The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development is accepting applications for grants to help farmers, ranchers, and producer-based businesses develop new product lines. This funding will be provided through the Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG) Program.
The grants can be used to create new product lines from raw agricultural products, to develop additional uses for already developed product lines, or to market value-added agricultural products.
Independent producers, agricultural producer groups, farmer or rancher cooperatives, and majority-controlled producer-based business ventures are eligible to apply. Veterans, socially-disadvantaged groups, beginning farmers and ranchers, operators of small- and medium-sized family farms and ranches, and farmer and rancher cooperatives are given special priority.
The deadline to submit applications is January 31, 2018. In Oregon, applications should be submitted to the USDA Roseburg office:
USDA Rural Development
ATTN: Mandie Ellenwood, VAPG Coordinator
2593 NW Kline Street
Roseburg, OR 97471
We encourage you to contact Oregon's VAPG Coordinator, Mandie Ellenwood, (541) 673-0136 extension 110, prior to beginning work on your application for more details about the requirements and process.
For additional information and details on how to apply, see page 40987 of the August 29, 2017, Federal Register.