Ag Capital Connections
Connecting producers with federal, state, and private-sector support programs and taking the guesswork out of conservation agriculture
About Ag Capital Connections
Ag Capital Connections is a customized database that was created to provide a “one-stop shop” for Native American and other producers looking for information about programs that provide financial assistance for adopting new conservation agricultural practices on their farms or ranches. The database includes programs operated at the federal and state levels, as well as select private-sector initiatives. Ag Capital Connections focuses primarily on six pilot states (Arizona, Connecticut, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and South Dakota) but includes some information about programs nationally.
Programs in the database typically fall into one of four categories: federal USDA programs, programs administered through USDA’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), state and private sector programs, and projects operated by Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC).
USDA programs
USDA programs in this database that provide matching funds for the adoption of approved conservation and renewable energy practices by farmers and ranchers nationwide for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26). Available information includes:
- Eligibility rules
- FY26 funding
- Land tenure and property right rules
- Practices covered by each program
- Cost share requirements
- Other cost information
- Individual funding caps or income limitations
- Other restrictions and/or requirements
- Length of contracts
- When each program was established
- Share of proposals accepted for funding
State-Level Programs
State-level programs available in pilot states are found in this database, as well as and select private-sector sustainability initiatives, most of which are available for enrollment in one or more of the pilot states. Information includes:
- Program name
- State government
- Description of each program
- Eligibility rules
- Available funding (either total amount or maximum per farmer)
- Length of contracts
- Cost share requirements
- Required documentation
- Contact information at each agency or initiative
RCPP
This database also includes information on projects approved in recent years under the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) that are available for signup by producers in at least one of the pilot states. Available information includes:
- Project title
- Pilot states where funding from RCPP project is available
- Brief descriptions of each project
- Funding available
- Contact information for each project
- Year project approved
ESMC Projects
The final entry is information about opportunities to participate in Eco-Harvest projects operated by the Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC).
Glossary
The following list of terms may be helpful in your search for financial assistance programs.
ACEP
Agricultural Conservation Easement Program
BIA
Bureau of Indian Affairs
BIPOC
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
CRP
Conservation Reserve Program
CSP
Conservation Stewardship Program
EBI
Environmental Benefits Index
EQIP
Environmental Quality Incentives Program
ESMC
Ecosystem Services Market Consortium
FICO score
Private-sector estimate of an individual’s creditworthiness
FSA
Farm Service Agency
GLCI
Grazing Land Conservation Initiative
HEL
Highly Erodible Land
NRCS
Natural Resources Conservation Service
RCPP
Regional Conservation Partnership Program
RD
Rural Development
REAP
Rural Energy for America Program
USDA
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Explore the financial assistance programs
available in the database below
Got questions or feedback? We’re here to help!
Whether you need assistance finding the programs that are right for you, or you have feedback on how this program finder works, send us a message and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
Provided By
The database was the product of a joint project between the Farm Journal Foundation and the Native Agriculture Financial Services, and funding for creating an internet home for the database was provided by CoBank.
