Iowa
| Value Added Producer Grant Program (VAPG) | |
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UNRESERVED Funds |
RESERVED Funds are for Beginning Farmers or Ranchers Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers, and Mid Tier Value Chain projects |
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The Notice of Funds Availability for the FY 2009 Value-Added Producer Grant Program, originally Published on May 6, 2009, has been withdrawn effective July 1, 2009. The NOSA will be re-issued in the near future. Please check back for updates. |
The primary objective of this grant program is to help Independent Producers of
Agricultural Commodities, Agriculture Producer Groups, Farmer and Rancher Cooperatives, and Majority-Controlled Producer-Based Business
Ventures develop strategies to create marketing opportunities and to help develop Business Plans for viable marketing opportunities.
USDA Rural Development is encouraging projects that highlight innovative uses of agricultural products. This may include using existing agricultural products in non-traditional ways and/or merging agricultural products with technology in creative ways. |
| Additional Definition Information | The 2009 VAPG NOSA published on May 6, 2009 contained
several new definitions which have not been included in previous NOSA’s. These include the following:
Beginning Farmer or Rancher Family Farm Socially Disadvantaged Farmer or Rancher (includes self-certification form) (As a reminder, 10% of available funds are reserved to fund applications submitted by Beginning Farmers or Ranchers and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers or Ranchers.) |
| Application Templates | Working Capital - Application template (under development)
Planning - Application template (under development) Applicants are encouraged to submit a draft application to the local Area Office for a preliminary review anytime prior to June 5, 2009. The preliminary review will only assess the eligibility of the application and its completeness. The results of the preliminary review are not binding on the Agency. |
| Fact Sheet | Summary of Program |
| National Office VAPG Website |
Contains information on the following:
Application process (guide, forms, template, etc) Contacts (state and national) Post Awards Previous solicitations Recipients Regulations Success stories |
| Map of Iowa Business Cooperative Specialists & Contact information | There are 11 USDA Rural Development offices in Iowa. |
| List of VAPG grant writers | None listed have been put through any type of screening or endorsement by Rural Development. |
| Regulations |
4284-J Value-Added Producer Grants (federal regulations)
4284-A General Requirements for Cooperative Services Grant Programs (federal regulations) |