FIELD Fund Grant Program

Capital Farm Credit has launched the FIELD Fund Grant Program as a long-term community investment initiative focused on strengthening rural Texas through targeted grantmaking. FIELD stands for Fostering Investment in Education & Local Development, and the program reflects Capital Farm Credit’s ongoing commitment to supporting agriculture, rural development, youth leadership, and community well-being throughout its chartered territory in Texas. Capital Farm Credit, a long-standing agricultural lending cooperative serving Texas farmers and ranchers, created the FIELD Fund to continue its mission of reinvesting in rural communities and supporting the next generation of agricultural producers and rural leaders. According to program leadership, the grant initiative is designed to preserve and strengthen agricultural traditions while also addressing evolving community and educational needs across rural Texas. The FIELD Fund supports four major focus areas: Healthy Rural Texas; Agriculture Advocacy, Development and Natural Resources; Agriculture and Youth Education; and Rural Development and Community Enrichment. Within these areas, the program offers four distinct grant categories. The Farmers Markets Grants category provides fixed awards of $1,000 to support local farmers markets with infrastructure improvements, vendor outreach efforts, and enhancements to the customer and vendor experience. The Youth Service Projects category supports Texas FFA chapters, 4-H clubs, and similar youth organizations undertaking projects intended to improve local communities. These grants range from $500 to $1,000 depending on the proposed project budget. The Rural Support and Development category funds projects that strengthen Texas communities through community development and rural support initiatives, with awards ranging from $1,000 to $15,000 based on project scope. The Agriculture Education category supports hands-on agricultural learning opportunities, leadership initiatives, agricultural innovation, and research activities that impact the future of agriculture, with awards ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 depending on project budget and scale. The program is open to both organizations and individual applicants whose projects take place within Capital Farm Credit’s geographic footprint in rural Texas. Applicants across the various categories may include nonprofit organizations, youth organizations, farmers markets, agricultural education initiatives, and other entities or individuals whose work aligns with the stated goals of the FIELD Fund. Depending on the category, applicants are required to provide proof of nonprofit status through 501(c)(3) documentation, a W-9 form, or equivalent tax documentation. The application guidance specifies that projects and applicants must support agriculture and/or rural communities and must align with Capital Farm Credit’s mission and values. Organizations that previously received funding may apply again if the new request supports a different project, time frame, or program. The fund also notes that prior funding does not guarantee future support. The FIELD Fund includes several restrictions on allowable uses of funding. The program explicitly excludes support for livestock purchases intended for shows or rodeos, conference registrations, travel expenses, event sponsorships, and projects or programs that conflict with Capital Farm Credit’s mission and values. Funding is also unavailable for initiatives that benefit only a single individual, applications outside the organization’s chartered territory, or projects lacking a clear benefit to agriculture or rural communities. The Agriculture Education grant category specifically excludes tuition expenses, conference registration fees, sponsorships, and travel-related costs. Grant requests may be partially funded, and larger funding requests in applicable categories may be considered when accompanied by detailed project budgets. Applications for all FIELD Fund grant categories are accepted year-round on a rolling basis. Rather than operating on a single annual deadline, Capital Farm Credit reviews and determines grant awards on a quarterly basis throughout the calendar year. Because the program accepts applications continuously, applicants may submit requests at any time, although funding decisions may take several months following submission due to periodic review schedules and limited funding availability. Applicants are limited to applying for only one grant program per year. The submission process requires applicants to select the appropriate grant category, complete the application form, and provide all required organizational or tax documentation. Larger requests may require supplemental budget information. The source material does not identify a separate letter of intent or pre-application phase, nor does it identify a fixed award notification timeline beyond the statement that awards are decided quarterly. Capital Farm Credit reserves the right to approve or deny any funding request and indicates that grant decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. The organization also states that it will not critique submitted proposals. While the source material does not provide detailed scoring criteria, the guidance repeatedly emphasizes alignment with agriculture, rural community development, youth engagement, educational advancement, and community enrichment as core evaluation priorities. The application instructions encourage applicants to demonstrate meaningful impact on rural Texas communities and alignment with one or more of the FIELD Fund’s stated focus areas. Questions and additional information requests may be directed to Capital Farm Credit through the organization’s official channels. The grant program opened on November 26, 2024, and remains active as a recurring quarterly-reviewed funding opportunity with ongoing applications accepted year-round.

Projects should clearly demonstrate benefit to agriculture or rural Texas communities and align closely with Capital Farm Credit mission priorities including agriculture education, youth development, community enrichment, and rural support initiatives.