Free Value Added Producer Grant Webinar Open to Farmers

With a renewed emphasis on small meat processors and local foods, the USDA currently has several grant opportunities available to strengthen local meat supply chains, ChopLocal said in a release.

ChopLocal, a farmer-owned company dedicated to helping farmers and small meat processors sell more meat online, is hosting a free webinar on Tuesday, January 24 at 6 pm EST/7pm CST to help producers learn more about the Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG), under the purview of USDA’s Rural Development. 

The webinar will review the grant requirements. Stephen Ussery of Stewards Unlimited, an agricultural grant writing service, will share tips on writing successful grant applications.

“Grant-writing can be an intimidating process for farmers,” Ussery said. “I’ve found that the Value Added Producer Grant is a great place to start.”

Ussery has written several successful VAPG applications for farmers, including the Barreras Family Farm in Blair, Neb., who received $249,518 for beef processing through the VAPG.

Farmers selling direct-to-consumer, including livestock farmers, are eligible to apply for the VAPG. The maximum grant award is $250,000, which must be matched by the farmer. A reduced cost-share match requirement of 10% of the grant amount is available for a portion of the funds, ChopLocal explained.

“Because the VAPG funds can be used to offset processing and marketing costs, the grant can really accelerate the growth of a direct-to-consumer farm business,” said Katie Olthoff of ChopLocal.

Producers interested in learning more about the VAPG and other grant opportunities can register for the webinar at http://sell.choplocal.com/vapg-2022.

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