USDA makes $30 million available for agricultural producers

May 11, 2015

Funds will assist various farmers with their operations

Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack and the United States Department of Agriculture are setting aside $30 million for farmers, ranchers and food entrepreneurs to use in developing new product lines.

The funds are being made available through the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program.

"Farmers and ranchers are creative people who, with a little help, can put that creativity to work and improve the bottom line for their operations," Vilsack said. "Value-Added Producer Grants enable them to develop new product lines to grow their businesses and expand their contributions to our nation's economy. This support is especially important for beginning farmers, military veterans engaging in farming and smaller farm operations participating in the local and regional food system."

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack

VAPG grants can be put towards developing new products made raw agricultural products or creating additional uses for already established product lines.

There will be special priority given to those who fall into some of the following categories:

Military veterans
Beginning farmers or ranchers
Operators of small and medium-sized family farms
Applicants that propose mid-tier value chain projects

More information about the grants and application process can be found on the May 8^th Federal Register – page 26528.

Electronic applications must be submitted by July 2^nd and paper applications by July 7^th.

Since 2009, the USDA’s VAPG grants have totaled about $104.5 million – approximately 19% of that funding has been given to beginning farmers trying to do their part to help feed the country and the world.

Joint the conversation and tell us if you’d apply for any of the VAPG grants. How would you use it? What products would you develop or try to improve?

Video: Treating Sheep For Lice!

We are treating our sheep for lice today at Ewetopia Farms. The ewes and rams have been rubbing and scratching, plus their wool is looking patchy and ragged. Itchy sheep are usually sheep with lice. So, we ran the Suffolk and Dorset breeding groups through the chutes and treated them all. This treatment will have to be done again in two weeks to make sure any eggs that hatched are destroyed too. There was a lot of moving of sheep from pen to pen around the sheep barn but by all the hopping and skipping the sheep were doing, I think they enjoyed the day immensely! We hope you do too!