Turn lemons into lemonade with help from a Value-Added Producer Grant!

USDA has just released $44 million – an all-time high! – in funding for Value Added Producer Grants, a program that provides competitive grants to producers for working capital, feasibility studies, business plans, and marketing efforts for value-added businesses. Producers (and groups of producers) can apply for up to $75,000 in planning funding and up to $250,000 for implementation funding!

Need help with your application?  The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition just released an updated version of their “Farmers’ Guide to VAPG,” a guide full of helpful hints to improve a producer’s chances of getting funded by the highly competitive program.  The Guide provides clear information on VAPG application requirements, including a step-by-step description of the application and ranking processes.  Download the guide for free on the NSAC website: http://sustainableagriculture.net/publications/.

Take a peek at the guide and get started on your applications soon – electronic apps are due by June 24 and apps by mail need to be in by July 1! 

This event will be held May 23 11:00 am  5:00 pm at the Atrium Hotel and Conference Center in Hutchinson, KS.  This Retreat will allow existing and emerging food and farm councils from across Kansas to come together to learn from one another and share their successes and challenges.

This session is not a Food Council 101, but instead a time for those communities who have al­ready started down the path of establishing a council and have some experience with the suc­cesses and struggles that go along with those experiences.

This session will review the new Kansas Food System Assessment resource that is being developed by Community Commons to assist councils in identifying strategies to move forward food and agriculture policy platforms in your community and state. 

To register click here