Let Farmers Fly › Washington › WSDA Climate Smart Farm Equipment Grant
WSDA Climate Smart Farm Equipment Grant
Washington State Department of Agriculture: 75% of eligible equipment and delivery costs, up to $200,000 per farm per year; 85% for qualifying farms. Opened September 4, 2026 and closed September 11, 2026.
Verified Oct 14, 2026 against agr.wa.gov · Report a change
What it pays
75%
75% of eligible equipment and delivery costs, up to $200,000 per farm per year; 85% for qualifying farms. $4.3 million for FY2026, first come first served.
You pay first
100% up front
100% up front, then reimbursed. On $100,000 of equipment WSDA pays back $75,000 or $85,000.
Buy before approval?
No
No. "Do not purchase equipment until the grant agreement is fully executed."
Drones
Ask the agency
Drones, UAS and sprayers do not appear on the program page or in WSDA's 338-item eligible-equipment list.
Who can apply
Commercial farming or aquaculture operations in Washington with a state business license (UBI); one application per farm per fiscal year; farms apply individually. The 85% rate is for gross cash farm income under $350,000, citizens or businesses of a federally recognized Tribe, veterans, and operations mainly in a census tract ranked 9 or 10 for environmental exposure.
What it covers
Equipment used in on-farm production that directly decreases greenhouse-gas emissions or increases soil or vegetative carbon storage, plus delivery. Examples: no-till drills, electric tractors, compost spreaders, electric pumps, GPS precision-ag equipment. Used equipment counts with an official vendor quote. Not covered: post-harvest-only equipment, trucks, services, installation, subscriptions, soil amendments, hand tools.
Drones: ask the agency before you count on it
Drones, UAS and sprayers do not appear on the program page or in WSDA's 338-item eligible-equipment list. The list is not closed: "The absence of a piece of equipment does not mean it cannot be funded." An unlisted item goes through the innovative-equipment criteria (link to an NRCS practice standard, meaningful management change, plausible emissions mechanism, peer-reviewed evidence). Nobody can promise approval.
What that means for you: equipment is an allowed purpose and drones are not named. Nobody can promise approval. If you plan to ask, describe the exact use and tie it to a practice the agency already recognizes.
Question to send WaSHI@agr.wa.gov (copy and edit)
"I farm [acres, crop] in [county]. Would a [make, model] agricultural drone used for [spot spraying / variable-rate fertilizer / cover-crop seeding] be considered eligible under WSDA Climate Smart Farm Equipment Grant, and what would you need from me to decide?"
Money and timing
75% of eligible equipment and delivery costs, up to $200,000 per farm per year; 85% for qualifying farms. $4.3 million for FY2026, first come first served. 100% up front, then reimbursed. On $100,000 of equipment WSDA pays back $75,000 or $85,000.
| Item | What the record says |
|---|---|
| Opens | September 4, 2026 (2026 round); 2027 round not announced. · not confirmed |
| Deadline | Closed September 11, 2026; next round not announced. |
| When money arrives | Reimbursement after complete paperwork; the page says within 30 days in one place and within 60 days in another. Equipment had to be paid for and on the farm by June 1, 2027 for the 2026 round. · conflicting wording |
| Repayment | Not a loan; nothing to repay. Keep and use the equipment for three years after the grant ends and hold full title. |
| Equipment origin rules | None; the agreement only requires open competition in procurement. |
Opened September 4, 2026 and closed September 11, 2026. WSDA says "check back for future funding opportunities in 2027" with no date.
Paperwork
A Washington Statewide Vendor number before you can submit; a vendor quote with dealer contact, make, model, delivery fee and total; the online application with a short narrative; after purchase, receipts, invoices and proof of delivery; keep records six years; applications are public records. · not confirmed
Still open
- Will a 2027 round open, and when?
- Would WSDA accept a spray or spreading drone, and under which NRCS practice standard?
- Do leased or financed units meet "full ownership"?
- Which reimbursement timing (30 or 60 days) governs?
Where this comes from
Every quoted line below was copied from the official page the research harness captured, and checked again against that capture when this site was built. Lines marked "not confirmed" elsewhere on this page have no quote yet.
| Fact | Official wording | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Program name | Climate Smart Farm Equipment Grant | agr.wa.gov · capture 13 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Agency | Washington State Department of Agriculture | agr.wa.gov · capture 13 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Kind of help | Awardees will purchase equipment first, then submit documentation to receive reimbursement. | agr.wa.gov · capture 13 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Who can apply | Enhanced rate 85% of eligible equipment and delivery costs, up to $200,000, for applicants who qualify under one or more of the following | agr.wa.gov · capture 13 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| What it covers | Funds may be applied toward the purchase cost of equipment used in on-farm production and delivery fees. | agr.wa.gov · capture 13 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Status | The grant application period ended on September 11, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. This program is now closed for 2026. | agr.wa.gov · capture 13 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Deadline | Please check back for future funding opportunities in 2027. | agr.wa.gov · capture 13 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| What it pays | 75% of eligible equipment and delivery costs, up to a maximum of $200,000 per farm per year. | agr.wa.gov · capture 13 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| You pay first | Awardees will purchase equipment first, then submit documentation to receive reimbursement. | agr.wa.gov · capture 13 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Repayment | This is a reimbursement grant. | agr.wa.gov · capture 13 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Repayment | must remain owned by the Grantee and in use for the intended purposes of this grant for at least 3 years | cms.agr.wa.gov · capture 34 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Repayment | Title to equipment purchased with grant funds vests in the Grantee. | cms.agr.wa.gov · capture 34 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Repayment | Grantees must have full ownership of purchased equipment to be eligible to receive grant funding. | agr.wa.gov · capture 13 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Drones | The absence of a piece of equipment does not mean it cannot be funded. | agr.wa.gov · capture 13 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Drones | Funds may be applied toward the purchase cost of equipment used in on-farm production and delivery fees. | agr.wa.gov · capture 13 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Buy before approval? | Do not purchase equipment until the grant agreement is fully executed. | agr.wa.gov · capture 13 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| When money arrives | WSDA will process approved reimbursements within 30 days of receiving a complete, signed invoice. | agr.wa.gov · capture 13 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| When money arrives | Once signed and returned, payment will be processed within 60 days. | agr.wa.gov · capture 13 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| When money arrives | All equipment must be paid for and received on-farm by June 1, 2027. | agr.wa.gov · capture 13 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Equipment origin rules | Grantee's procurement transactions must be conducted in a manner that provides, to the extent practical, open and free competition. | cms.agr.wa.gov · capture 34 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Official page | Climate Smart Farm Equipment Grant | agr.wa.gov · capture 13 | Oct 14, 2026 |
Record wsda-climate-smart-farm-equipment-grant v3, approved; automatic checks run Oct 15, 2026.
Ask about this program
Answers come only from the verified program records on this site. Every answer shows the agency's own words and the date we checked them. When the records don't say, it tells you to ask Washington State Department of Agriculture.
Not live yet: the assistant is being built. Until then, use the program pages and the contact on each one.