The Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets (VAAFM) is seeking applications for its Small Farm Diversification and Transition Grants.
Donor Name: Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets (VAAFM)
State: Vermont
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/04/2024
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
Approximately 20% of Vermont’s working landscape is used for agricultural purposes, and 80% is forested. Vermont prospers and its unique sense of place thrives because of intelligent investments in the people and enterprises that comprise its farm, food, and forest-based systems. Strong community engagement and support for the farm and forest sectors leads to enhanced quality of life for Vermont citizens and working lands business owners.
Funding Information
- Up to $150,000 from a Fiscal Year 2024 State of Vermont legislative appropriation.
- $5,000–$15,000 per award.
Project Period
12 months
Eligible Projects
Equipment, supplies, infrastructure, marketing, research, and/or workforce development costs that relate to the following project categories are eligible:
- Diversifying farm products
- May include continuing with a diversification project that began in the last five years
- Investments might include equipment rental or purchase to prepare land for new crops or livestock; purchasing seeds, rootstock, or genetics; retrofitting or building storage space for new products; etc.
- Transitioning from one form of farming to another
- May include continuing with a transition that began in the last five years
- Investments might include retrofitting barn space to shift from livestock for dairy to livestock for meat, building new infrastructure for raising animals, purchasing equipment to transition to new or different crop farming; farmer training to transition to a different type of farming; marketing costs to transition farm brand; marketing study to prepare for possible transition, etc.
- New processing or scaling of current processing of farm products
- Investments might include purchasing processing equipment; building or expanding kitchen or workshop space; etc.
- Developing an accessory on-farm business
- Investments might include building a new farm store, building or expanding recreational or agritourism activities or programs at the farm, permitting or engineering fees associated with developing an accessory on-farm business; etc.
Eligibility Criteria
To qualify as a small farm operation (SFO) for this grant:
- The farm must meet a minimum of ONE of the following criteria:
- Operate 4 or more acres for farming; OR o Have filed a 1040(F) Tax Form once in the last 2 years; OR
- Earn an annual gross income of more than $2,000 from the sale of agricultural products
- The farm must NOT be registered as a Permitted Medium Farm Operation (MFO) or Permitted Large Farm Operation (LFO)
Farms within any agricultural sector (livestock for dairy, meat, and/or fiber; produce; viticulture; herbs; cannabis; mushrooms grown outdoors; flowers; tree fruit; berries; equine; maple; honey; hay and forage crops) are eligible. Processing-only operations that do not farm are not eligible.
- All organizational structures are eligible (e.g., Partnerships, Limited Liability Corporations, Sole Proprietorships, Cooperatives, Corporations, S Corporations, L3Cs, B Corporations, and/or non-profits that are involved in the support of production of agriculture and/or forest products).
- All legally incorporated enterprises must be based in Vermont and registered with the Secretary of State. Sole proprietors using a business name other than their own name must have their assumed business name (formerly known as a trade name) registered with the Secretary of State.
- Applicants must be in compliance with all state regulations (including but not limited to water quality, taxes, and child support) and in good standing with the State of Vermont at the time of applying and must remain so during the entire grant period.
- Farms that have not received Working Lands Enterprise Initiative grants in the last 5 years will be prioritized
For more information, visit VAAFM.
