Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR)

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) offers multiple grant programs that provide farm infrastructure grants and business planning assistance. The Matching Enterprise Grants for Agriculture (MEGA) program assists beginning farmers with 1-10 years in business, the APR Improvement Program (AIP) assists farmers on land permanently protected through the state, and the Farm Viability Enhancement Program (FVEP) assists a wide variety of farmers in exchange for a short-term agricultural covenant. All three grant programs have farm participants complete a business plan and receive complementary technical assistance in areas such as marketing, production, transfer planning, and more.

MDAR also hosts the Agricultural Business Assistance program, which offers multiple courses, such as Growing Your Farm Business which helps established farmers complete a farm business plan with financial projections. MDAR’s Farm-Pass program pairs farm owners and their identified successors with an experienced Planner to create a customized farm transfer plan. In addition, MDAR’s “Massachusetts Foods Processors Resources Guide” offers detailed chapters covering topics relating to starting a new food business; look for this resource on MDAR’s Value Added Food Products page.

Tagged as: Bee Products, Dairy, Diversified Farming, Fruits, Vegetables, or Herbs, Grain, Pulses, or Oilseeds, Livestock or Meat, Maple and Tree Products, Marine Products, Poultry or Eggs