Federal Grants for Farmers: How to Find and Win Funding

This recorded session includes the session video, handouts, presentation and links to the Monday Roundtables. This Package is valid for 30 days.

This session was recorded on July 15, 2025

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Overview

Farmers are facing higher input costs, supply chain shifts, and increased pressure to meet environmental and production demands. At the same time, federal agencies are offering grants directly to production-focused agricultural businesses and farming organizations. While federal grants are available to support farmers, most producers never apply. Not because the money isn’t there, but because the system to get it is hard to navigate.

Between confusing resources, unclear application steps, and constant policy changes, most working farmers don’t know where to start, or whether they’re even eligible. This session walks you through the steps to access real, usable dollars for your farm or agricultural organization. Farmers need to be able to find active grants, register on the right platforms, understand what grant reviewers want, and submit a complete, competitive proposal, without wasting time chasing the wrong opportunities.

You’ll also hear directly from Michelle Miller (@thefarmbabe) on the everyday challenges farmers face with these systems, and from Denise B. Lawrence, a subject matter expert in federal grants, on how to overcome them and actually win funding.

No matter where you are in your journey, this session gives you the tools to make federal grants a real part of your revenue strategy.

Recommended attending personnel:

This briefing is recommended for producers, farm owners, agricultural cooperatives, rural business operators, ag organizations, grant-seeking beginning farmers, and anyone managing or advising agricultural operations who wants to access federal funding opportunities. If you’ve ever tried to apply for a federal grant and felt stuck, this session is for you.

Important: This briefing uses a Zoom-based communication connection via your network. This briefing will be accessible via phone if you are unable to connect online and recorded versions will be distributed with closed-caption for the hearing impaired. Instructions for login will be provided upon registration.

Agenda

Welcome and Introductions

Reviewing the Current Situation

The State of Agriculture
Uncertainty, Shifts, and Pressure
Impact on Farmers

Farming Grants

Federal Grant Programs
Types of Grants Available

Reviewing Eligibility

Farm Type
Farm Size
Project Focus

How to Apply

Documents and Resources
Becoming Organized
Communication Pitfalls

Impact of Changing Policy

Shifting Priorities
Adjusting Strategy

Q&A

Final Remarks

Speakers

Denise B. Lawrence

President

Denise B. Lawrence & Associates, LLC

Bio

Denise B. Lawrence is the Founder and CEO of For-Profit Grants and Denise B. Lawrence & Associates and the creator of SBIRSHOP, a technology innovation accelerator built to help high-growth companies access government-backed, non-dilutive capital and venture-scale funding pathways. For more than 30 years, she has operated at the intersection of federal funding, technology commercialization, and capital strategy, helping companies navigate SBIR, defense innovation programs, and public-sector investment channels that collectively represent the world’s largest source of venture capital.

Through her work, Denise has guided founders, research teams, and emerging technology firms through the complexities of federal grant systems, compliance, commercialization planning, and investor positioning. Her approach integrates technical readiness, market validation, and government acquisition strategy, ensuring innovations are not only fundable but also adoptable by agencies and scalable in commercial markets.

Denise is also a doctoral candidate in Christian Leadership at Liberty University, where her research focuses on leadership formation, mentoring, and organizational systems. She brings this rigor and systems-based thinking to SBIRSHOP, creating an environment where innovators are supported not just with tools and funding pathways, but also with the disciplined execution, accountability, content, structure, and strategic clarity needed to win in the rapidly evolving 2026 federal innovation landscape.

Michelle Miller

Ag Advocate, Influencer, and Author

The Farm Babe

Bio

Michelle Miller, better known as the Farm Babe, is an internationally recognized keynote speaker; published writer & columnist, podcaster, and an online influencer as a full time advocate for agriculture. She started her social media outreach over a decade ago as a way to better bridge the gap between farmers and consumers, making a name for herself as a dedicated “mythbuster” in food and farming. Farm Babe has hundreds of thousands of followers and an average social media reach of 5+ million monthly. She’s been featured in Forbes, the New York Times, & has caught the attention of the Today Show, Inside Edition, CNN, People magazine, and more… a guest on Dr Drew, has influenced corporations as powerful as Burger King, and has proudly spoken alongside some of the biggest names in food and farming today.

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