Vermont Farm Viability Program Offering Grants For Food Safety Infrastructure Projects and Businesses

Deadline for applications:

July 31, 2013

Eligible entities:

Business or cooperatives. Nonprofits and municipalities are not eligible.

Eligible uses of funds:

Construction, equipment, or other investments that directly enhance food safety practices.

Thanks to funding from a private foundation, the Vermont Farm Viability Program is able to provide grants of up to $20,000 to assist agricultural infrastructure businesses in Vermont with the implementation of food safety investments. Our goal is to encourage ongoing business planning by food system businesses and to enhance the development of agricultural and local food infrastructure in Vermont. In total, $47,000 are available on a competitive basis.

To qualify, the business must:

• Be undertaking a project that improves its food safety practices
• Be primarily involved in the processing, storage, marketing, and/or distribution of local agricultural products;
• Be located (preferably headquartered) in Vermont;
• Be providing services to, or aggregating products from, at least five VT farm businesses; and
• Have a business plan that meets our Program’s business plan guidelines and that supports the project for which funding is requested.

Preference will be given to businesses that produce, store, or distribute products primarily made with ingredients/products that are produced in Vermont or adjacent local areas, and to businesses working to improve their ability to source local ingredients and/or products.

HOW TO APPLY: Grant applications are available online at www.vhcb.org/viability.html.  Please contact Liz Gleason at the Vermont Farm Viability Program for further information or to enroll in our business planning program at liz@vhcb.org or 802-828-3370.