Yesterday, Secretary Vilsack announced the availability of nearly $10.5 million in USDA grants to help agricultural producers enter into value-added activities designed to give them a competitive business edge.
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.
USDA is funding these efforts through its Value-Added Producer Grant program. Since 2009, the Obama Administration has provided agricultural producers with almost $80 million in Value Added Producer Grant assistance that has supported more than 600 innovative, value-added projects.
Learn More + Apply Deadline: February 24, 2014
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