Approximately $51,000 in funding will be available
By Gina Clithero, VT Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) is pleased to announce the fourth round of Produce Safety Improvement Grants (PSIG). The application period will open Friday, November 1, 2019 and close Monday, December 9, 2019.
The Produce Safety Improvement Grant helps Vermont produce growers implement on-farm food safety practices, transition to compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, and meet market demands for on-farm food safety. Applicants must grow, harvest, pack, or hold “covered produce” as defined by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule and have average annual produce sales of greater than $27,528 over the past three years.1
This grant program has gained remarkable popularity since the first grants were released in 2017, with consistently high demand for funds and positive feedback from farms who received funding.
Farms interested in applying are encouraged to contact the University of Vermont Extension Produce Safety Team. Extension can work with applicants to clarify plans and make recommendations for upgrades, planning, and layouts that support on-farm food safety improvements.
Moriah Cowles of Shelburne Orchards remarked on the value of the technical assistance she received throughout the grant process. “The quickness of the response of all of you at the [Agency] of Agriculture was amazing. How quickly you got back to me, how readily available the information was. I think in two days I had somebody out here [from UVM Extension] on the farm, looking at the farm and the project we were thinking about and giving us advice about what would be a good project,” said Cowles. “It felt very supportive and made it really simple for me.”
To date, the Vermont Produce Safety Improvement Grant program has awarded $208,000 in grants to 30 Vermont farms. Examples of projects funded by this grant include equipment upgrades, harvest bins, wash/pack area improvement and cold storage.
The Agency understands that most farms are already focused on continuous improvement in various aspects of their operations. This grant helps produce farms prioritize food safety improvements amidst the various competing needs and opportunities that might arise between growing seasons. It’s also important to note that produce safety infrastructure improvements often produce ancillary benefits for farms that can further strengthen farm viability. 100 percent of previous grantees have seen an increase in efficiency, worker satisfaction, produce quality, or production capacity as a result of produce safety improvements.
Farms can apply for a minimum of $2,000 and a maximum $7,000 in grant funds. With limited funding available, The Agency prioritizes reaching as many produce farms as possible to support on-farm projects that minimize food safety risks. To that end, applications for this round of funding will not be accepted from farms who previously received a Produce Safety Improvement Grant.
Visit agriculture.vermont.gov/produceprogram to learn more and sign up to receive email updates through the Vermont Produce Portal. Contact UVM Extension at producesafety@uvm.edu to start planning for your produce safety improvement project today!
1 The term covered produce includes any raw fruit or vegetable commonly consumed raw, as defined by the FDA. The complete definition can be found in the most recent PSIG Grant RFA, located at agriculture.vermont.gov/ProduceSafetyGrants. The RFA for the upcoming grant round will be released when applications open on November 1, 2019.