Value added producer grants disaster (vapg disaster) - grant

Whippoorwill Farms SC LLC received a $250,000 Project Grant from the Rural Business Cooperative Services (RBCS), a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under the Value-Added Producer Grants (VAPG) Disaster program (CFDA 10.352). The award, effective September 11, 2025, with a completion date of September 11, 2027, supports the awardee's planning and working capital activities related to processing and/or marketing value-added agricultural products. This disaster-relief variant of the VAPG program funds feasibility studies, business plans, and operational expenses necessary for agricultural producers to enter into or expand value-added ventures, provided such funds are not allocated toward agricultural production, real property acquisition, or fixed equipment and vehicle purchases.

The VAPG program, administered nationally by RBCS, distributes funding competitively to eligible agricultural producers, producer groups, cooperatives, and producer-based businesses. Award recipients are evaluated on six criteria: nature of the proposed venture, qualifications of key personnel, commitments and support, work plan and budget, priority points, and administrator's discretionary points. Since 2010, the program has awarded 1,726 grants totaling $219.3 million in federal funds. Recent awards have ranged from $6,448 to $250,000, with performance periods typically spanning two years.