Agricultural Clean Water Initiative Program
Forecasted
Agricultural Clean Water Initiative Program supports partners providing Vermont farms with education, technical assistance, and service capacity to improve water quality and reduce agricultural pollution.
Funder: Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets
Due Dates (Anticipated): January 2028 (application deadline, projected)
Funding Amounts: FY2026 awards totaled $9,027,344 across 11 lead organizations for work from June 2026 to June 2028
Summary: Grants support partners helping Vermont farms improve water quality through education, technical assistance, and organizational capacity development.
Key Information: Projects led by individual farms must benefit more than one farm.
Description
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets Water Quality Division runs the Agricultural Clean Water Initiative Program (AgCWIP). It funds local and regional partners working with Vermont farms to provide personalized education and technical assistance, as well as to build the capacity to deliver those services. The goal is to make free and low-cost help available across the state where it might otherwise be limited or unavailable.
Past work includes workshops, help with farm grant applications and reporting, nutrient management planning, conservation project design, precision agriculture training, equipment rental, and water, soil, and manure sampling. Eligible projects must advance at least one program priority: agricultural water quality regulatory compliance, reduced agricultural-source pollution, or the economic and environmental viability of Vermont farms.
