Source: NATIONAL SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE COALITION, 1/3/18


Editor’s note: This blog post was originally published in August of 2017 and has been republished to highlight the approaching application deadline: January 24, 2018 for electronic applications and January 31, 2018 for paper applications. To learn more about the Value-Added Producer Grant Program (VAPG), please see the blog post below. You can also consult our updated Farmers’ Guide to Applying for the Value-Added Producer Grant Program for further details. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s “Farmers’ Guides” are free resources that walk farmers through U.S. Department of Agriculture programs by providing step-by-step descriptions of the application and ranking processes.

Producing fresh, healthy food is hard work. In order to be a successful farmer or rancher, you need tools and resources that are customized to your particular field of agriculture. This also holds true for producers who decide to take their products a step further and add “food entrepreneur” to their resumes. For producers interested in transforming their raw ingredients into finished products and marketing their goods to a wider base of customers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program is an important resource.

On Monday, August 28, USDA announced the availability of at least $18 million in funding through the competitive VAPG program. Of the $18 million, $15 million comes from the fiscal year (FY) 2017 Consolidated Appropriations Act, while $3 million comes directly from the 2014 Farm Bill. When Congress finalizes appropriations legislation for FY 2018, most likely in December, USDA may choose to fold FY 2018 funding for VAPG into the FY 2017 Notice of Solicitation for Applications (NOSA). Under this scenario, the total funding for the combined NOSA could equal up to $34 million, and USDA would not issue a separate notice for FY 2018. USDA is unlikely to decide whether or not to combine the two years’ worth of funding until the end of the calendar year.

Administered by USDA Rural Development, the VAPG program provides competitive grants to producers for working capital, feasibility studies, business plans, and for marketing efforts to establish viable value-added businesses. Up to $75,000 is available for planning grants and up to $250,000 is available for implementation grants.

In order to help to ensure a strong applicant pool, we encourage all readers to help get the word out to qualified individuals and groups.

The deadline to submit paper applications is January 31, 2018, while the deadline to submit electronic applications is January 24, 2018. Electronic applications must be submitted through grants.gov.