Funding for Conservation Practices, Business Development & Marketing and Continuing Ed

CISA is partnering with Pasa Sustainable Agriculture to help farms access new USDA funding for conservation farming practices, business development & marketing and continuing education opportunities. The funding comes through the USDA’s Advancing Markets for Producers (AMP) program and is available through Winter 2028.

Pasa can provide funding for technical assistance and implementation costs for 36 of the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Conservation Practices (see list of eligible practices below) and a wide array of business development and marketing needs, from business development planning to marketing materials to post-harvest processing and product protection supplies.

Farms can enroll in the Conservation Practices and Business Development & Marketing program here. Access to funding for practices requires that the parcel where implementation take place hold a Farm Services Agency number.

To access Continuing Education funding, for example to pay for conference fees, training programs, classes and courses related to opening and expanding markets, farmers should complete this form.

Once farms complete the enrollment form(s), a technical assistance provider from Pasa will reach out to schedule a meeting and begin the project design and budgeting process. The program is only recently ramping up, as of July 2026 the timeline for meeting with a Pasa staff member and receiving payments is unclear.

CISA staff is available to discuss this program in further detail and answer your questions to the best of our ability. Contact Stephen Taranto at stephen@buylocalfood.org to set up a meeting or call.

To view a webinar recording that discusses the program, visit here. COMING SOON!

Conservation Practices Eligible for Funding

Access Control (472)
Alley Cropping (311)
Composting Facility (317)
Conservation Cover (327)
Conservation Crop Rotation (328)
Contour Buffer Strips (332)
Cover Crop (340)
Farmstead Energy Improvement/Energy Efficient Agricultural Operation (374)
Fence (382)
Field Border (386)
Forest Farming (379)
Forest Stand Improvement (666)
Grassed Waterway (412)
Hedgerow Planting (422)
Herbaceous Wind Barriers (603)
High Tunnel System (325)
Irrigation System Micro Irrigation (441)
Lighting System Improvement/Energy Efficient Lighting System (670)
Livestock Pipeline (516)
Livestock Shelter (576)
Mulching (484)
Nutrient Management (590)
Pasture and Hay Planting (512)
Pest Management Conservation System (595)
Prescribed Burning (338)
Prescribed Grazing (528)
Residue & Tillage Management, Reduced (345)
Residue & Tillage Management, No-Till (329)
Riparian Forest Buffer (391)
Silvopasture (381)
Soil Carbon Amendment (336/808)
Trails and Walkways (575)
Tree/Shrub Establishment (612)
Water Harvesting Catchment (636)
Watering Facility (614)
Windbreak/Shelterbelt Establishment (380)