healthy Soils Program’s Soil Health Implementation Grant, with funding appropriated by the Maine Legislature. Individual awards of up to $65,000 are intended to help farmers overcome barriers to improving soil health and integrating best practices into daily management.
Funds may be used for projects including equipment upgrades, improved management practices and increased labor access. The focus on implementation signals an emphasis on putting soil health strategies into action rather than limiting funding to planning or assessment alone.
The application deadline for the Soil Health Implementation Grant is Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. (noon).
A virtual Information Session is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. Registration details are available on the program website. All written questions must be submitted online by 12:00 p.m. (noon) on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Written summaries of the Information Session and responses to submitted questions will be posted on the program website by 12:00 p.m. (noon) on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. Only responses issued in writing on the website will be considered binding.
Eligibility requirements include owning and/or operating a farm located in Maine, producing agricultural products with a gross annual value of at least $2,000 intended for sale or to support community food access, and access to at least one acre of farmable land. Applicants must be enrolled in the Maine Healthy Soils Program email updates, commit to soil health testing and management planning if awarded funds, and must not have received a Soil Health Implementation Grant within the last three funding cycles.
Application materials, including the Request for Applications, workbook and budget template, are available on the Maine Healthy Soils Program webpage.
In a separate but related effort to strengthen farm competitiveness, DACF also announced the opening of the Maine Specialty Crop Minor Equipment Grant. The program is designed to help commercial farms enhance the competitiveness of specialty crop production through targeted equipment purchases.
DACF anticipates awarding up to $290,000 through this grant opportunity. Individual awards will range from $2,000 to $10,000. By focusing on smaller-scale capital investments, the program targets equipment needs that may be too costly for farms to absorb outright but too modest to qualify for larger infrastructure grants.
The application deadline for the Specialty Crop Minor Equipment Grant is Friday, April 3, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Three online Information Sessions will be held via Zoom on February 17, 2026, at 9:00 a.m., March 5, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., and March 20, 2026, at 2 p.m.
Eligibility requirements include owning and operating a commercial farm headquartered in Maine, growing and harvesting at least one specialty crop in Maine, and not having received funding from DACF’s Agricultural Infrastructure Investment Program or the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program.
For the purposes of this grant, minor equipment is defined as tangible, nonexpendable business property with a useful life of more than one year, an acquisition cost of $2,000 or more per unit, and a cost of less than $10,000.
Applicants are encouraged to review the Request for Applications and related materials on the Specialty Crop Block Grant website before applying.
The two funding opportunities reflect a broader effort to reinforce farm viability by supporting both foundational soil management practices and targeted investments in specialty crop production, sectors that play a significant role in Maine’s agricultural economy.