NM Department of Agriculture is accepting Healthy Soil Program grant applications

The New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA) is accepting online grant applications for its Healthy Soil Program from Friday, January 16, 2026 through noon Friday, March 20, 2026. Projects selected for funding will begin July 2026 and end September 2027.

Healthy Soil Program grants support on-the-ground projects in New Mexico that use one or more of the five soil health principles to improve soil health: keeping the soil covered; minimizing soil disturbance and external inputs; maximizing biodiversity; maintaining a living root; and integrating animals into land management. Project activities often include cover cropping, compost application, bale grazing and more.

Visit the NMDA YouTube channel to watch several videos about how the NMDA Healthy Soil Program has helped various grantees improve their soil health. On the Healthy Soil Program webpage, you can explore the interactive map of past grant-funded projects, subscribe for program updates and check out resources to prepare to apply for a grant.

The Healthy Soil Program was created in the 2019 Healthy Soil Act. The act’s purpose is to promote and support farming and ranching systems and other forms of land management that increase soil organic matter, aggregate stability, microbiology and water retention to improve the state’s soil health, yield and profitability.

There are two types of applicants for NMDA’s Healthy Soil Program:

1. If you apply for a grant on behalf of a governmental entity in New Mexico – a pueblo, tribe, or nation; an acequia; a land grant; a soil and water conservation district (SWCD); a Cooperative Extension Service office; or the like – visit the web page for Eligible Entities.
2. If you apply for a grant on behalf of a non-governmental party in New Mexico – an individual, business, or nonprofit directly engaged in farming, ranching, or another form of land management – visit the web page for Individual Applicants

NMDA is offering two informational webinars on January 27, 2026:

1. ELIGIBLE ENTITIES webinar: January 27, 2026 at 10:30 to 11:30 a.m, register here

2. INDIVIDUAL APPLICANTS webinar: Jan. 27, 2026 at 3:30 to 5pm, register here

For questions about NMDA’s Healthy Soil Program email hsp@nmda.nmsu.edu