MDARD Announces Grant Opportunity to Support Michigan’s Horticulture Businesses

Proposals must be received via email no later than November 21, 2025

LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) announced today it is accepting grant proposals for the 2026 Horticulture Fund, which supports Michigan's nursery and ornamental horticulture businesses. Proposals must be received by Friday, November 21, 2025, with the maximum grant award of $20,000.

Eligible applicants include all faculty and staff members of universities and colleges in Michigan, as well as teams of university/college investigators and private individuals. However, university or college personnel must be the Principal Investigator of the proposal.

While eligible projects for grant consideration can be either new or ongoing, all proposals must fall under one of three funding categories:

• Applied Research: Crop management systems that enhance industry profitability while being environmentally and socially responsible and provide long-term benefits to Michigan's nursery and ornamental horticulture industry.
• Basic Research: Research generating knowledge that can be used to address contemporary problems and/or enable the future development and implementation of improved techniques or processes.
• Outreach/Training/Demonstration: Activities focused on assisting Michigan's nursery and ornamental horticultural industries.

Proposals must be submitted via email to MDARD's Nursery Program no later than Friday, November 21, 2025. Applications and grant guidelines are available on MDARD's website. Proposals will be reviewed by the Horticulture Fund Advisory Committee, whose members are appointed by MDARD's Director. Grant recipients plan to be announced in May 2026.

Visit MDARD's website for additional information about MDARD's Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division.

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