Specialty Crop Minor Equipment Grant RFA Opens Feb. 11

February 11, 2026

The Maine Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Minor Equipment Grant application opens on Wednesday, February 11, 2026. The purpose of the grant is to support commercial farmers in enhancing the competitiveness of specialty crop production through the purchase of minor equipment. DACF anticipates awarding up to $290,000 through this grant opportunity. Award ranges will be between $2,000 and $10,000 per selected recipient.

Eligible applicants must:

• Own and operate a commercial farm in Maine
• Grow and harvest at least one specialty crop in Maine
• Have not received prior grant funding for DACF from the Agricultural Infrastructure Investment Program (AIIP) or the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI)

If you would like more information, they are hosting three online information sessions via Zoom. You can register for a session below.

• Register: February 17, 2026, 9:00 a.m.
  • https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/Rr0WHzx4QYal8-Qh-wu6vQ#/registration
• Register: March 5, 2026, 11:00 a.m.
  • https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/QMqQGazqQjucr2El_zn8Lw#/registration
• Register: March 20, 2026, 2:00 p.m.
  • https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/e1YlTzaYQZ6jej5KWk-HWg#/registration

You can review the Request for Applications (RFA) and all related documents using the following link: https://www.maine.gov/dacf/ard/grants/usda_specialty_crop.shtml

*For this grant, minor equipment is defined as tangible, nonexpendable business property with a useful life of more than one year, an acquisition cost of $2,000 or more per unit, and a cost of less than $10,000.