USDA makes $30 million available for agricultural producers

May 11, 2015

Funds will assist various farmers with their operations

Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack and the United States Department of Agriculture are setting aside $30 million for farmers, ranchers and food entrepreneurs to use in developing new product lines.

The funds are being made available through the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program.

"Farmers and ranchers are creative people who, with a little help, can put that creativity to work and improve the bottom line for their operations," Vilsack said. "Value-Added Producer Grants enable them to develop new product lines to grow their businesses and expand their contributions to our nation's economy. This support is especially important for beginning farmers, military veterans engaging in farming and smaller farm operations participating in the local and regional food system."

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack

VAPG grants can be put towards developing new products made raw agricultural products or creating additional uses for already established product lines.

There will be special priority given to those who fall into some of the following categories:

Military veterans
Beginning farmers or ranchers
Operators of small and medium-sized family farms
Applicants that propose mid-tier value chain projects

More information about the grants and application process can be found on the May 8^th Federal Register – page 26528.

Electronic applications must be submitted by July 2^nd and paper applications by July 7^th.

Since 2009, the USDA’s VAPG grants have totaled about $104.5 million – approximately 19% of that funding has been given to beginning farmers trying to do their part to help feed the country and the world.

Joint the conversation and tell us if you’d apply for any of the VAPG grants. How would you use it? What products would you develop or try to improve?

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.