Value-Added Agriculture Development Center Inc.

Value-Added Agriculture Development Center Inc. is a non-profit organization based in Pierre, South Dakota, dedicated to supporting rural economic development, particularly within the agricultural sector. Registered in SAM.gov since 2005, the organization focuses on providing critical technical assistance and capacity-building services to rural cooperative enterprises across South Dakota. As a tax-exempt corporate entity, the Center has consistently received federal grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Business Cooperative Services, demonstrating its specialized expertise in rural economic development and cooperative business enhancement.

The organization primarily receives Rural Cooperative Development Grants (RCDG, CFDA 10.771) and Rural Business Development Grants, consistently securing $200,000 annual project grants to deliver comprehensive support services to rural businesses and cooperative enterprises. These services include conducting feasibility studies, providing business planning assistance, offering leadership training, and supporting the startup, expansion, and operational improvements of mutually-owned businesses in economically distressed rural areas. Since 2019, Value-Added Agriculture Development Center Inc. has received over $1 million in federal grant funding, enabling it to assist individuals and organizations in establishing and enhancing cooperative enterprises, with a particular focus on the agricultural sector. The grants have allowed the Center to provide targeted technical assistance that helps foster economic growth and sustainability in rural South Dakota communities, supporting the development of cooperative business models that benefit local economies.