Farm of the Future
Active
- Assistance listing
- 10.230
- Agency
-
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Department of Agriculture
- Grant awards
- 2 $8,620,368 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance type
-
- Project Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 12-1500-0-1-352
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) administered the Farm of the Future program (CFDA 10.230), a competitive grant program that established agricultural test beds and demonstration sites for precision agriculture, smart automation, and data connectivity. The program is no longer accepting applications and is no longer making new awards, though funded projects may still report expenditures.
The program funded research-based insights and data-driven agricultural technologies through two Project Grants totaling $8.6 million in federal dollars obligated, awarded in 2022. The Cornell Agricultural Systems Testbed and Demonstration Site (CAST) received $4,310,184 in December 2022 to establish a networked cluster of test farms leveraging Cornell University and University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff resources for data-driven research, extension, and education focused on field-crop and animal systems. The I-FARM (Illinois—Farming and Regenerative Management) testbed received $4,310,184 in April 2022 to develop and demonstrate sustainable management technologies on an 80-acre testbed, including precision farming with remote sensing, autonomous robotics for cover-crop planting and mechanical weeding, remote sensing for animal health prediction, rural broadband connectivity solutions, and an integrated farmer dashboard application.
Both awards carried completion dates extending into 2026 and 2027, indicating ongoing project activity despite the program's closure to new applications. The most recent grant opportunity posted in August 2021 with a due date of October 15, 2021; no current opportunities are open. The program operated under merit review by qualified scientists and specialists in accordance with the Agricultural Research, Extension and Education Reform Act of 1998. Awardees were required to maintain separate records for each grant for at least three years and make records available for federal audit and review by the GAO and USDA Office of Inspector General.
Objective and description
- Objective
Farm of the Future is a competitive grant program that establishes an agricultural test bed and demonstration site. Farm of the Future seeks to launch this rural test bed for precision agriculture, smart automation, and data connectivity and transfer
- Description
Program is no longer making new awards, but funded projects may still actively report expenditures.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
A single competitive grant will be awarded to an institution in the land-grant university system Applications may only be submitted by the following entities: (A) Land Grant Universities only. Public and private collaborations are encouraged.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
In accordance with statutory time limits, project periods, including no-cost extensions of time, are not to exceed five (5) years. Further details are provided in the Award document Form NIFA-2009 and the NIFA General Terms and Conditions Grants and Cooperative Agreements (dated October 2016) at: https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/nifa-general-terms-and-conditions-grants-and-cooperative-agreements-october-2016. SPECIAL NOTE: Please refer to the Competitive Request for Applications (RFAs) for specific and pertinent details. The most current RFAs are available https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/funding-opportunities/farm-future. RFAs are generally released annually. Hence, the RFAs provide the most current and accurate information available. Any specific instructions in the Competitive RFAs supersede the general information provided in the CFDA database. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: TBD Method of awarding/releasing assistance: Pertinent details will be provided at a later date
How to apply
- Criteria for selecting proposals
Within guidelines established for the program as described in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The most current NOFOs are available via: https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/funding-opportunities/farm-future
- Award procedure
Applications are subjected to a system of peer and merit review in accordance with section 103 of the Agricultural Research, Extension and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7613) by a panel of qualified scientists and other appropriate persons who are specialists in the field covered by the proposal. Within the limit of funds available for such purpose, the NIFA Authorized Departmental Officer (ADO) shall make grants to those responsible, eligible applicants whose applications are judged most meritorious under the procedures set forth in the NOFO. Reviewers will be selected based upon training and experience in relevant scientific, extension, or education fields, taking into account the following factors: (a) The level of relevant formal scientific, technical education, or extension experience of the individual, as well as the extent to which an individual is engaged in relevant research, education, or extension activities; (b) the need to include as reviewers experts from various
- Deadlines
Program no longer accepting applications.
- Time to approval or disapproval
From 30 to 60 days. Contact the National Program Leader (NPL), as indicated per CFDA Section # 152 - Headquarters Office regarding dates for specific deadlines, start and end dates, and range of approval/disapproval time. Information is also available via our website and may be obtained via the Grants.gov website. NIFA's respective links regarding general information are provided below: http://nifa.usda.gov/ http://www.grants.gov. SPECIAL NOTE: Please refer to the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for further specific and pertinent details. The most current NOFO is available via: https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/funding-opportunities/farm-future NOFOs are generally released annually. Hence, the NOFOs provide the most current and accurate information available. Any specific instructions in the Competitive NOFOs supersede the general information provided in the CFDA database.
- Renewals
Other. Specific details are provided in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), which are generally published annually. The most current NOFO is available via: https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/funding-opportunities/farm-future
- Appeals
Specific details are provided in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), which are generally published annually. The most current NOFO is available via: https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/funding-opportunities/farm-future
Grant opportunities
| Opportunity | Status | Posted | Applications due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farm of the future | Closed |
Grant awards
| Award | Recipient | Federal obligations | Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the… | Cornell University | $4,310,184 | |
| Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the… | University Of Illinois | $4,310,184 |
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cornell University | $4,310,184 | 50% |
| 2 | University Of Illinois | $4,310,184 | 50% |
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2023 | $4,684,368 |
| FY2022 | $3,936,000 |
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 10.230?
Assistance Listing 10.230 is Farm of the Future, a federal grant program run by National Institute of Food and Agriculture (Department of Agriculture).
What is the CFDA number for Farm of the Future?
Its CFDA number is 10.230: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 10.230 awarded?
2 grant awards under 10.230 have obligated $8,620,368 in federal funds to 2 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 10.230?
The recipients obligated the most under Farm of the Future are Cornell University ($4,310,184) and University Of Illinois ($4,310,184).
Are there open grant opportunities under 10.230?
No opportunity listed under 10.230 is open now. The latest, Farm of the future, was posted on August 19, 2021.
On GovTribe
See this program's full record
- Every grant award and opportunity under it
- Funding by recipient, agency and assistance type
- Alerts for new opportunities
- Ask GovTribe AI about this program