Upgrade your operation, not just patch it together.
From working facilities to energy-efficient barns, funding programs can help pay for infrastructure that makes your ranch safer and more profitable. Rangeworks helps you see what's out there.
Good infrastructure saves time, energy, and vet bills.
Handling facilities, barns, and energy systems are expensive — but they pay back through labor savings, animal welfare, and lower utility bills. A well-designed chute reduces stress on cattle and people. Efficient lighting and ventilation cut power costs. Proper storage protects feed and equipment from weather damage.
There are specific NRCS and energy-efficiency programs that fund these improvements. EQIP covers many farmstead and handling practices, and utility companies often layer rebates on top. The trick is knowing which programs apply and how to present your project in a way that qualifies.
Featured Program
EQIP On-Farm Energy and Farmstead Practices
Administered by USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
EQIP funds energy audits, lighting upgrades, ventilation systems, and other farmstead improvements that reduce energy use and improve efficiency. Producers can often combine EQIP support with utility rebates for additional savings.
Example: Funding barn lighting and energy upgrades
Distant View Farms, a dairy operation in Iowa, installed energy-efficient LED long-day lighting with support from NRCS planning and financial assistance. The project improved lighting quality for cow comfort while significantly reducing electricity use.
The combination of better lighting and lower energy costs improved both animal welfare and the operation's bottom line. Similar projects — upgrading fans, pumps, and lighting — are common across dairy, poultry, and swine operations that work with NRCS on energy efficiency.
Two ways to approach this
You can tackle the paperwork alone, or let Rangeworks handle the heavy lifting.
Path A: Hunting for equipment funding on your own
- 1Identify which conservation and energy programs apply (EQIP, utility rebates, state energy offices).
- 2Schedule and complete an energy or facility audit if required.
- 3Collect quotes, specs, and drawings for equipment or construction.
- 4Fill out separate applications for each funding source.
- 5Track deadlines, approvals, and installation timelines.
- 6Submit completion documents and verification paperwork.
- 7Maintain your own spreadsheet to track paybacks and reporting.
Path B: One plan for facilities and funding
- 1In Rangeworks, describe the facility or equipment upgrades you're considering (handling, barns, energy systems).
- 2Rangeworks shows conservation and energy programs that can help fund the project based on your location and operation.
- 3Rangeworks helps you turn your ideas into a clean, funding-ready project description and checklist.
- 4Use Rangeworks task list to stay on top of quotes, audits, and paperwork from multiple programs without losing track.
Fewer steps. Clearer language. One place for everything.
Take the work off your desk — not out of your hands.
Rangeworks helps you organize programs, prepare stronger drafts, and stay ahead of deadlines — while you stay in control of every decision.
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