USDA investing more than $45 million into farmers and agribusinesses

Oct 28, 2016

Funding will help businesses expand

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced the USDA will be providing more than $45 million in grants to help American farmers and agribusinesses expand.

The grants are being administered through the Value-Added Producer Grant program, and about 325 projects will benefit from funding.

"Value-Added Producer Grants are one of USDA's most sought-after funding sources for veteran and beginning farmers, and rural-based businesses," Vilsack said in a release. "These grants provide a much-needed source of financing to help producers develop new product lines and increase their income, and keep that income in their communities.”

Funded projects include:

$250,000 for Moragra PJ Farms in Poplar Grove, Illinois, to help with the handling, verification, sales, marketing and other expenses for its non-GMO corn production business.
$75,000 for the Missouri Soybean Association to conduct a feasibility study and to develop a business plan for a farmer-owned and controlled small-medium size soybean crush and soybean oil refinery for non-GMO/high oleic soybeans.
$250,000 for Cato Corner Farm in Colchester, Connecticut, to expand a dairy and creamery by establishing new types of cheeses, and to increase production of existing cheeses.

Video: A chain harrow is a game changer

Utilizing a rotational grazing method on our farmstead with our sheep helps to let the pasture/paddocks rest. We also just invested in a chain harrow to allow us to drag the paddocks our sheep just left to break up and spread their manure around, dethatch thicker grass areas, and to rough up bare dirt areas to all for a better seed to soil contact if we overseed that paddock. This was our first time really using the chain harrow besides initially testing it out. We are very impressed with the work it did and how and area that was majority dirt, could be roughed up before reseeding.

Did you know we also operate a small business on the homestead. We make homemade, handcrafted soaps, shampoo bars, hair and beard products in addition to offering our pasture raised pork, lamb, and 100% raw honey. You can find out more about our products and ingredients by visiting our website at www.mimiandpoppysplace.com. There you can shop our products and sign up for our monthly newsletter that highlights a soap or ingredient, gives monthly updates about the homestead, and also lists the markets, festivals, and events we’ll be attending that month.