Soil Health and Optimizing Water (SHOW) Grant

The Soil Health and Optimizing Water (SHOW) grant is a funding initiative led by the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) with financial support from the Colorado Water Conservation Board. Designed to improve the resilience of Colorado’s agricultural systems, this grant program focuses on enhancing soil health and water resource management on working lands. The SHOW grant forms part of CDA’s broader Colorado Soil Health Program, which has been supporting local producers since 2021 to integrate environmentally sound practices into their operations. These efforts are aligned with key strategic goals set by CDA, including environmental stewardship and climate resilience, and support the implementation of Governor Polis’s Colorado Water Plan. The SHOW grant offers up to $50,000 per project for a wide range of eligible applicants including individual farmers and ranchers, producer-serving organizations, nonprofits, research institutions, and local governments. The funding is intended to support on-the-ground projects that demonstrate a clear link between soil health improvements and optimized water usage. Priority is given to projects that implement measurable, innovative practices while also facilitating peer-to-peer learning within the agricultural community. Examples of eligible activities include equipment rental or purchase (under $10,000), construction, grazing management, labor, travel, and monitoring systems. A maximum of 15% of the award may be allocated to indirect costs. All SHOW-funded projects must incorporate outreach elements such as field demonstrations, workshops, or producer network participation to maximize community benefit. In addition to implementation, the grant requires strong emphasis on monitoring and testing. Applicants must propose a comprehensive evaluation plan, including baseline data collection and follow-up assessments using scientifically valid methods to measure soil health indicators like organic matter, infiltration rates, and compaction. This evidence-based approach ensures that project outcomes can be effectively analyzed and shared to inform broader agricultural practices. Applications for the 2025–2026 cycle are accepted via CDA’s Soil Health website. The application window opened on December 11, 2025, and will close on January 20, 2026, at 5:00 PM Mountain Time. To support applicants, an informational webinar will be hosted on December 17, 2025, where program staff will explain eligibility, funding guidelines, and evaluation metrics, and answer applicant questions. Submitted proposals will be reviewed by an Evaluation Committee using criteria such as strength of soil health and water management practices, knowledge-sharing potential, and robustness of the monitoring plan. The highest-scoring applications will be recommended to the Soil Health Advisory Committee, which will issue final approval by February 24, 2026. Grant awards are expected to begin disbursement starting March 31, 2026, and project activities must be completed by September 30, 2027, with final reports due by December 1, 2027. Applicants are encouraged to download and complete the budget template and address all application questions, including a project summary, details on soil practices and water issues addressed, peer engagement strategies, metrics for success, and potential conflicts of interest. Submissions must be made through the official form linked on CDA’s Soil Health page. For assistance, applicants may contact program staff at cda_soil@state.co.us.

Focus on soil-water linkage, robust data collection, and strong community outreach elements