Lamp value added producer grant – mandatory

Stonewood Farms received a $197,102 Value Added Producer Grant from Rural Business Cooperative Services under the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (CFDA 10.175), awarded on September 16, 2025, with a completion deadline of September 16, 2027. This Project Grant funds the development and expansion of value-added agricultural products and direct producer-to-consumer marketing initiatives in Vermont. The award supports activities that enhance local and regional food systems, including product development, marketing strategies, and coordination efforts to increase market access for locally produced agricultural goods.

The Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program, administered jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service and Rural Business Cooperative Services, provides competitive funding to agricultural businesses, cooperatives, nonprofits, and other eligible entities nationwide. Grant recipients are required to provide a 25 percent matching funds contribution and must complete project objectives within the 2-3 year award period, with extension options available. The funding enables awardees to implement initiatives that strengthen direct marketing channels and facilitate value-added processing, aggregation, and distribution of locally and regionally produced agricultural products.