(Note: This
Value Added Grant is the USDA grant. The post from last month was on the Value Added Grant from the MO Dept of Ag grant. To read the MO Dept of Ag Value Added grant go to the Oct 28th post.)
Grants extend production season and income opportunities for America's Farmers
Grants extend production season and income opportunities for America's Farmers
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack
today announced the availability of nearly $10.5 million in U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) grants to help agricultural producers enter into value-added
activities designed to give them a competitive business edge.
"U.S. agriculture is connected
to one in 12 American jobs, and value-added products from homegrown sources are
one important way that agriculture generates economic growth," Vilsack
said. "Supporting producers and businesses to create value-added products
strengthens rural economies, helps fuel innovation, and strengthens marketing
opportunities for producers – especially at the local and regional level."
The funding is being made available
through the Value-Added Producer Grant
program. Grants are available to help agricultural producers create new
products, expand marketing opportunities, support further processing of
existing products or goods, or to develop specialty and niche products. They
may be used for working capital and planning activities. The maximum working
capital grant is $200,000; the maximum planning grant is $75,000.
Eligible applicants include
independent producers, farmer and rancher cooperatives, and agricultural
producer groups. Funding priority is given to socially disadvantaged and
beginning farmers or ranchers, and to small- to medium-size family farms, or
farmer/rancher cooperatives.
The Value-Added Producer Grant
program is one of many USDA programs that support the development of strong
local and regional food systems as part of the Know Your Farmer, Know Your
Food initiative. Launched in 2009, the initiative strengthens ties between
agricultural producers and their local communities, helping meet growing
consumer demand and creating opportunities for small business development.
Initiatives like this create new income opportunities for farmers, generate
wealth that will stay in rural communities, and increase access to healthy,
local foods in underserved communities. All of these actions boost local
economies.
Rural Development is encouraging
applications from Tribal organizations as well as applications that support
regional food hubs. Applications supporting value-added activities related to
bio-based products are also encouraged.
In Fiscal year 2012, for example,
the Mississippi Delta Southern Rural Black Women in Agriculture Association
received a $44,000 working capital grant to provide a variety of services in
the Delta region. The cooperative delivered oven-bakeable sweet potato fries to
local Head Start programs and schools; cut, washed and bagged greens for local
restaurants; and delivered sustainably grown and heirloom sweet potatoes to
local and specialty grocers regionally and nationwide. The sweet potatoes are
processed at the vegetable facility at Alcorn State University, in Lorman,
Miss.
The project is supplying emerging
markets with locally grown produce to enhance production, marketing and
distribution infrastructure among women and minority landowners in persistently
poor rural communities.
Additional examples of how VAPGs
assist local and regional food producers are available on the USDA Know
Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass,
which is searchable by zip code and key word.
Grant applications are due by Feb.
24, 2014. More information about how to apply is available on page 70260 of the
November 25 Federal Register,
or by contacting any USDA Rural Development state office.
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