Questions received for the Developing Markets for Continuous Living Cover Crops Grant RFP are posted below. Questions will be accepted until 4:pm Central Time Wednesday June 24, 2026.
Last updated: June 16, 2026
No, land purchases are not an eligible expense.
- Ready-made equipment purchase (e.g., freeze dryer, refrigerator, freezer, harvester, seed cleaner, heat pump)
- Purchasing of supplies, equipment, and services to modify or build a custom piece of machinery that is not commercially available (e.g., seed cleaning trailer, elderberry destemmer, custom mechanical harvester)
- Supplies to support growing, harvesting, or processing of CLC crop and food products (e.g., electrical supplies, plumbing supplies, structures to grow or process crops)
- Consumeable goods (e.g., pots, soil amendments, water)
- Seeds and bareroot plant stock (e.g., hazelnut) purchase
- Printing of training manuals, promotional and outreach materials, and new product labels
- Infrastructure to scale production (e.g., contract for construction of large shed to store, protect, and operate processing machinery; creation/enhancement of loading pad to improve shipping and receiving; raised plant beds; greenhouse; electrical; and plumbing)
- In-state travel (mileage, lodging) to attend conferences, training sessions, meet with prospective growers, buyers, and farmers, provide outreach
- Contracts for development of specialty parts from a machinist, machine technical assistance, and equipment retrofits
- Contracts for graphic design to develop labels and packaging for new CLC products
- Incentive payments to program beneficiaries for developing standard operating procedures and recipes for new products, developing logistics for new distribution systems, implementing new infrastructure and equipment for CLC crops and cropping systems, and providing technical assistance and training to new farmers
Equipment for harvesting or processing crops are allowable expenses, but preference will be given to those projects that work with those crops and/or cropping systems with a developing market.
While alfalfa is a continuous living cover crop, the goal of this grant is to develop the market for cover crops and cropping systems in the early stage of commercial development. Alfalfa is a crop with a developed market.
To be considered for this grant the proposal would need to demonstrate using alfalfa in a new developing cropping system or demonstrate a new use for the crop that is in the early stage of development.
A few examples of crops with a developing market include Kernza, winter camelina, hazelnuts, and elderberry.
An individual’s fit for this grant will depend on the crops and cropping systems they intend to plant. The purpose of this grant is to develop and accelerate enterprises, supply chains, and markets for CLC crops and cropping systems in the early stage of commercial development. Part of that includes the expansion of supply. Examples of crops and cropping systems in the early stage of development include Kernza, winter camelina, winter barley, hazelnuts, and elderberry, but these are not the only allowable crops and cropping systems. This is a competitive grant and the scale of the impact to the supply and market development will be important.
To be considered for the Developing Markets for Continuous Living Cover Crops grant, the crop must be a continuous living cover crop/cropping system as defined by the grant and be in the early stage of commercial development.
Sainfoin is a perennial forage with a newer developing market in Minnesota. It qualifies under this grant.
Alfalfa while it is also a perennial forage it has an established market. To be considered for this grant the proposal would need to demonstrate using alfalfa in a new developing cropping system or demonstrate a new use for the crop that is in the early stage of development.
