Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP) Grant

The Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP) offers cost-share funds to agricultural producers in Tennessee for making long-term investments in their farms and communities. Eligible participants must be U.S. citizens or residents, at least 18 years old, and operate a farm in Tennessee. The program aims to ensure the sustainability and growth of agricultural practices within the state.

The Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP) was established in 2005 to provide cost share dollars to agricultural producers for the purpose of making long-term investments in Tennessee farms and communities. Participation allows producers to maximize farm profits, adapt to changing market situations, improve operation safety, increase farm efficiency, and make a positive economic impact in their communities.

Eligibility

Be a citizen of the United States of America or lawfully present in the United States.

Be at least 18 years old during the application period.
Be a Tennessee resident operating a farm located in Tennessee. A farm operation may be owned and operated by a single individual, multiple individuals, company, corporation or a partnership.A farm operation may involve the production of multiple agricultural products and have multiple locations.Only one person from the farm operation is eligible to apply for TAEP Application A cost share.If multiple applications are received from the same farm operation, all requests will be denied.

Have filed a Federal IRS Schedule F (Form 1040), Profit or Loss from Farming, within the last two years (2018 or 2019). Applicant will not be required to submit a copy of their Schedule F at the time of application.However, applicant may be asked to submit a copy of their Schedule F prior to TAEP approval to verify their farming operation. If your operation does not file a Schedule F, please contact TAEP about alternate documentation to verify farming status.

Meet minimum livestock/acreage requirements for chosen program(s). Verification of minimum requirements may be requested prior to approval. Head of livestock = maximum number of single type, regardless of sex or age, at one time during the last 12 months
Hay Acreage = 100 acres of hay production; first cutting only
Row Crop Acreage = 500 acres of land in row crop production of corn, cotton, soybeans, and wheat only

Have a current (not expired) certification/permit based on type of livestock producer at time of application.Certificates and permits must be completed by the applicant.No substitutions allowed.

Ineligibility

Receipts dated prior to October 1, 2020 are not eligible.Receipts for in-kind services are not eligible (trade-in value is not eligible).
Used equipment, used materials and leased equipment are not eligible for cost share reimbursement unless otherwise noted.
Labor provided by applicant is not eligible for cost share reimbursement. Labor of any type is not eligible under Livestock Equipment.
Applicant cannot be reimbursed for purchases from a business where applicant participates in ownership (producer cooperatives excluded).
Applicants cannot combine projects and submit more than one reimbursement for the same item.
Reimbursement documentation must be postmarked or hand delivered by the deadline. Additional processing time is required for incomplete requests and requests submitted within one month of the program deadline. It is recommended that you submit your request as soon as your project is completed.
There can only be one reimbursement payment per program approval. Projects must be completed by reimbursement deadline.
Failure to complete projects and utilize any allocated funds can affect eligibility for future program participation. Partial utilization of allocated funds is allowed.
Falsifying applications, invoices or other documents submitted to TDA may make producer and farm ineligible to participate in present and/or future TDA programs, and may result in civil litigation or criminal prosecution.