Grants available to assist with Food Safety and Farm Marketing. See blow. –TB

For questions about either of these grant opportunities, please contact Kathryn Donovan (Produce Safety Improvement Grants) or Alissa Matthews (Local Food Market Development Grants). Contact information provided below.

$90,000 Available for Farming Sustainability and Food Safety Projects

$2-5K Grant Awards Available

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets released two requests for proposals (RFPs) on December 10, 2018 for up to $90,000 of funding that will assist eligible Vermont farmers and food businesses to make upgrades to their operations and improve the sustainability of their businesses. Grants range from $2,000 to $5,000.

Open Application Period: Monday, January 7, 2019 – Thursday, January 31, 2019.

Vermont Produce Safety Improvement Grants

Approximately $60,000 in funding provided through the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program and the Castanea Foundation will be available in the third round of the Produce Safety Improvement Grant (PSIG) Program. Applicants must grow, harvest, pack, or hold “covered produce” as defined by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR) and have average annual produce sales of greater than $26,999 over the past three years.

Eligible Use of Funds

· Harvest, Wash, Pack and Storage: materials and supplies, storage monitoring/control devices

· Health/Hygiene: handwashing stations, cleaning/sanitization tools, signage, compost/manure handling improvements

· Training and Record-keeping: materials and systems

Details the RFP for this grant round are available at AGR.SpecialtyCrops.

Local Food Market Development Grants

Approximately $30,000 in funding will be available to assist Vermont farmers, businesses, and value-chain facilitators for projects that address challenges and risks associated with scaling up to meet new market demands. To qualify for funding consideration, applicants must either be a Vermont producer in pursuit of institutional or direct retail market development, or a value-chain facilitator that will directly support Vermont producers’ access to institutional and wholesale market expansion.

Eligible Use of Funds

· Infrastructure Development: on-farm capital improvements, equipment purchases

· Technology: accounting, tracking, and/or sales software, website, or app development

· Market Access and Development: innovative solutions to logistics and/or distribution

Details and RFP are available at Alissa.Matthews.

Best,

Kristina

Kristina M. Sweet

Produce Program Manager

Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets

116 State Street | Montpelier, VT 05620

kristina.sweet | (802) 522-7811

www.vermontagriculture.com
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