Vermont Produce Safety Improvement Grants - Application Open

Vermont Produce Safety Improvement Grants

The application period is now open for Vermont Produce Safety Improvement Grants from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets. Approximately $60,000 in funding provided through the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program and the Castanea Foundation, LLC 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 includes, but is not limited to:

• 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

The application is open until Thursday, January 31st, 2019 at 12:00pm (noon).

Awards will range from $2,000 to $5,000.

The details of the VAAFM Produce Program and the RFP for this grant round are now available at agriculture.vermont.gov/ProduceSafetyGrants. Questions related to Produce Safety Improvement Grants or the FSMA Produce Safety Rule should be directed to Kathryn Donovan at (802) 585-4571 or AGR.SpecialtyCrops@vermont.gov.