We are excited to announce two grant programs for producer hubs in 2026 – one for established hubs and one for emerging groups. Our new Deepening Roots: Hubs in Transition Grant, supports groups navigating financial need or major organizational transitions.  
 
This new program complements our existing Growing Roots: Startup Hubs Grant, designed for groups in their first 0-3 years of operations.  

Read more below for grant eligibility and additional details for each program. 

Why This Matters 

The agricultural landscape is changing rapidly, and producer hubs across the country are feeling the pressure. Reduced federal funding, policy uncertainty, leadership turnover, and market disruptions, all put pressure on small and mid-size producers and their regional hubs. The work hubs do has never been more vital—or more urgent. 

At Rooted Farmers, we understand this deeply because we’ve lived it. Eight growing seasons ago, we started as a solution for our own regional collective of flower growers in Northern New England. We needed a way to aggregate product, manage sales, and meet buyer demands for volume, consistency, and reliability. The results transformed our operations: buyers doubled their purchases, growers accessed previously out-of-reach markets, and farms built more profitable, scalable operations. 

Since then, we've had the privilege of partnering with dozens of producer hubs across the country—at every stage and scale, working with both food and flower products. We've collaborated to build operational and technical solutions for the unique challenges hubs face: maintaining relationship-based sales while scaling efficiently, managing perishable products, navigating leadership transitions, and building financial sustainability. 

For the past four years, our grant program has focused on supporting flower hubs looking to develop their local markets. From this work, it became clear: hubs need different types of support at different stages of their business.  
 
A brand-new hub/collective forming in order to access wholesale markets has very different needs than an established hub navigating the loss of grant funding or a major operational transition. Both types of food and flower hubs are critical to the health and resilience of local and regional agricultural systems. And, both deserve support. 

What is a Producer Hub? 

The grant program is designed specifically for producer hubs: organizations that aggregate and market products from multiple independent producers while maintaining direct relationships and providing support services such as marketing, shared infrastructure, market access, or business development. 

Producer hubs differ from traditional wholesalers in that they maintain direct relationships with each producer, provide value-added services beyond buying and selling, and operate with a producer-centered mission. Examples include food hubs, flower hubs, producer cooperatives, multi-farm CSAs, and farm-to-institution programs with producer aggregation. 

1. Growing Roots: Startup Hubs Grant

For hubs in years 0-3 of operations 

The Growing Roots grant is designed for new and emerging producer hubs who are establishing their operations and building initial market relationships. If you're a group of producers working together to access markets collaboratively, this program provides startup funding, technology, and coaching you need to build strong foundations. 

Who is eligible: 

• Producer hubs generally in years 0-3 of operations 
• Groups of 4+ producers 
• At least half of member farms should have 3+ years of growing/production experience 

What you'll receive: 

• Micro-Grant funding: $500-$1,500 grant for startup expenses (equipment, marketing, infrastructure, technology, professional services, etc.) 
• Technology platform: One-year complimentary Rooted Farmers Essentials for Hubs subscription (for groups new to joining the Rooted platform), plus $100 subscription discount for each grower subscription 
• Coaching: Bi-monthly coaching sessions with experienced hub operators and Rooted team  
• Program timeline: March - December 2026  

Growing Roots: Startups Hub Grant Request for Applications 

Growing Roots: Startups Hub Grant Terms and Conditions

2. Deepening Roots: Hubs in Transition Grant

For hubs in year 3+

The Hubs in Transition Grant is built for established hubs navigating a period of change—financial, operational, or organizational. This comprehensive support program provides financial relief, strategic coaching, and technology support to help hubs strengthen operations and continue delivering value to their producers and communities.   

Who is eligible: 

• Producer hubs generally in year 3+ of operations 
• Groups of 5+ producers  
• Annual sales volume of $250,000 or more 
• New to using Rooted Farmers for hub management 
• Must be experiencing demonstrated financial hardship (loss of grant funding, significant revenue decline, unexpected major expenses, inability to cover operational costs, or financial impacts from leadership transitions or organizational changes) 

What you'll receive: 

• Financial support: Need-based fee forgiveness of up to 90% on Rooted subscription and transaction fees for minimum one year 
• Technology platform: One-year complimentary Rooted Farmers Essentials for Hubs subscription, plus $100 subscription discount for each grower subscription. Personalized onboarding, training, and ongoing technical support. 
• Coaching: Bi-monthly coaching sessions with experienced hub operators and Rooted team 
• Program timeline: March - December 2026 

Deepening Roots: Hubs in Transition Grant Request for Applications

Deepening Roots: Hubs in Transition Grant Terms and Conditions

How to Apply for the Grants

Application deadlines: February 1, 2026 at 5:00 PM EST 
Awards announced: On or before February 16, 2026  

Applications for both programs should be submitted to reachout@rootedfarmers.com. Detailed application requirements and full program information are available in the Request for Applications and Terms and Conditions 

Not sure which grant program is right for your hub? We're here to help! Contact us at reachout@rootedfarmers.com with questions about eligibility, the application process, or to discuss which grant best fits your needs.