Value Added Producer Grant Webinar Opportunity for Small Meat Processors

USDA has shown a renewed emphasis on small meat processors and local foods by providing several grant opportunities to strengthen local meat supply chains. One of those grants is the Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG), under the purview of USDA’s Rural Development, with nearly $20 million available in total funding for 2022.

ChopLocal, an online marketplace for farmers and small processors to sell their meat via ecommerce, is hosting a free webinar on Wednesday, March 30, at 7 p.m. CST to help producers learn more about the VAPG. The webinar will review the grant requirements, in addition to tips on writing successful grant applications. Stephen Ussery from Stewards Unlimited, an agricultural grant writing service, will share some of his expertise during the webinar.

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

Ussery has successfully written several VAPG applications for farmers in the past, including the Barreras Family Farm in Blair, Neb., that received $249,518 for beef processing through the Value-Added Producer Grant in 2021.

Many farmers selling direct-to-consumer, including livestock farmers, are eligible to apply for VAPG, ChopLocal said in a release. 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.

“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, like the ones utilizing the ChopLocal platform,” said Katie Olthoff, ChopLocal, in a release.

Interested in learning more? Check out the webinar registration details at choplocal.com/vapg.

More about ChopLocal:

“Etsy of Meat” Provides New Options for Consumers