Farm Waste Management Grants

USDA

• One of the largest sources of federal funding for farm waste management comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Office of Rural Development. This grant opportunity, called the USDA Solid Waste Management Grant, provides money for local governments and nonprofits to plan for new solid waste facilities and provide technical assistance to existing facilities. Grant funds also may be used to evaluate future needs and finance training programs. The primary focus of this grant is to reduce the impact of rural waste on water resources. While individual farmers are not eligible to receive this funding, nonprofit farmers associations or rural water districts may apply.

  Rural Utilities Service

  Office of Rural Development

  U.S. Department of Agriculture

  1400 Independence Ave. SW

  Washington, DC 20250

  202-690-2670

  www.rurdev.usda.gov

EPA

• The Environmental Protection Agency administers a program designed to help reduce pollution through conservation efforts and innovations that allow for the reuse of agricultural and domestic waste in other applications. A wider variety of projects are eligible for funding in this program than in the USDA program. The EPA grants can be used for surveys, studies and public education, in addition to training, technical assistance and planning. Funding awarded under this opportunity may not be used for capital costs, such as construction and land acquisition.

  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

  1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

  Washington, DC 20460

  703-308-8460

  www.epa.gov

Recovery and Reinvestment Act

• The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides funding for the construction of new waste management facilities. Construction grants for wastewater treatment works offer one source of funding to farmers and municipalities looking to resolve problems resulting from water waste by building or improving treatment facilities. While private entities are eligible for this funding, a local municipality must apply on their behalf. A wastewater treatment project built with this grant funding can serve a region, county or municipality.

  Office of Wastewater Management

  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

  1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

  Washington, DC 20460

  202-564-0634

  www.epa.gov

Pollution Control

• Farm waste that is discharged into local waterways and groundwater tables through runoff is often known as non-point source pollution. This is because the waste from farms often cannot be traced to a single point, such as a wastewater pipe or smokestack. To help manage these elusive non-point sources, the EPA provides funding to state and interstate pollution control agencies, which monitor, enforce and manage water pollution. This program also provides money for technical assistance to farmers and public education regarding the effects of water pollution. Many of the programs eligible for financing through this opportunity are regulatory.

  Office of Wastewater Management

  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

  1201 Constitution Ave. NW

  Washington, DC 20460

  202-501-2399

  www.epa.gov