Vermont Produce Safety Improvement Grants

Applications are now open for the Produce Safety Improvement Grant!

March 14, 2023 | Montpelier, VT - The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) is now accepting applications for the Vermont Produce Improvement Grant program. Produce Safety Improvement Grants (PSIG) can support the costs of implementing on-farm food safety practices to for vegetable and fruit growers. Click here to read more.

Program Overview

The purpose of this grant is to help produce growers implement on-farm food safety practices, transition to compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, address compliance with new FSMA harvest and post-harvest water requirements, and meet market demands for on-farm food safety.

Eligibility

To be eligible for funding, applications must be for Vermont farms engaged in production agriculture for commercial purposes that—

Grow, harvest, pack or hold “covered produce” as defined by the Produce Safety Rule;
Have annual produce sales, averaged over the past three years, of greater than $29,245 [1]; and
Have enrolled in the Vermont Produce Portal.

Available Funds

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets will award up to $100,000 for this grant round. Grants may range from $5,000 to $20,000 with no required match.

How to Apply

Review the Round 5 RFA for information on grant objectives, project eligibility, and for a complete review of the application.

Applications are now open in WebGrants! Please ensure you have enrolled your farm in the Vermont Produce Portal.

For questions or further information, email Madison Berry at Madison.Berry@vermont.gov.

Program Timeline

Request For Applications (RFA) Released: February 27, 2023

Applications Open in WebGrants: March 13, 2023

Application Deadline: April 9, 2023

Awards Announced: June 2023

Click here for the Request for Applications (RFA) for Round 5

Program Impact

To date, the Vermont Produce Safety Improvement Grant program has awarded $307,665 in grants to 47 Vermont farms. Read the 2018 Produce Safety Improvement Grant Impact Report.

[1] A farm with an average annual monetary value of produce sold during the previous 3-year period of less than $25,000, adjusted for inflation using 2011 as the baseline year for calculating the adjustment, is not covered by the Produce Safety Rule. The average 3-year value for 2019–2021 is $29,245. See FSMA Inflation Adjusted Cut Offs for additional information.