Homepage
Business Programs
Cooperative Programs
   AgMRC
   AIC
   ATTRA
   RCDG
   VAPG
Special Initiatives
RD Regulations

Value-Added Producer Grant
Reserved Funds Options
Beginning Farmers or Ranchers

At the applicant’s request and as stated in their application materials, applications from Beginning Farmers or Ranchers will be considered for Reserved Funding. As part of their main proposal, these applicants must provide the following additional documentation to demonstrate that they meet the definition and eligibility criteria in this single category. Applicants may only submit one application to the VAPG program.

• Beginning Farmer or Rancher for VAPG – An entity in which:
  A.   all owners have operated a farm or a ranch for not more than 10 years;
  B.   all owners materially and substantially participate in the operation of a farm or a ranch; AND
  C.   all owners provide substantial day-to-day labor and management of a farm or a ranch.
  
  To compete as a Beginning Farmer or Rancher, applicants must provide the following additional documentation. These additional pages will not count towards the proposal’s page limitation constraints.
  
  
  1. A statement indicating the applicant’s intention to compete in the Beginning Farmer or Rancher Reserved Funding option.
  2. A description from the individual owner(s) of the applicant organization specifically addressing each qualifying element in the working definition above for a Beginning Farmer or Rancher. Each applicant/owner should describe the length of their individual farm or ranch operations experience, their material and substantial participation in the operation of a farm or a ranch, and their day-to-day labor and management activities on a farm or a ranch. This past experience and activity may or may not be directly associated with the specific VAPG applicant farm or ranch that is the subject of the VAPG application. If the applicant has more than 10 years of farm or ranch operations experience, they will not be eligible to apply as a Beginning Farmer or Rancher. For VAPG, a Beginning Farmer or Rancher applicant must currently own and produce more than 50% of the raw agricultural commodity to which value will be added.
  3. One IRS Form 1040 (individual) or 1065 (partnership/LLC) from the previous 10 years that shows the individual owner(s) of the applicant organization did not file a Schedule F (individual) or a K1 (partnership/LLC) for farm income would be sufficient. Applicants should redact any personally identifiable information, such as a social security number. Or, in lieu of an applicable IRS Form, a letter from a certified public accountant or attorney certifying the participant meets the eligibility requirements would also suffice.