Helping Farmers Build Profitable Markets and Stronger Businesses
New funding and support are available to help sustainable farms in North and South Carolina strengthen their businesses, expand markets, and implement conservation practices. CFSA is here to help you take advantage of it.
Who this Program is For: Small Farms: Whatever you raise on your farm and wherever you sell it — farmers’ markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), wholesale accounts, food hubs, schools, institutions, other local and regional markets — USDA’s Advancing Markets for Producers (AMP) Initiative has resources for you. AMP can help you identify opportunities for growth, strengthen your operation, and expand your customer base.
Click Here to Apply for the Advancing Markets for Producers ProgramIMPORTANT: If you would like to receive technical assistance services from CFSA, please complete the form below to request a quote. Once you and CFSA have signed the quote, please share it with the Pasa Sustainable Agriculture Technical Assistance Provider you are working with so that it can be included in your contract.
Click Here to Request a Quote for CFSA Technical Assistance ServicesPROGRAM INFORMATION: For details regarding Pasa Sustainable Agriculture’s Advancing Markets for Producers Program, please refer to the linked document below. It provides information on eligibility criteria, application procedures, and project implementation and payment.
What You’ll Gain
AMP provides both financial assistance and technical assistance to support farm viability, conservation, and market development.
Financial Assistance
Eligible farmers can receive assistance for:
- Business Development and Marketing
- Conservation Practices
- One-on-one support
One-on-One Technical Assistance: Experienced CFSA staff to help with every stage of your farm’s growth and support implementing the conservation practices included in your contract with Pasa. Make sure you complete the “request a quote for CFSA Technical Assistance Services” if you are interested in any of the services below.
- Conservation Practice Implementation: Support planning, implementing, and managing conservation practices.
- Organic Transition and Certification Support: Assistance in obtaining USDA Organic Certification.
- Organic Production Support: Help with creating and implementing an organic production plan.
- Food Safety Plan Development: Assistance in creating and implementing a food safety plan.
- GAP Certification Support: Guidance in obtaining USDA Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification.
- Market Access Support: Guidance on accessing markets for products.
- Farm Business and Financial Planning: Support in developing a comprehensive farm business and financial plan.
- Regenerative Climate Resilience Planning: Help in developing a climate resilience and risk mitigation plan.
- High Tunnel Production Support: Assistance in creating production plans and addressing production and management challenges for high tunnel operations.
- Coolbot Construction and Installation Support: Assistance in planning, designing, and installing a CoolBot-powered cold storage system.
Business Development and Marketing Activities: Financial support of up to $15,000 or more to help you improve the business and marketing side of your farm.
- Business Development and Planning: brand development, product labels, boxes, retail packaging, professional photography for business purposes.
- Brand Building and Marketing: website design and launch, online store and market development, professionally printed brochures, flyers, pamphlets, and weather-resistant signs for fields or market stands.
- Market and Event Material: tables, racks, shelves, chairs, coolers, branded tablecloths, sales software (Shopify, Square, etc.), and hardware (tablets and card readers).
- Food Safety, Certifications, and Planning: certification fees, professionally developed operational manuals, food safety plans, standard operating procedures.
- Wash/Pack Station and Post-Harvest Handling: stainless steel surfaces, drainage mats, greens spinner, stock tanks, root washers, bulk containers, totes, and scales.
- Cooling, Storage, and Logistics: coolbots, air conditioners, chest freezers, CO2 monitors, hydrometers, thermostats, storage racks, dollies, and pallet jacks.
- Product Protection Supplies: bug/bird netting, tarps, low tunnels, anchors, sandbags
Conservation Practice Implementation: Financial assistance covering the cost of practice implementation and an experienced professional to help you plan and design the practice.
- Access Control (472)
- Alley Cropping (311)
- Composting Facility (317)
- Conservation Cover (327)
- Conservation Crop Rotation (328)
- Contour Buffer Strips (332)
- Cover Crop (340)
- Farmstead Energy Improvement/Energy Efficient Agricultural Operation (374)
- Fence (382)
- Field Border (386)
- Forest Farming (379)
- Forest Stand Improvement (666)
- Grassed Waterway (412)
- Hedgerow Planting (422)
- Herbaceous Wind Barriers (603)
- High Tunnel System (325)
- Irrigation System Micro Irrigation (441)
- Lighting System Improvement/Energy Efficient Lighting System (670)
- Livestock Pipeline (516)
- Livestock Shelter (576)
- Mulching (484)
- Nutrient Management (590)
- Pasture and Hay Planting (512)
- Pest Mngt. Conservation System (595)
- Prescribed Burning (338)
- Prescribed Grazing (528)
- Residue & Tillage Mngt, Reduced (345)
- Residue & Tillage Mngt., No-Till (329)
- Riparian Forest Buffer (391)
- Silvopasture (381)
- Soil Carbon Amendment (336/808)
- Trails and Walkways (575)
- Tree/Shrub Establishment (612)
- Water Harvesting Catchment (636)
- Watering Facility (614)
- Windbreak/Shelterbelt Establishment (380)
Get Involved
If you’re interested in implementing conservation practices, growing your farm business, expanding market opportunities, or accessing individualized technical assistance, the key first step is…
Visit our friends at Pasa to complete the AMP Application and get started.
This program is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number NR233A750004G025
This page last updated 8/13/2026.
