NSAC's Blog


Release: NSAC Publishes Newly Revised Farmers’ Guide to the USDA Value-Added Producer Grant Program

March 4, 2022

This week USDA announced its 2022 Notice of Solicitation of Applications (NOSA) for the Value-Added Producer Grant Program (VAPG). For the last several years, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) has updated its Farmers’ Guide to Applying for the Value-Added Producer Grant Program to help producers navigate this program.

Value-Added Producer Grants Are Now Open

March 3, 2022

On March 1, 2022, USDA Rural Development announced the availability of at least $19.75 million in total funding for VAPG projects.

$76 MILLION AVAILABLE FOR VALUE-ADDED AND LOCAL FOOD PROJECTS

April 1, 2021

On March 5, 2021, USDA Rural Development announced the availability of at least $76 million in total funding for VAPG projects. The application window to apply is open now and online applications are accepted until April 29, 2020 through grants.gov, and paper applications must be postmarked by May 4, 2021. We encourage all readers to […]

RELEASE: New Farmers’ Guide to the Value-Added Producer Grant Program Published

March 12, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Wes King, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net New Farmers’ Guide to the Value-Added Producer Grant Program PublishedNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalition announces updates to free guide, including new COVID-19 resources Washington, DC, March 12, 2021 – In conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recent announcement of at least $76 million in […]

VAPG Helps Farm and Food Entrepreneurs Bring Home the Bacon

December 3, 2019

Editor’s Note: On December 11, 2019 USDA Rural Development announced the availability of at least $37 million and a 90 day application period for VAPG grants. Stay tuned, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) will publish more information, including its updated Farmers’ Guide to Applying for the Value-Added Producer Grant Program in the new year. The […]

$23 Million Available for Local Food Programs

April 24, 2019

As part of our 2018 Farm Bill efforts, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) sought to strengthen programs and policies that support the growth of local food economies and support direct market opportunities for family farmers. One of the most significant achievements of those efforts was the development of the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP), […]

Celebrating Local Food by Taking Action for Family Farmers

August 16, 2018

Editor’s Note: This blog is a guest post written by Ben Feldman of the Farmers Market Coalition, a National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) Member group, and edited by Reana Kovalcik. Ben Feldman currently serves as the Policy Director for the national Farmers Market Coalition. He has spent his career working with farmers’ markets and the farmers […]

Draft House Farm Bill: Local & Regional Food and Rural Development

April 14, 2018

This is the third post in a multi-part blog series analyzing the draft farm bill released on April 12, 2018 by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (R-TX). Other posts in this series focus on: beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers, crop insurance and commodity subsidies, research and seed breeding, conservation, and organic agriculture. The bill is expected to be considered […]

Deadline Approaching for Value-Added Producer Grant Applications!

January 3, 2018

Editor’s note: This blog post was originally published in August of 2017 and has been republished to highlight the approaching application deadline: January 24, 2018 for electronic applications and January 31, 2018 for paper applications. To learn more about the Value-Added Producer Grant Program (VAPG), please see the blog post below. You can also consult our […]

RELEASE: “Farmers’ Guide” Will Help Producers Navigate VAPG

September 11, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net   “Farmers’ Guide” Will Help Producers Navigate Value-Added Producer Grant Program National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Releases Newly Updated Resource Washington, DC, September 11, 2017 – Following months of consternation by farmers and advocacy groups alike, on Monday, August 28, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) finally announced […]