Wednesday, March 7, 2007
PRINCESS ANNE, MD – The USDA (MD/DE) Rural Development Office in cooperation with the Maryland Cooperative Extension’s Rural Development Center will conduct a workshop focused on grant programs in two areas important to small businesses and agriculture producers: USDA’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Improvements and the Value-Added Producer Grant programs. The workshop will be held at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore on Tuesday, March 13, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Richard A. Henson Center in Princess Anne.
The Renewable Energy and Energy Improvements Grant program (REEP) can pay up to 25 percent of the costs for an agriculture producer or small business to implement a renewable energy project or make energy efficiency improvements to their building or processes. An example of an energy efficiency improvement could be to simply replace the lights and cooling fans in a poultry house with more energy efficient lighting and ventilation.
The Value-Added Producer Grant program (VAPG) can be accessed by eligible agricultural producers or producer groups for either planning or working capital in a value-added agriculture endeavor. The grant will pay for up to 50% of eligible project costs.
An overview of each program as well as tips for applying for the grant funds will be presented. The meeting at UMES is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. and end at 2:30 p.m. The workshops are free and lunch will be served. Registration is required to attend. To register, please call 804-290-1155 or email vafairs@vafb.com with your name, specifying that you will be attending the meeting at UMES. MCE programs are open to all citizens without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, political beliefs or national origin. For an agenda or more information about the workshop, please contact Laurette Tucker of Rural Development at 804-287-1594 or Chris Cook of the Virginia Farm Bureau at 804-290-1111.
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Kat Harting, media specialist, UMES Department of Agriculture, 410-651-6084, kharting@umes.edu.
