About
Eligible projects include one or more of the following:
- Education or workforce development seminars or field trips
- Agricultural safety training programs
- Capital projects or equipment purchases
Eligibility
- Agriculture and youth organizations
- Any organization composed mainly of youth, or an organization with programs that benefit youth, and organized to promote development in the areas of agriculture, community leadership, vocational training and peer fellowship. The term includes a school district.
Funding opportunities
$500,000 is available for grants for two different grant types that can be awarded under the program:
- Direct, non-matching reimbursement grants of up to $7,500 to defray costs of an eligible project, other than a capital project.
- Matching reimbursement grants of up to $25,000 to defray the costs of an eligible capital project or equipment purchase, where the grant covers no more than 50% of the project cost.
Application process
An application for a grant under the Program must include:
- The applicant's name, business address, and contact information.
- A brief explanation of how the applicant is involved in agriculture and youth work.
- A choice between a direct grant or a matching grant, as detailed in section 5.
- Details of the project or equipment purchase seeking grant funding.
The Ag and Youth Advisory Board will review complete and eligible applications. The Department will then decide whether to approve or reject an application based on the Board's recommendation.
Applications must be submitted through the Single Application for Assistance online application system until Friday, October 2, 2026 at 5 p.m.. Applications received outside of that application window will not be considered or reviewed.
For more details, click here.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Ag and Youth Grants support projects that create and sustain agriculture education and workforce development programs for youth. Past grants and projects can be found on the right column of this page.
Eligible applicants are organizations composed mainly of youth or an organization with programs that benefit youth and whose organization is organized to promote development in the areas of agriculture, community leadership, vocational training and peer fellowship.
This includes school districts.
Under the ag and youth grant program, “youth” is considered any individual 24 years of age or younger.
Direct grants and matching grants.
Direct grants include award amounts up to $7,500 for Eligible projects, including Capital projects, and do not require a match of funds. Matching grants include award amounts up to $25,000 for Capital projects only, and require the grantee to match the grant in an amount equal to the grant award, which cannot exceed more than 50% of the Capital project cost.
Eligible projects can include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following activities:
- Creation or support of an educational or workforce development program, project, or experience;
- Educational field trips and seminars;
- Career exploration activities;
- Capital projects; and
- Equipment purchases.
A capital project is an activity to acquire, develop, improve or maintain a Capital asset.
Capital assets are tangible assets with a useful life longer than a year and is not intended for sale in the regular course of operations. Capital assets are generally buildings and building components, laboratories, machinery or equipment.
Eligible costs may include, but are not limited to:
- Costs related to field trips, seminars, and other events and experiences that relate to Agriculture education or workforce development;
- Supply purchases;
- Equipment purchases (examples include, but are not limited to: laboratory equipment or components thereof, agricultural equipment or components thereof, greenhouse structures or components thereof, watering systems or components thereof, gardening supplies);
- Costs related to facility or building improvement; and
- Capital asset costs.
Ineligible costs include but are not limited to the following:
- Staffing, wages or other personnel costs incurred by the grant recipient;
- Stipends and sub awards;
- Costs not included in the Eligible project; and
- Costs not included in the application’s Work Plan and Budget.
The Ag and Youth grants are reimbursement grants. Grantees must complete purchases and submit invoices for the work completed in order to receive reimbursement.