Funds Available To Help Promote Value-Added Agriculture

Audio provided as a service to farm broadcasters by Iowa State University

Audio with Ray Hansen, Program Manager for the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Value Added Agriculture Program

Suggested Lead:  The U.S. Department of Agriculture has funds available to help promote value-added agriculture and is looking for new ideas from farmers and ranchers. The money is available through the Value-Added Producer Grant Program and USDA has $18 million in funds. Ray Hansen, Program Manager for the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Value Added Agriculture Program, talks about what is considered value-added agriculture…tape

Cut #1        :47        OC…”a group”

Hansen talks about how the funding program works…tape

Cut #2        :26        OC…”pretty clearly”

There are a couple of places to go to apply for the funds…tape

Cut #3        :14        OC…”product’s eligibility”

Hansen says there a couple types of grants available…tape

Cut #4        :39        OC…”the product”

Beginning farmers are encouraged to apply, as are farmers coming from socially or economically-disadvantaged regions. Farmers and ranchers have until January 1, 2018, to apply for funding. For more information, go to the Ag Marketing Resource Center website at A G M R C dot org. (www.agmrc.org)