NEWS RELEASE

United States Department of Agriculture • Rural Development

1221 College Park Drive, Suite 200, Dover, DE  19904

Phone: (302) 857-3580 • Fax: (302) 857-3640 • TDD: (302) 857-3585 • Web: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov

 

USDA ANNOUNCES VALUE-ADDED PRODUCER GRANTS

 

            Monkton, October 24, 2007 – USDA Rural Development State Director Marlene Elliott announced the selection of three Maryland Ag businesses to receive a portion of $22.7 million through the Value-Added Producer Grant program.  Two of the recipients are located in Montgomery and Baltimore Counties where USDA officials presented them with ceremonial checks followed by tours of their Ag operations.

 

            The Value-Added Producer Grant program is a nationally competitive program designed to support farm families in rural America by helping them to market their commodities and increase their financial returns.  Value-Added Producer Grants may be used for planning activities or to provide working capital to market value-added agricultural products and farm-based renewable energy projects.  A value-added product is created when a producer takes an agricultural commodity, such as milk or vegetables, and processes or prepares it in a way that increases its value to consumers.

 

            “Compared to 100 years ago, very few Americans know families who work on a farm,” said Marlene Elliott, USDA Rural Development State Director.  “Today, less than 10% of the residents of rural America still live on farms and less than 7% of the rural workforce is directly employed in production agriculture.  The Bush Administration is committed to reversing that trend because of the importance of keeping agriculture alive and well in this country.”

 

             At a morning ceremony in Dickerson, Maryland officials gathered at Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard for the announcement of $233,472 in USDA Rural Development grant funds that will help the family run business make and market premium wine from their estate vineyard that began in 2002.  The McKenna, O’Donoghue, and McGarry families will use the funds to help purchase equipment for a wine tasting room and implement a marketing plan that includes the purchase of wine making supplies, bottles, and labels.

 

             In the afternoon, officials traveled to Monkton, Maryland to present a $42,000 USDA Rural Development grant to Roseda Beef, a natural beef operation dedicated to producing a juicy, tender, melt in your mouth beef product.  Roseda Beef is a small, family-operated business that raises pure bred Black Angus cattle.  The beef is raised without hormones or antibiotics, and the animals are not fed any animal by products.  While Roseda has been following an all natural beef production process, the company has not been marketing their beef as natural.  The USDA grant will help develop a marketing and sales plan for the company. 

 

 

           In addition to the USDA Rural Development grants, Maryland Agricultural and Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation (MARBIDCO) announced a $5,000 grant to each recipient.  In 2004, MARBIDCO, a quasi-public corporation, was established to enhance the profitability and sustainability of agricultural and resource-based industries in Maryland.  Their mission is to help Maryland’s farm, forestry, seafood and rural recreation-based businesses achieve profitability.

 

            “MARBIDCO is delighted to make these modest Maryland Value-Added Producer Grant awards today to recognize both the achievement and business potential of these enterprising firms, each of which is clearly focused on the future,” said Steve McHenry, Executive Director, MARBIDCO.  “Maryland needs additional producers and rural business owners to consider value-added opportunities, and USDA’s grant program is a significant catalyst in this regard. In fact, because the USDA Value-Added Producer Grant program can be so instrumental to helping to facilitate future rural business success, MARBIDCO will be launching a greatly expanded version of the Maryland Value-Added Producer Grant Program this winter to encourage many more Maryland farmers to make an application to this very competitive and lucrative USDA program next year.”

 

         The 3rd recipient in Maryland of the Value-Added Producer Grant Program is another natural meat operation located in Westover, Maryland (Somerset County) on the lower Eastern Shore.  Ring Farms, also known as Arlington’s Natural Meats, received a $76,499 grant to be used as working capital to set up business operations and implement their marketing plan that includes internet sales. 

 

           The three Maryland Ag businesses were in a select group of 162 recipients in 40 states and Puerto Rico to receive $22.7 million through the highly competitive Value-Added Producer Grant program.  A list of all the grant recipients is available at USDA’s website at www.rurdev.usda.gov.

 

           You can find out more about Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard and Roseda Beef by visiting their websites:  www.smvwinery.com and www.rosedabeef.com.

 

USDA Rural Development is committed to the future of rural communities.  Last year, the agency returned over $97 million to rural Maryland.  They have over 40 loan, grant and loan guarantee programs that support agriculture, business opportunities, home ownership, home repair, rental housing, broadband technology, public safety, health care, education, social and cultural needs and energy related projects.  Additional information on rural programs is available by calling the Maryland and Delaware State Office located in Dover, Del. at (302) 857-3580 or by visiting their website at www.rurdev.usda.gov.  TTY users should call (302) 857-3585.

                                         

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