Farming Grants and Scholarships for Women in Agriculture

Last Updated on January 19, 2024 by Lori Pace

We are calling all green thumbs! Therefore, we’ve gathered some of the best grants for all agriculture majors to create sustainable farming methods for the future and make it a more accessible career for females.

Agriculture has been a part of society as long as, well, society has been part of society. 

And as our society grows, the need for intelligent, environmentally friendly, and sustainable farming practices also grows. Moreover, part of this sustainability comes from introducing women into the agricultural sector, where they have been historically strongly underrepresented. 

Firstly, finding the best scholarship for you can seem like searching for a needle in a haystack. But, think of the options below as a metal detector for your future. Finally, use what you uncover here to search for deeper needles in larger haystacks, and apply.

Scholarships and Grants for Future Female Farmers

You can find grants and fellowships in the

• private,
• government,
• and public sectors,

and it would be best if you were sure to apply for scholarships from every industry. 

Private Scholarships for Agriculture Majors

Maxine Sampson Scholarship for Women in Agriculture – Iowa State University (ISU)

ISU offers the Maxine Sampson Scholarship for Women in Agriculture to freshman women pursuing their first degree in Agriculture. 

It would help if you met some specific factors for this scholarship: 

• The recipient must be enrolled in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at ISU as a freshman. 
• You need to fill out a FAFSA form and show genuine financial need (Find out more about the FAFSA in our other articles!) 
• The recipient must identify as a woman 
• GPA of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale
• This is a once-off scholarship. 

University of Florida(UF): CALS Scholarship 

The CALS (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences) scholarship is not exclusive to women. Still, it is exclusive to agricultural students, undergraduate or postgraduate, who have a GPA of 3.0. 

CALS offers 10 $1 000 scholarships annually to US citizens enrolled in UF. This scholarship is also open to students in related fields to agriculture, like animal sciences, food science, and geomatics. 

To apply, have the following documents ready: 

• Letters of recommendations 
• Career plan (3500 words) 
• PDF of your resume 

Farm Grants from Government Institutions

United States Department of Agriculture offers:

• National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
• AFRI Education and Workforce development program

NIFA hosts two different scholarships as part of the AFRI Education and Workforce development program. The first is a grant for undergraduate students, and the second a fellowship for pre-and-post doctoral students. 

1. Developing Pathways

This scholarship is aimed at undergraduate students (male and female) and offers institutional grants. These grants are to develop the technical and leadership skills necessary to thrive in agriculture. 

Practical knowledge is vital, and NIFA prioritizes experiential learning in this grant process. Internships, study abroad opportunities, and externships all form part of the Developing Pathways grant process. 

2. Advancing Science

This is an individually awarded fellowship program awarded to pre-and-post doctoral students to use in research or industry training. 

You can learn more about NIFA by clicking on the available link.

Agriculture Scholarships from Private Organizations

Private organizations, made up of committed industry leaders, are often the best places to find support. Created out of passion, these organizations will assist with finances and networking, job placement, and inclusivity. 

They often require you to be part of their organization to qualify for support but remember that no person is an island. The inclusion into a community of like-minded can only help you in the future. 

American Agri-Women Foundation (AAW) 

The AAW is like an oasis in the desert. 

It is a community of female farmers and ranchers, connecting farmers through meet-ups and offering financial support to up-and-coming female farmers. 

Developed by AAW, the Daughters of American Agriculture provides two scholarships;

1. Jean Ibendahl Scholarship (ages 18-23)
2. Sister Thomas More Bertels Scholarship (for ages 24+ who are returning to agricultural studies)

Named after AAW founding members, these scholarships are open to the ranch, farm, agribusiness workers, and their daughters, to the value of $1 000. 

Funding is to pursue accredited courses in agricultural leadership and education, medicine, communications, rural sociology, or other agriculturally focused degrees. 

Career Agri Grants

Education does not end in the classroom. Conventions and workshops between farmers are a great source of knowledge sharing and collaboration. 

The Vermont Farm Women’s Fund (VFWF)

Offers scholarship and stipend funding for women farmers to help build policy and develop their businesses. 

VFWF will pay up to 75% of the costs, with a cap of $150. The money is for transport, registration, or conference fees. 

To qualify for these stipends, VFWF is looking for women who: 

• Have plans for how they will use the skills they will learn within 12 months on their farm
• Have plans to share the knowledge gained with other agri-women 
• Will write a report for VFWF discussing how the scholarship has assisted. 

Please read all about the great work of the VFWF on their website.

American Agri-Women Gail McPherson Fly-In Scholarship 

The AAW Fly-in is a way for female farmers from around the USA to connect and help one another.

However, only three scholarships are awarded annually for this event. 

Final Word on Farm Grants for Females

Getting involved in such a male-dominated field as agriculture seems daunting, but don’t be afraid to ruffle a few feathers! And beyond that, it’s also easy to talk with other women to create programs where others do not exist yet.

In conclusion, we hope you’ve found some exciting grants and that you want to take the step to make each farm you work on more accessible for females in the future. However, if you’re not sure that agriculture is the right choice for you, check out our page on scholarships for women for more information.

The future of farming is in your hands, sow the seeds and watch them grow.