Young, Beginning, & Small Farmers
Supporting the next generation of agriculture.
We offer young, beginning, and small farmers grants, education, mentorship, and specialized financing to build and sustain a successful agricultural operation.
CultivateGrowth
Who Qualifies?
Young Farmers
Individuals between 18–35 years old.
Beginning Farmers
Farmers with 10 years of experience or less.
Small Farmers
Earn less than $350,000 in annual gross sales from production agriculture.
CultivateGrowth Conference
Join us March 12-13, 2026 in Lansing, MI
CultivateGrowth Loans
Financing that helps emerging farmers flourish.
Lending solutions tailored to you
We offer specialized lending with relaxed underwriting standards tailored to your unique needs in order to support the next generation of agriculture.
Emerging Loan Program
In addition to our relaxed loan standards for all young, beginning, and small farmer financing needs, we also offer custom loan options for up to $100,000 in operating or intermediate loans and $100,000 in long-term loans to eligible farmers with limited credit and collateral. Emerging loan borrowers who complete our CultivateGrowth Emerging Loans Education Program also qualify for an interest rate reduction on the loan.
CultivateGrowth Emerging Loan Program Details
CultivateGrowth Grants
Your growth is a worthy investment.
Investing in your success with grants for continuing agriculture education
Our CultivateGrowth Grant provides $40,000 annually to help cover or offset the costs of strengthening and continuing agricultural education. Up to $1,000 is available for current GreenStone members and up to $500 for non-GreenStone members.
CultivateGrowth Grants can be used toward:
Agricultural programs and events
Attend an agricultural conference, participate in a workshop, learn a new skill, and more to help grow your operation.
GreenStone business resources
First time use of GreenStone’s accounting, payroll, or tax planning and preparation experts to help you save time.
Additional services
Benefit from expert advice on business consulting, farm planning, and more to learn skills specific to your operation.
CultivateGrowth Mentorship
Putting the power of experience to work for you.
Cultivating knowledge through experience
Whether you’re a young, beginning, or small farmer or an experienced farmer who believes in the power of shared wisdom, our CultivateGrowth Mentorship program is for you. The mentorship program partners young, beginning, and small farmers with established farmers to provide business coaching, networking, and mentoring opportunities.
How it Works
Over the course of 18 months, mentees will learn from mentors as they discuss the cornerstones of running a successful farm: like creating an effective business plan, managing risk, utilizing resources, and overseeing day-to-day operations.
Value to Mentees
Learn industry practices
Network
Grow business acumen
Value to Mentors
Give back
Develop leadership
Gain fresh perspectives
Education Opportunities
Equipping young, beginning, & small farmers with the education they need today.
Agriculture is an ever-evolving industry, and education is a competitive advantage. We want to give young, beginning, and small farmers the opportunity to gain the knowledge they need to navigate today’s modern marketplace.
Opportunities to learn and grow
Our diverse program offers a broad range of educational opportunities and partnerships, from events and courses to workshops and peer-to-peer mentoring.
Educational Opportunities
The cost of many educational opportunities may be offset or covered by GreenStone’s CultivateGrowth Grant.
GreenStone CultivateGrowth Conference
- Attend GreenStone’s CultivateGrowth Conference focused on educating and supporting young, beginning, and small farmers.
- More information will be available as the event nears.
Tax and Accounting Review
Meet with a GreenStone tax and accounting specialist to review your financials and discuss how to use accounting information to make effective farm management decisions.
Business Plan and Financial Checklist Assistance
Business plan and financial records templates are available to review with your financial services officer.
Educational Conferences, Industry Events and Financial Training Courses
Support for ongoing education and training to assist young, beginning, and small farmers with reaching their personal and professional goals.
Get an interest rate reduction through our Emerging Loan Program.
Individuals who secure a CultivateGrowth Emerging Loan are eligible to receive an interest rate reduction on their loan upon the completion of their CultivateGrowth Emerging Loan Education.
Knowledge & Resources
What is collateral, and why should I put up my assets to secure a loan?
Read Article
A Financial Roadmap for Farmers for a Sustainable and Successful 2025
Read Article
Understanding your farm’s balance sheet
Read Article
3 Things Your Lender Wants You to Know as a Beginning Farmer
Read Article
Seeds of Opportunity
Read Article
The Five Cs of Credit: What your lender wants to see
Read Article
With GreenStone, everything works together.
“We know Kim is looking out for us and our best interest. She makes regular visits to the farm for check-ins, and for us that’s really important because working with a lender who truly understands who you are and what your business does is always easier to work with. What I appreciate about Kim is the personal interaction we get with her, whether that’s her stopping by the farm or just picking up the phone to call her whenever. You don’t always get that with other traditional lenders you work with.”
“Collin was great about getting all of the resources together and helping us through the tough decisions and conversations and making sure we had everything thought through before we went forward with everything. He helped every little step of the way, helping with the FSA side of things. He was really looking out for us and our operation. He knew our goal, too, which was really important.”
“We were referred to GreenStone, and the experience has been outstanding. They have terrific customer service and lots of options and alternatives to assist in terms of repayments or refinancing. GreenStone has been fabulous.”
Patronage Program
It pays to partner.
We’ve returned more than $1.2 billion in profits to our members, including $125 million this year. When our members are successful, we’re successful — partnership pays!
Important Dates
Mark these dates on your calendar
Rooted Together
Young, Beginning, & Small Farmers Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to get started?
Our dedicated team of experts are here to help.