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Value-Added Producer Grant
Reserved Funds Options
Socially Disadvantaged Farmers or Ranchers

At the applicant’s request and as stated in their application materials, applications from Socially Disadvantaged 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.

• Socially Disadvantaged Farmer or Rancher for VAPG – includes:
  A.   A person that is directly engaged in farming or ranching or an entity solely owned by individuals who are directly engaged in farming or ranching; that,
  B.   as a farmer or rancher, is a member of a socially disadvantaged group, whose members have been subjected to racial, ethnic, or gender prejudice because of their identity as members of a group, without regard to their individual qualities; and
  C.   in the event that there are multiple farmer or rancher owners of the VAPG applicant organization, at least 51 percent of the owners are members of said socially disadvantaged group.
  
  To compete as a Socially Disadvantaged 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 Socially Disadvantaged Farmer or Rancher reserved funding option.
  2. A description of the applicant’s farm or ranch ownership structure and demographic profile which indicates their identity as members of a socially disadvantaged group that has been subjected to racial, ethnic, or gender prejudice; including identifying the total number of owners of the applicant organization, as well as the number of owners that identify themselves as a Socially Disadvantaged Farmer or Rancher (minimum 51% ownership by socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers required).
  3. A self-certification statement from the individual owner(s) of the applicant organization evidencing their membership in a socially disadvantaged group that has been subjected to racial, ethnic, or gender prejudice because of their identity as members of said group without regard to their individual qualities. As applicable, individual owner(s) of the applicant organization should copy and complete the self-certification form below.
  
  
  
  SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMER OR RANCHER CERTIFICATION
  
  I certify that I am a farmer or rancher AND that I am a member of a socially disadvantaged group (i.e., a group whose members have been subjected to racial, ethnic, or gender prejudice). If awarded a grant, the Agency may request that I identify the socially disadvantaged group with which I identify to confirm the socially disadvantaged status of that group.
  
  
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