Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program Service

The United States Department of Agriculture, located in Washington, DC, is seeking a vendor to deliver a comprehensive beginning farmer and rancher development program. The agency intends to address the educational, technical, and financial hurdles faced by new agricultural producers entering the industry. This initiative aims to equip beginning farmers and ranchers with the essential skills required to establish, manage, and sustain viable agricultural operations. The scope of work covers a broad range of training and support services, including instruction on basic livestock, forest management, and crop farming practices. The selected vendor must deliver entrepreneurship and business training, financial and risk management training, agricultural credit acquisition, and farm financial benchmarking. Additionally, the project requires the development of curricula, mentoring programs, apprenticeships, internships, and diversification and marketing strategies. The agency also requires specialized assistance focusing on natural resource management and planning, alongside innovative strategies for land transfer and succession. The vendor must provide technical assistance to help beginning farmers or ranchers acquire land from retiring landowners. All work will be performed offsite, and eligibility is strictly limited to onshore organizations based in the United States. The agency is currently looking for proposals to determine the budget and has not disclosed specific key dates or evaluation criteria in the initial announcement.