14 New York Farms Receive Value-Added Producer Grants

From the USDA:

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today (Oct. 28) announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing more than $45 million to help farmers, ranchers, small businesses and entrepreneurs nationwide develop new product lines. 

USDA is investing in 325 projects through the Value-Added Producer Grant program. There are 14 projects in New York state receiving money. 

Vilsack

"Value-Added Producer Grants are one of USDA's most sought-after funding sources for veteran and beginning farmers, and rural-based businesses," Vilsack said. "These grants provide a much-needed source of financing to help producers develop new product lines and increase their income, and keep that income in their communities. 

"Economic development initiatives like this one are working – the unemployment rate in rural America is at an eight-year low and incomes rose 3.4 percent last year. Small business entrepreneurship, which Value-Added Producer Grants support, is a major reason why rural America is a making a comeback," he said.

VAPG grants can be used to develop new product lines from raw agricultural products or promote additional uses for established products. 

Veterans, socially-disadvantaged groups, beginning farmers and ranchers, operators of small- and medium-sized family farms and ranches, and farmer and rancher cooperatives are given special priority.

USDA has awarded 1,441 VAPG awards since 2009, totaling $183 million. Congress increased funding for the program in the 2014 Farm Bill. 

The 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.Vilsack has identified local and regional food systems as a key component of rural economic development.

The 14 NY farms and their projects are:

** Thousand Islands Winery, $250,000, to expand sales and promotion of rye whiskey and bourbon whiskey products. 
** Devine Gardens, $30,743, to increase sales of its high-value compost produced by worms.
** Hathaway Farms, $250,000, to enhance marketing and increase sales of grape juice concentrate made from the farm's grapes and sold regionally to restaurants and stores.
** Millitello Farms, $41,112, to cover the labor, advertising and building utilities' cost; purchase other produce, like apples, and various promotional items.
** Organic Indoors Gardens of Poughkeepsie, $49,000, to expand sales and promotion of hard cider products.
** Partyka & Sons Farms, $170,465, to expand sales and promotion of wholesale and home-delivered bottled milk products.
** Celk Distilling, $200,000, to expand sales and promotion of its Community Supported Agriculture farm products.
** Eden Works, $250,000, to undertake a marketing campaign designed to increase sales of fresh salad greens grown in New York City.
** Fishkill Farms, $53,625, to explore the feasibility of creating a cidery and producing hard cider from apples grown in the farm's organic and ecologically grown apple trees.
** Juniper Hill Farm, $49,710, to epand sales and promote microgreen products.
** King Brothers Dairy, $250,000, to expand sales of Rosebud wines.
** Niagara Landing Wine Cellars, $250,000, to increase sales of Rosebud wines.
** Vizcarra Family Vineyards, $250,000, to expand sales and promotion of roasted pumpkin seed products.
** Donovan Orchards, $185,000, to provide working capital for a startup hard cider company, Rootstock Ciderworks.

Grants Available for Value-Added Products

From the USDA -- This is a great opportunity for agricultural ventures in Central New York and farmers' markets.

 

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced this week 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.

The announcement comes as more than 1,400 communities nationwide gear up to support Small Business Saturday, a day dedicated to championing small businesses on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year. This year's Small Business Saturday is Nov. 30.