Maryland Value Added Producer Matching Grants Now Available From MARBIDCO

[Future Harvest - CASA]

A News Release from the Maryland Agricultural and Resource Based
Industry Development Corporation (MARBIDCO)

For Immediate Release

Contact: Stephen McHenry, Executive Director, (410) 267-6807

Maryland Value Added Producer Matching Grants Now Available From
MARBIDCO

ANNAPOLIS (September 6, 2012) -- The Maryland Agricultural and
Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation (MARBIDCO) is
accepting applications for the Maryland Value Added Producer Matching
Grants (MVAPMG) program, which can provide an eligible applicant up to
15 percent of the non-federal financial matching requirement of a U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s Value Added Producer Grant (USDA-VAPG.)
Together, these grants allow Maryland's independent agricultural
producers to engage in value-added activities.

The USDA-VAPG is a highly competitive nationwide grants program with
about $14 million available for distribution in 2012. These grant
funds can be used for planning or working capital expenses in
accordance with USDA regulations. Eligible purposes include
feasibility studies or business plans, working capital for marketing
value-added agricultural products and for farm-based renewable energy
projects. MARBIDCO is making available Maryland Value Added Producer
Matching Grants (MVAPMG) of up to 15% of the amount of a USDA-VAPG
award to help an eligible applicant meet the non-federal financial
matching requirement. All applicants that meet the MARBIDCO
requirements will receive a commitment of matching funds to be
included with their federal USDA-VAPG application. A MVAPMG monetary
award from MARBIDCO will only be provided to an applicant that is
selected to receive USDA-VAPG funding.

The application submission deadline for the USDA-VAPG program is
Monday, October 15, 2012. Questions regarding the USDA-VAPG can be
addressed to the Maryland/Delaware Office of USDA-Rural Development at
302/857-3629, or visit USDA’s website for more information:
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_VAPG_Grants.html.

Applicants seeking to receive a commitment of matching funds from
MARBIDCO must submit an application at least two weeks prior to the
federal submission deadline. The deadline for submission of MARBIDCO
applications is Monday, October 1, 2012 (or postmarked by September
29, 2012). For more information and to download the MVAPMG application
form, visit: www.MARBIDCO.org. Questions about the MVAPMG may also be
addressed by contacting Kristen Robinson, MARBIDCO Financial Programs
Officer, at 410/267-6807.

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MARBIDCO is a quasi-public economic development organization chartered
by the State of Maryland and headquartered in Annapolis. Its mission
is to help Maryland's (typically small and family-owned) farm,
forestry, and seafood businesses to prosper through the provision of
targeted financial and other services that helps to retain existing
resource-based industry production and commerce, promotes rural
entrepreneurship, and nurtures emerging or expanding agricultural
enterprises. MARBIDCO offers assistance to qualifying rural businesses
in securing affordable capital and credit for equipment, commercial
facilities, and farm or real estate purchases (often by partnering
with commercial lenders), and assists with rural working land
preservation (by serving as a financial intermediary for state and
local land conservation organizations). Helping young and beginning
farmers is of special concern to MARBIDCO, as is helping farmers to
diversify their business operations (such as through value added
enterprises). Since 2007, MARBIDCO has made more than 190 rural
business investments in projects located in 21 counties across the
State. For more information about MARBIDCO programs, please visit the
organization on the web at www.marbidco.org.