Value added producer grants disaster (vapg disaster) - grant

Carson Family Farm, LLC received a $248,500 Project Grant from Rural Business Cooperative Services (RBCS) under the Value-Added Producer Grants (VAPG) Disaster program (CFDA 10.352), awarded on September 17, 2025, with a completion date of September 17, 2027. This award supports the awardee's entry into value-added agricultural processing and/or marketing activities in North Carolina. The grant funds planning and working capital activities necessary to develop and operationalize value-added agricultural products, including feasibility studies, business plan development, and day-to-day operational expenses associated with processing or marketing value-added goods.

The VAPG program, administered by Rural Business Cooperative Services, provides competitive grants to agricultural producers and producer-based entities to increase income and create market opportunities through value-added agricultural ventures. Permissible uses of funds include planning activities to validate economic viability and working capital for active ventures, while restrictions prohibit funding for agricultural production, construction, real property, or fixed equipment and vehicles. This disaster-designated award aligns with the broader VAPG program's historical distribution of 1,726 grants totaling $219.3 million since 2010, with recent awards ranging from approximately $6,450 to $250,000.