Business development grants available for farming industry

The PA Agricultural Business Development Center is now accepting applications for up to $15,000 in Farm Vitality Planning Grants.  

The 2026-27 state budget includes $500,000 for the PA Farm Bill grant program which supports strategic business planning to expand, diversify, or transition farms to new owners. 

“Pennsylvania farmers know how to grow crops and raise livestock, but growing a successful business takes planning,” State Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “These grants give farmers access to the expertise they need to make informed decisions about expanding their operations, diversifying income, or preparing the next generation to take the reins. When we invest in planning today, we strengthen family farms, rural communities, and Pennsylvania’s agricultural economy for decades to come.” 

The grants have funded more than $3.8 million in project planning, and financial and technical expertise to support growth opportunities for 482 Pennsylvania farms. This includes planning to help 171 owners of preserved farms protect the investment the farm family and the public have made to protect their land for development. 

Farm Vitality Planning Grants can be combined with other PA Farm Bill funding to help plan and finance farm transitions including: 

 Beginning Farmer Tax Credit Program, which provides tax credits as an incentive to those who sell or rent agricultural assets to beginning farmers. Since the Shapiro Administration began, 88 farm owners have received Beginning Farmer Tax Credits, saving collectively more than $1.7 million on their taxes and helping them pass the torch to the next generation to take up farming. 

Beginning Farmer Realty Transfer Tax Exemptions through which the Administration has certified 82 beginning farmers purchasing preserved farms and generating $918,269 in tax savings on the sale of those farms. 

Next Generation Farmer Loan Program, which uses federal tax-exempt financing to reduce a farmer’s interest rate for capital purchases, to help young families fund farm expansions and purchases. During this Administration, 122 farmers have qualified for more than $70 million in low-interest, tax-exempt loans through the program. 

More information can be found at the Agricultural Business Development Center at agriculture.pa.gov.