December 17, 2021 | Montpelier, VT - The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (the Agency) is pleased to announce $3,000,000 million dollars available through the Agricultural Clean Water Initiative Program (Ag-CWIP) grant funding opportunity to local and regional partners for the reduction of agricultural nutrient runoff throughout the State of Vermont.
Local and regional partners play a vital role in the education, outreach, and implementation of conservation practices that will achieve reductions in nutrient runoff from agricultural operations. Additionally, partners provide a crucial link between state agency programs, federal agency programs and agricultural landowners. Ag-CWIP grants provide funding opportunities related to Organizational Capacity Development, Education and Outreach, Technical Assistance, and Conservation Practice Surveys. Funding is provided through the Clean Water Fund, which was developed as part of Act 64, the Clean Water Act.
Since 2017, Ag-CWIP grants have supported over 30 local and regional partners to expand and enhance education, outreach, and technical assistance services to the agricultural community, contributing to the increased trends in conservation practice adoption and phosphorus reductions. “Vermont’s local and regional network of partners make conservation and best practice implementation on Vermont farmland possible. We are pleased to provide this funding opportunity to support partners in their work to provide educational opportunities and technical assistance to the agricultural community,” said Secretary Anson Tebbetts. “Thanks to the network of partners, resources are leveraged and made available to the farming community, resulting in regulatory compliance, improved management practices, and implementation of agronomic and farmstead practices that improve water quality. We look forward to seeing what our partners propose.”
The Request for Proposals opened December 15, 2021, and applications are due by 4:30 p.m. on January 31, 2022. Eligible applicants include farmers, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and local government entities.
For the complete Request for Proposals, program details and additional information, please visit agriculture.vermont.gov/agricultural-clean-water-initiative-program, call the Agency at (802) 828-2431, or email: AGR.WaterQuality@Vermont.gov.