Grant programs for ... ?

[SkizzlePig]

Does anyone have any experience in receiving grants for their homestead? I saw a company that does grant writing and they indicate that they will find the right program and make the application. Of course, they take a chunk of the money, but I'm okay with that. I've had a bit of experience in grants and I know that grants are given mostly to those who know how to "play the game" and say just the right thing. For the layperson, grant writing can largely turn into endless forms ending in a lot of postage expense with no return.

At any rate, has anyone received any grants for their homestead?

Much thanks!

[MaineFarmMom]

I received a grant from Soil & Water Conservation when we first started farming. We farm in a "high value" watershed. It helped with fencing in the woods by allowing us to expand the acreage we were planning to fence in. We could keep the livestock away from the stream to avoid soil erosion and water pollution. It covered a manure storage bin and natural stream development too. The grant paid 75% of our costs after the work was finished and approved.

We got a lot of help from the people who work at S&WC. They helped us with everything we needed, showed up during the work if we needed to be sure we were doing things right, and offered suggestions and direction when we didn't know we were making mistakes. They've been very helpful outside the grant, too. DH is now chairman of the board in our county and serves on the executive committee for the state.

I wouldn't pay someone to find grants for you. Call around and ask what's out there. The cooperative extension might know where to get you started. Ask everyone you talk to who else you need to talk to. Good luck! Without our grant in the beginning we wouldn't have been sustainable (profitable, self supporting, etc) as quickly as we were.

[Shadow]

Over the years we have had various programs offered where various agencys would pay part or all of some improvement.
First after a storm took out every tree on 60 acres they would pay 65 percent of replanting the trees. Good got the trees planted andthen seems we would have to spray the whole 60 acres with herbacides that killls everthing but the new planted trees. Yeah and we get our water from a spring and do organic gardening. No thanks, well we don't pay the 65 percent then. They were told to leave we did not want the money.
Then approched to do a strip of trees all along the creek for a barrier to prevent runoff from the creek. Plan was to kill off all the trees already there and replant trees in the same area, spraying the undergrowth for so many years all along the creek. For this they would pay for the trees and pay us so much a year for each acre.for ten years. I asked why not just leave the trees there that were there (more trees than they wanted to plant) and not have to spray herbicides all along the creek. No that was not the plan, I showed them the way back up our road and told them I did not want anymore of their help or money.
You will find that any one who offers you free money the cost will be way too high in interference from people who really don't know what they are asking in return. Free money cost way too much.

[saramark]

Aren't grants just another form of welfare? Someone gives you money for free and then you are indebted to them. I am going to start with what little money I have and be happy with how God chooses to bless it. Why should I ask other taxpayers to fund my business? No wonder taxes are so high and people are so dependent on the gov't to keep them afloat. I would save money and do it myself or maybe take out a loan, but not let someone pay my way when I can do it myself.

Just my 2 cents worth.

mark

[donsgal]

Originally Posted by Unlikely Farmer

Does anyone have any experience in receiving grants for their homestead? I saw a company that does grant writing and they indicate that they will find the right program and make the application. Of course, they take a chunk of the money, but I'm okay with that. I've had a bit of experience in grants and I know that grants are given mostly to those who know how to "play the game" and say just the right thing. For the layperson, grant writing can largely turn into endless forms ending in a lot of postage expense with no return.

At any rate, has anyone received any grants for their homestead?

Much thanks!

I have researched the whole grant thing and it seems to me that you are going to be investing just as much time in providing the information as you would to simply write up the grant yourself and submit it. Whichever grant you are wanting (and there are many through the Dept of Agriculture, Dept Conservation, Forest service, etc., the list goes on and on), find out who was given the grant last year (most of the websites will list the recipients). What I have done in the past is email (or write) previous years recipients asking them for help. Most of the time they are more than happy to do anything they can to help you. Some will even send you a copy of the paperwork they submitted.

I think anything the professional company can do, you can certainly do yourself. All of the guidelines are set out in the application, they don't know any magic formula.

donsgal

[Country Gent]

It is hard to obtain any grant unless you are an institution of higher learning or Non -Profit. There are very many out there no doubt about that, and some even go unused for lack of canidates.If it is start-up monies you are hoping to recieve many small buis. programs are out there, in general you have to either promote some sort of new trend(energy,bio-mass,grainfuels) , educate , or provide for the common good before many grants are realistic.At various times some colleges will write them for you.Possible a film crew would like to make a short film about homesteading,that would allow for one.C.G.