Annapolis, MD December 5, 2005 – In this day and age, it is becoming harder and harder to maintain the family farm. USDA Rural Development’s Value Added Producer Grant Program is helping to keep families and farms together. Speaking from the Grauls Market location on the corner of Taylor Street and Rowe Boulevard in Annapolis, Congressman Wayne Gilchrest and USDA Rural Development State Director Marlene Elliott announced a $149,262 grant to Chesapeake Fields Farmers, LLC. "Chesapeake Fields has been offering an alternative for farmers who struggle to remain viable in today’s Ag economy," said Congressman Wayne Gilchrest. "Consumers are also the winners because they are getting quality products from their own backyards and are helping to keep our communities rural, agricultural and pristine."

Chesapeake Fields is a group of three organizations working together to preserve farming through profitability. Their mission is to help farmers increase their profits by finding and creating new markets for their products – which in turn, helps preserve farmland and their rural way of life. Chesapeake Fields Farmers was founded in 2003 as the for-profit affiliate of Chesapeake Fields Institute, Inc., a nonprofit organization founded in 2000. "For the past 3 years, USDA Rural Development has returned over $429,000 of the people’s money to help this organization with the rural economy," said Elliott. "It is your federal taxpayer money coming back home to Maryland to help diversify farm income and preserve our agricultural and rural heritage."

Today’s announcement of funds will help Chesapeake Fields with their marketing strategy to announce the availability of their Identity Preserved (IP) high quality artisan bread, corn, and soy products. The "IP" found on their label means that the food products can be traced back to the fields they were grown on. Currently 33 farmers in 6 Maryland counties have signed contracts with Chesapeake Fields and have grown or are growing snack soybeans, gourmet popcorn, and specialty wheat. Today’s consumers are looking for healthier snack choices and Chesapeake Fields will be filling that niche. "There is no other regional baking or snack food operation that can make the claim that its most basic components (wheat, soybeans, and corn) are locally grown, harvested, milled, and stored all under Identity Preserved criteria," said Jim Miller, Chairman, Chesapeake Fields Farmers.

Authorized as part of the 2002 Farm Bill, the Value-Added Producer Grant program provides an opportunity to refine agricultural commodities and products to increase their value in the marketplace. Grants are available to independent producers, agricultural producer groups, farmer or rancher cooperatives, and majority-controlled producer-based business ventures. Grants can be awarded for (1) planning activities needed to establish a viable value-added marketing opportunity for an agricultural product, i.e. conduct a feasibility study, develop a business plan, develop a marketing plan; (2) acquire working capital to operate a value-added business venture that will allow producers to better compete in domestic and international markets.

Outline of Rural Development’s investments in the Chesapeake Fields product:

2002 – $30, 000 Rural Business Enterprise Grant to help Chesapeake Fields Institute with a feasibility study for identifying value-added agriculture products.

2002 - $249,830 Value-Added Development Grant to Chesapeake Fields Farmers to help with a feasibility study and business plan to process small grains and operate a bakery.

2005 - $149,262 Value-Added Development Grant to Chesapeake Fields Farmers for working capital to support the initial product market launch.

Rural Development’s motto - "Committed to the future of rural communities," is well defined in the Chesapeake Fields project. The funding announced represents only some of the programs the agency is called to deliver. Rural Development has a program for almost any rural need. In addition to programs that support agriculture and business development they have programs that support rural community facilities like education and health care, programs to support first responders, and rural housing. Additional information on rural programs is available by calling their State Office that serves Maryland and Delaware at (302) 857-3580 or visiting their web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov. To learn more about Chesapeake Fields visit their website at www.chesapeakefieldsfarmers.com.