News

Hoosiers receive Value-Added Producer Grants

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced 110 Value-Added Producer Grants to support rural producers and local economies yesterday.  Of the 110 grants, four of them went to support Hoosier initiatives.

• Cornerstone Family Farms of Salem, funds will be used begin fertilizer production from farm’s biomass and glycerin wastes.
• Indiana Soybean Alliance of Indianapolis, funds will be used to complete feed mill and fish food study.
• Pleasant Home Farm, LLC of Wabash, funds will be used to fabricate fertilizer by using biomass from a nearby factory.
• Jerome Steckler of Dale, funds will used to help market and produce organic cheeses.

Indiana Senator Joe Donnelly says he’s pleased USDA has recognized the hard work Indiana agriculture does for the state.  “The ag community is the backbone of Indiana’s economy, and the investment in these business owners will allow them to develop better products and create more opportunities for hardworking Hoosiers who want a job close to home,” he says. 

Value-Added Producer Grants are an element in the USDA’s Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative.