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USDA Rural Development Recognizes Bushel Boy Farms Locally operated Owatonna growers awarded $200,000 grant OWATONNA, Minn., Oct. 17 – Rep. Gil Gutknecht joined officials from Rural Development in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Tuesday to recognize Bushel Boy Farms for receiving a $200,000 Rural Development grant. The grant comes from Rural Development’s Value-Added Producer Grant Program, and will be used to grow premium tomatoes and leaf lettuce for the Twin Cities market. "I want to congratulate the great people at Bushel Boy Farms for receiving this grant,” Gutknecht said. “Thanks to programs such as this from USDA Rural Development, we're making a big difference in Southern Minnesota's economy. Grants such as this help develop and expand markets for local products grown right here at home." Value-Added Producer Grants may be used for planning activities, such as feasibility studies or business plans, or to provide working capital for marketing value-added agricultural products and for farm-based renewable energy projects. Eligible applicants are independent producers, farmer and rancher cooperatives, agricultural producer groups, and majority-controlled producer-based business ventures. “This grant will help Bushel Boy Farms contribute even more to the local economy,” said Steve Wenzel, State Director of Rural Development in Minnesota. “I want to congratulate Bushel Boy Farms and wish them success in future business ventures.” Bushel Boy hopes to achieve the same level of success with its leaf lettuce product as it has with its trademark tomatoes. “We’re honored and humbled,” said Bushel Boy President Jay Johnson. “We really believe in locally grown produce. It’s good for consumers, for grocers and for the communities where that produce is grown. This grant will help us expand our commitment to locally grown produce.” Since 2001, Rural Development has invested about $3 billion throughout Minnesota. The agency has funding available for housing, clean water, essential community facilities, job creation, and other infrastructure projects. For more information on the Value-Added Producer Grant Program, call Robyn Holdorf at (651) 602-7812. For more information on Rural Development, call the local office in Austin at (507) 437-8247, or visit www.rurdev.usda.gov/mn.
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