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Source: USDA, 11/10/15
Rural Development Deputy Under Secretary Vernita F. Dore today highlighted the importance of rural entrepreneurs to the U.S. economy and announced that USDA is investing nearly $34 million to help 258 businesses nationwide. The funding comes from USDA Rural Development’s Value-Added Producer Grant program.
“This funding will enable farmers and ranchers to develop new products, improve the bottom line for their operations and help create a robust local and regional food system,” Dore said. “Value-Added Producer Grants provide capital to enable ag producers to grow their business through diversification. USDA’s support is especially important for beginning farmers and smaller farm operations.”
Value-Added Producer Grants can be used to develop new agricultural products or additional markets for existing ones. Military veterans, socially-disadvantaged and beginning farmers and ranchers, operators of small- and medium-sized family farms and ranches, and farmer and rancher cooperatives are given priority when applying for these grants.
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North Carolina
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Michael G. Jones, dba MAE
Farm Meats
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Working Capital
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$80,000
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Funds will be used as
working capital to offset costs associated with pork sales.
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North Carolina
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Rainbow Meadow Farms, LLC
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Working Capital
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$48,000
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To help launch an artisanal
butcher shop
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North Carolina
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Taylor Fish Farms
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Working Capital
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$250,000
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To process and create a
market for tilapia fillets
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North Carolina
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Huffman Vineyards, LLC
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Working Capital
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$45,000
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To increase production and
marketing of grapes produced into wine
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North Carolina
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Ronald W. Simmons, Jr., dba
Masterblend Family Farms
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Working Capital
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$48,000
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To market value-added
products for swine, i.e., sausage links, pork chops, baby back ribs, and
bacon
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To see the full listing of recipients, click here.
Since 2009, USDA has awarded 1,115 Value-Added Producer Grants totaling $154 million. Approximately 18 percent of the grants and 14 percent of total funding has been awarded to beginning farmers and ranchers. During 2015, more than one-third of Value-Added awards went to farmers and ranchers developing products for the local foods sector.
Value-Added Producer Grants are a key element of USDA’s Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Initiative, which coordinates the Department’s work on local and regional food systems. These are major contributors to rural economic development. Congress increased funding for the Value-Added program when it passed the 2014 Farm Bill. That measure builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past seven years, while achieving meaningful reform and billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers.
Rural Development helped 84 agricultural producers carry out local foods projects in 2014 through almost $8.9 million in Value-Added Producer Grant awards. For instance, in Arizona, North Leupp Family Farms received a $26,270 grant to determine the feasibility of producing blue cornmeal from Navajo corn and starting a mobile market to sell products on the Navajo Nation. In Georgia, the owners of B.J. Reese Orchards, LLC are using a $200,000 grant to process their apples into home-made apple pies and other value-added apple products.
President Obama’s plan for rural America has produced historic investment in rural communities. Under the President’s leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have strengthened America’s small towns and cities and helped improve the nation’s economy.
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