Congressman Ron Kind joined USDA Rural Business Service Administrator Sam Rikkers in Eau Claire, Wis. today to announce USDA is providing $45 million in Rural Development Value-Added Producer Grants to agricultural producers and rural businesses for the development of new products. In all, 23 Wisconsin agricultural producers will receive more than $3.7 million in assistance.
Rikkers made the announcement on behalf of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack during a visit to Leffel Roots, LLC with U.S. Congressman Kind. Leffel Roots is receiving a $22,500 grant to develop and market new bakery, cider and hard cider products.
“Through the Value Added Producer Grant program, USDA Rural Development invests both in the quality of food and quality of life in rural areas,” Rikkers said. “Wisconsin businesses like Leffel Roots are creating jobs and growing local economies with their innovative ideas and entrepreneurial spirit.”
“Small businesses and family farmers are the backbone of our Wisconsin economy and the lifeblood of our communities. I am pleased to see that USDA Rural Development is working to provide funds to assist them in growing, creating jobs and tapping into new markets,” said Rep Kind. “During our tour of Leffel Roots we were able to see first-hand the positive impact that this grant will have on local businesses.”
Wisconsin led the nation in number of grants received. Another Wisconsin recipient is Bee Forest, LLC, a logging and sawmill company in Nelson, Wis. They are receiving a $250,000 grant to market, process and ship shredded bark and saw dust. Since the program’s inception in 2001, USDA Rural Development has funded 163 projects totaling over $29.9 million in the State.
Today’s announcement includes awards for 325 projects nationwide. The VAPG program assists agricultural producers and rural businesses to grow and increase their income by turning raw commodities into value-added products, expanding marketing opportunities, or developing new uses for existing products.
Congress increased funding for the program in the 2014 Farm Bill. USDA has awarded 1,442 VAPG awards since 2009, totaling $184.2 million. 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. Secretary Vilsack has identified local and regional food systems as a key component of rural economic development.
Today’s funding builds on USDA’s historic investments in rural America over the past seven years. USDA has worked to strengthen and support rural communities and American agriculture, an industry that supports one in 11 American jobs, provides American consumers with more than 80 percent of the food we consume, ensures that Americans spend less of their paychecks at the grocery store than most people in other countries, and supports markets for homegrown renewable energy and materials. USDA Rural Development’s funding continues to have a dramatic impact on rural communities across Wisconsin. During the past year, USDA Rural Development invested more than $556 million on essential public facilities, small and emerging businesses, water and sewer systems, and housing opportunities throughout rural Wisconsin. The agency’s investment helped create or retain more than 1,500 jobs; aided 2,500 families in buying their own homes; and assisted more than 70 communities in improving community facilities and upgrading local infrastructure. USDA Rural Development’s mission is to deliver programs in a way that will support increasing economic opportunity and improve the quality of life of rural residents. For more information on USDA Rural Development programs visit USDA’s web site at www.rd.usda.gov/wi