Oregon
Business & Cooperative Programs

Valued-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) Program
(last updated July 1, 2009)

Go to the RD-Oregon Business Programs home page

The VAPG program provides 50%-matching grants to farmers, ranchers, foresters, and fishermen for either planning or working capital purposes to implement value-added ventures -- i.e. marketing or processing projects that add value to the commodities they produce -- or for on--the-farm renewable energy generation projects.  The goal of the program is to increase the producer's income from the commodities they produce. 

The 2009 VAPG solicitation announced in the Federal Register on May 6, 2009 was withdrawn on July 1, 2009.  A replacement notice with several rule changes will be published in the near future.  Therefore, there is no active deadline for VAPG applications at this time.  The links below are provided as background information only and their guidance is subject to revision by the expected replacement notice.

Getting Started

There are five eligible "value-added" activities that VAPG can support:

Category #1
Commodity processing
Category #2
Nonstandard production methods *
Category #3
Commodity segregation
Category #4
Renewable energy
(on-farm)
Category #5
Locally-produced food products *
Increasing value by changing the commodity's physical state Increasing value by raising the commodity using a "nonstandard" production method Increasing value by keeping the commodity physically apart in production and distribution Realizing value by transforming natural resources into energy on the farmstead Increasing value by marketing the commodity within state or within 400 miles of the farm
Examples: 
Wine, jam, flour, sliced fruit, biodiesel
Examples:
Organic, free-range, "natural"
Examples: 
GMO-free;
varietal purity
Examples:
Wind, solar, anaerobic digester, geothermal, on-farm biodiesel
Examples:
Locally-grown

Planning
or Working Capital **

No Planning grants;
Working Capital ONLY
**

Planning
or Working Capital **

Planning
or Working Capital **

Planning
or Working Capital **

  * Note!  Branded products (or products packaged in a non-standard way) are not VAPG-eligible in 2009.
** Note!
 Working Capital applications must be supported by an already-completed independent feasibility study and business plan.  If you are planning to seek a Working Capital grant, you should make arrangements to obtain your supporting feasibility study as soon as possible.

Recent Projects

Application Process

Application Templates

Standard Templates for the general "unreserved" VAPG fund (and supplemental addendum for "Beginning Farmer"/"Socially Disadvantaged Farmer" 10% Reserve) :

Special Templates for the "Mid-Tier Value Chain" VAPG reserve:



Last Year's Templates - obsolete!

Regulations

Help for Grant Awardees

Links

RD-Oregon contacts for the VAPG program