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Plant Your Roots Program — New Entrant
Interest rebate for new farm ownership
Funding available
$ 100,000
Deadline
February 15, 2027
Opened April 1, 2026
Location
Nova Scotia, Canada
Overview
The program provides an interest rebate of up to $100,000 to support new ownership of commercial farms in Nova Scotia. It supports beginning farmers and first-time commercial farm purchases, including eligible loan interest on qualifying new loans.
/100
Opportunity Score
Moderate potential, but conditions must align.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Increase performance through digital transformation
- Complete an acquisition or business transfer
- Optimize production processes
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 100,000 $
Funds Providers
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- Nova Scotia
Legal structures
- Sole proprietorship
- For-profit business
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- Indigenous Peoples
- Persons with Disabilities
- Other Racialized Persons
- Black Canadians
- 2SLGBTQI+
- Youth (<40)
- Startups
- Women
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
Availability timeline
2026
Periods: 2
Activities funded
- Starting a first farm business with a goal of reaching commercial scale within five years.
- Purchasing an existing commercial farm for the first time.
- Purchasing at least 25% interest in a commercial farm for the first time.
- Investing in farm technologies that improve labour efficiency or local food production.
- Investing in properties to create or reactivate farm locations.
Documents Needed
- Signed loan agreement
- Proof of ownership percentage
- Business plan and income projections
- Program Funding Registration form
Sources and recorded changes
- Source change captured
- Change recorded
- Record updated
A captured source change or record update does not confirm eligibility. Check the funder’s current rules before applying.
Plant Your Roots updated for 2026-27
The program now reflects the 2026-27 cycle, with revised dates, updated application materials, and a broader registration form for farm applicants.
Plant Your Roots has been updated for the 2026-27 intake, including new opening and deadline dates and revised guidance on when applications and repayment milestones apply. The application process now centers on the Program Funding Registration form for farm applicants, with expanded business, contact, commodity, processing, and certification details, plus updated attachment requirements and return instructions. Eligibility language also adds a new note that some farmers who leased land through PAAL, Martha’s New Growers, or similar arrangements may be considered for the Beginning Farmers stream on a case-by-case basis.
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- New farmers
- Commercial farm purchasers
- Farms and Mi'kmaq conducting farming activities in a Mi'kmaw community
Who is not eligible
- Farms that previously received benefits under FarmNEXT or Plant Your Roots.
- Applicants using variable interest rate loans, refinancing, operating lines of credit, or residential mortgages.
Eligible expenses
- Projected interest on qualifying new loans.
- Loans used for first-time commercial farm purchases.
- Loans for innovative technologies that improve labour efficiency.
- Loans for technologies supporting local food production.
- Loans for properties to create active farm locations or reactivate viable farmland.
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Variable interest rate loans
- Refinancing of existing loans
- Operating lines of credit
- Residential mortgages
- Secondary financing such as second mortgages
Eligible geographic areas
- Nova Scotia
Selection criteria
The Plant Your Roots program has evaluation and selection criteria to determine eligibility for the grant:
- Applicants must be farm or Mi'kmaq conducting farming activities in a Mi'kmaw community.
- Applicants must be currently and properly registered under the Farm Registration Act in the correct income category.
- Applicants must be at least 19 years old and actively farming in the program year.
- Applicants must be establishing a farm business with plans to reach a commercial scale level within 5 years or purchasing a commercial farm for the first time in Nova Scotia.
How to apply
- Step 1: Check eligibility
- Confirm that you meet the program requirements.
- Step 2: Complete required forms
- Fill out the Program Funding Registration form if you are new to Programs since 2023.
- Update the form if your business information has changed.
- Step 3: Prepare supporting documents
- Gather the signed loan agreement and required supporting information.
- Include the business plan and income projections when required.
- Step 4: Submit the application
- Send a complete application within 6 months of loan offer acceptance and by the program deadline.
- Submit documents to the Department of Agriculture Programs Office.
Processing and Agreement
- Applications are reviewed by the Department of Agriculture.
- If approved, applicants receive a Letter of Agreement with the funding terms.
- Applicants must review, sign, and return the Letter of Agreement within 30 days.
- Funding is issued to the financial institution managing the loan.
Additional information
- Applicants new to Programs since 2023 must complete the Program Funding Registration form.
- Returning applicants must update the form with any business changes.
- Applications are reviewed by the Department of Agriculture as they are received.
- Approved applicants receive a Letter of Agreement and must return it within 30 days.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the Plant Your Roots Program — New Entrant Program
What is the Plant Your Roots Program — New Entrant?
The program provides an interest rebate of up to $100,000 to support new ownership of commercial farms in Nova Scotia. It supports beginning farmers and first-time commercial farm purchases, including eligible loan interest on qualifying new loans.
How much funding can be received?
Plant Your Roots Program — New Entrant Funds up to $100,000 of admissible expenses.
What is the deadline to apply?
The application deadline for this grant program is February 15, 2027. Applicants must submit their complete application before this date to be considered for funding.
Who is eligible for the Plant Your Roots Program — New Entrant program?
To be eligible for the Plant Your Roots Program — New Entrant program, you must:
Farm or Mi'kmaq applicant in a Mi'kmaw community.
At least 19 years old and actively farming.
Registered under the Farm Registration Act.
What expenses are eligible under Plant Your Roots Program — New Entrant?
Projected interest on qualifying new loans.
Loans used for first-time commercial farm purchases.
Loans for innovative technologies that improve labour efficiency.
Loans for technologies supporting local food production.
Loans for properties to create active farm locations or reactivate viable farmland.
Who can I contact for more information about the Plant Your Roots Program — New Entrant?
You can contact Government of Nova Scotia by email at prm@novascotia.ca or by phone at 902-893-6377.
Where is the Plant Your Roots Program — New Entrant available?
The Plant Your Roots Program — New Entrant program is available the province of Nova Scotia.