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Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) Program in Oregon
The VAPG program provides 50-percent matching
grants to farmers, ranchers, foresters, and fishers for
either planning or working capital purposes to implement
value-added ventures, i.e. marketing or processing that
add value to the commodities they produce, as well as for
some types of on-farm renewable energy generation projects.
The goal of the program is to help agricultural producers
generate new products, expand market opportunities, and
increase their income from the commodities they produce.
2012 VAPG Application Period has expired
The 2012 Notice of
Funding Availability (NOFA) in the Federal Register can be found
here:
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-08-15/pdf/2012-20082.pdf
Program Information
Eligibility
There are five eligible value-add activities that VAPG can
support:
|
Category |
Commodity Processing |
Nonstandard Production Methods* |
Commodity Segregation |
On-farm Renewable Energy |
Locally Produces Food Products* |
|
Purpose |
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 |
Primarily *** transforming ag commodities & their byproducts
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 |
Organic,
free-range, "natural" |
GMO-free,
varietal purity |
Biomass,
anaerobic digesters |
Locally
Grown |
|
Type of
Assistance |
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.
** 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.
*** Note! Energy projects using wind, solar, geothermal or
hydro resources are eligible only if the energy will be used on-farm
to power another value-added activity; simple energy generation from
these resources is not eligible.
Application Information and Tools
Program Regulations
Links
 Click here to sign up for
"Value Added Producer Grant Notices"
and other e-mail alerts for USDA Rural Development programs
in Oregon.
<Go Back to Rural Development Oregon Business & Cooperatives Page
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