USDA grants inject more than $3 million into Vermont’s local food production economy

Vermont’s food system is getting an infusion of more than $3 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets.

The grants break down into two categories: infrastructure and equipment-only. The infrastructure grants are for larger scale projects that extend capacity for aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling or distribution of locally produced food.

The equipment-only grants are for specialized equipment used for processing storage transportation, aggregation, distribution or wholesaling of Vermont regional food products. To qualify the equipment must help the applicant increase market access, diversify product offerings or increase production.

“Farms and rural communities are part of what makes Vermont so special,” Gov. Phil Scott said in a news release. “We’re grateful to have this funding from USDA, which will help us make important long-term investments, benefitting the future of Vermont.”

Here’s how the grants break down, by type:

Infrastructure grants

• Barred Woods Maple, Montgomery Center − $450,000
• Boyden Valley Winery, Cambridge − $385,970
• Food Connects, Brattleboro − $428,531
• Myers Produce, West Glover − $257, 280
• Vermont Bean Crafters, Warren − $137,200
• Vermont Farmers Food Center, Rutland − $466,143

Equipment-only grants

• 80 Goats Inc., Leicester − $57,197
• Addison County Relocalization Network (ACORN), Middlebury − $99,831
• All Souls Tortilleria, Burlington − $76,867
• Butterfly Bakery of Vermont, Barre − $64,879
• Center for an Agricultural Economy, Hardwick − $93,750
• Eden Ice Cider Company, Inc., Newport − $85,509
• Mayo’s Maple Farm, Richford − $95,143
• Moon and Stars, South Royalton − $31,200
• Pure Gold Sugaring, Sutton − $51,300
• Runamok Maple, LLC, Fairfax − $75,697
• Sidehill Farm, Brattleboro − $79,449
• Sterling Mountain Farm, Johnson − $80,810
• von Trapp Farmstead, Waitsfield − $66,785
• Todd Parlo/Walden Heights Nursery and Orchard, Walden − $39,785

“Infrastructure is vital to the future of Vermont’s regional food system,” Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts said in a news release. “The small organizations that are receiving these grants make the regional food system work for our producers and consumers and support the public’s access to local food.”

Contact Dan D’Ambrosio at 660-1841 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @DanDambrosioVT.