The Trump Administration and USDA Rural Development Colorado State Director Sallie Clark announced the investment of $445,164 in grant funding to six agricultural producers in Colorado to enter into value-added activities related to the processing and marketing of new products. The funding is provided via the Value-Added Producer Grant program and is designed to help generate new products, create and expand marketing opportunities and increase producer income.
“Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, USDA has been working tirelessly to increase rural prosperity, because we know that when rural America thrives, all of America thrives,” said Clark. “The ingenuity of Colorado’s agricultural community is to be commended. They know that Rural America is hometown America. It is more than a great place to live, it’s integral to America’s spirit and character, and, most importantly, rural America provides all Americans with food, fuel and fiber essential to modern-day life,” said Clark.
The projects announced today are:
- Colorado Vineyards, a long-time grape grower in Palisade, CO, will use a $125,000 grant to begin selling signature wines that the grower started making over a year ago.
- Western Culture Farmstead and Creamery, LLC., a small goat milk creamery market in Paonia, CO will use a $27,165 grant to develop a marketing campaign to strengthen their market and have more visitors to their farm to increase their on-site sales. The entity makes award winning goat cheeses and distributes them along the western slope of Colorado.
- Flying Diamond, Inc., a generational cattle rancher in Kit Carson, CO will use a $49,999 grant to expand a private label for their beef products. The ranch, on the eastern slope of Colorado, has traditionally sold their cattle at market. This grant will assist them in marketing their private label grass fed beef to local markets and online customers.
- Rolling T. Livestock in LaSalle, CO will use a $50,000 grant to market and distribute their new extra lean Corrientes beef jerky, summer sausage and beef sticks.
- Sweetgrass Cooperative in Alamosa, CO will use a $38,000 grant to perform a feasibility and marketing/business plan for a grassfed beef cooperative in southern Colorado. The cooperative will study the possibility of using their hides from the processed cattle to make biopeptide supplements for human consumption.
- Hobbs and Meyers, LLC. in Avondale, CO will use a $155,000 grant to produce and market cookies and porridge made from the applicant's locally grown grains. This grant will help with the expansion of this family operation to begin marketing and selling delicious cookies and porridge made exclusively from the ancient grains they grow on their farm.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information in Colorado, visit www.rd.usda.gov/co.