Down Payment Assistance Grant - Fiscal Year 2027

About this program

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture offers Fiscal Year 2027 Down Payment Assistance Grants to help eligible individual farmers or married couples purchase Minnesota farmland. Awards are selected by lottery, with priority for applicants reporting no more than $100,000 in annual gross farm sales and producers of industrial hemp, cannabis, or specialty crops; each grant requires at least $8,000 in matching funds. Applicants must be Minnesota residents in good standing, provide most of the farm’s labor and management, demonstrate relevant farming experience or knowledge, and purchase and operate the farmland under required program timelines. The applicant must close on the purchase after August 31, 2026, and within six months of approval, subject to approved extensions.