Posted December 2, 2013
UDSA recently announced the availability of nearly
$10.5 million in grants to help agricultural producers enter into value-added
activities, according to the USDA news release available here.
Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, said, “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…Supporting
producers and businesses to create value-added products strengthens rural
economies, helps fuel innovation, and strengthen marketing opportunities for
producers – especially at the local and regional level.”
The funding is available through the Value-Added Producer Grant
program and can be used for working capital and planning activities. The maximum working capital grant is $200,000
and the maximum planning grant is $75,000.
Grant applications are due by Feb. 24, 2014.
The Modesto Bee also reported on the story here. “Value-added” produces are raw produced that
are processed to make something different.
Examples of “value-added” products include fruit cups, roasted and salted
almonds, ready-made chicken. Other
examples include turning raw tomatoes into salsa, ketchup, and pasta sauce and
turning milk into cheese, butter, and ice cream.
For more information on value added products, a report
from the Congressional Research Service available as a free resource on the
National Agricultural Law Center’s website is available here.
