Where to Get Government Grants for Beekeeping

Getting Government Grants for Beekeeping is something any beekeeper will appreciate, especially those who are just starting their business in this category. As you know, the local or domestic honeybees play an important task in the United States, especially because they pollinate around 30% of the crops and plants, which help the ecosystem to grow healthy.

Therefore, there are many sources, both from the Federal government and corporation, encourage people who are trying to grow their apiary. This post will give you a list of possible source for grants that you can use for your apiary or beehives business.

Grants for Beekeeping Business

FEDERAL GRANTS

The government subsidies for beekeeping are available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Their Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program is available for general category in farming, but there have been many cases where beekeepers or apiarists are awarded. Aside of the SARE grant, they also have the Agricultural Marketing Service Grants to help with organic certification cost and the Specialty Crop Block Grant, available for specialty crops. Since honey is considered as a specialty crop, then apiarists and beekeepers can apply for the Specialty Crop Block Grant from the USDA.

STATE GRANTS

Aside of the federal grants, there are also some states that offer agricultural grants or other programs that support beekeeping. Some examples are the New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland and North Carolina that provide some inducement programs for apiarists. Meanwhile, there are other states such as Tennessee that give out cost share grant awarded for selected beekeepers for expansion. Usually the grant is distributed and managed by each state’s Department of Agriculture or similar agency. Therefore, there may be some differences in each state regarding the program. Please contact the local Department of Agriculture or similar agency to learn the available program for beekeepers in your area.

Grants for Beekeeping Projects

There’s also a program called the Conservation Innovation Grant that focuses on giving capital fund for free for small businesses that adopt innovative approaches. In general, apiary business is eligible for the grant, but you have to show that your apiary business is in line with what they’re looking for. The grant award amount is somewhere between $50,000 and $200,000. Some states that offer this kind of program are Kansas, Alabama, New Jersey, Virginia and several other states. Contact your state’s USDA office to learn more about this opportunity.

The Rural Business Opportunity Grant program is available for agricultural, cooperative business projects located in rural areas. Local apiaries may benefit from this program, but the cooperative owners should be able to prove that the business has a solid financial strength and expertise.

PRIVATE GRANTS

The next grant source is from private sector. There are many organizations, both nonprofits and private, support the beekeepers. However, this type of grants is not typically available every year. You may want to ask bee or honey related associations, churches and foundations about the opportunity. It’s a long shot, but sometimes you can get lucky too!

I hope this information on government grant for beekeeping can help you grow your business!

References :

• Grants for Raising Honey Bees : ehow.com/info_12135572_grants-raising-honey-bees.html
• Grants for Starting an Apiary : smallbusiness.chron.com/grants-starting-apiary-20755.html
• Bee Source : beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?250011-Government-Grants
• Image : sites.dartmouth.edu