Boost your farm or food business: Online grant writing course now available
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EmailThis free course is self-paced and available online to provide food and farm business owners with a better understanding of the grant writing process.
Michigan food and farm business owners can learn more about grant writing by completing the free “Grant Writing for Farm and Food Entrepreneurs” online course offered by Michigan State University Extension. This course, developed by the MSU Extension community food systems team and the MSU Product Center, aims to provide food and farm business owners a better understanding of the grant writing process, as well as information about grant funding opportunities for their businesses.
Course participants will determine if grant writing is the best option for their business needs and identify relevant grants. The course will cover the common components of grant proposals and participants will write a complete grant proposal outline during the course. The grant proposal outline is a great starting point for a food or farm entrepreneur new to grant writing and can be easily adapted to apply for real-world grant funding opportunities.
Course details
Participation in the grant writing course is free and takes place on MSU's Desire 2 Learn (D2L) online platform. Participants who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate of completion. Those interested can learn more at the Grant Writing for Farm and Food Entrepreneurs registration page.
Once participants complete the course, they will be better prepared to apply for several open grant opportunities, including programs through the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Value-Added Producer Grant (USDA VAPG).
A webinar with important information regarding the USDA VAPG will be held on February 5, 2026, from 6-8 p.m. The session is free, but registration is required: events.anr.msu.edu/2026USDAVAPGWORKSHOP.
Current and upcoming grant opportunities
There are many current and upcoming grant opportunities for farmers and food businesses in Michigan. Like mentioned in the previous section, the USDA Value Added Producer Grants is a great opportunity for Michigan farmers and is accepting applications until April 15, 2026.
MDARD also offers many funding opportunities to meet the needs of Michigan’s food and farm businesses. Current grants accepting applications include Last Food Mile Grants (due Feb. 6) and Regenerative Farmer Network grants (due Feb. 27), among others. Additional grants available to support Michigan food businesses can be found in the “Funding Sources for Food-Related Businesses” resource from the MSU Center for Regional Food Systems.
MSU Product Center
Course participants may wish to become an MSU Product Center client to receive further business counseling services. Food and farm businesses can learn more about 1:1 business counseling from the MSU Product Center by visiting canr.msu.edu/productcenter and registering for an upcoming online introductory seminar required for potential new clients.
