More than two dozen Missouri farms, small businesses and higher education institutions will receive state funding to increase economic value on agriculture products, the Missouri Department of Agriculture announced Monday.
The nearly $4 million in grants is aimed at offsetting some of the costs associated with producing value-added items and educating farmers. The Show-Me Entrepreneurial Grants for Agriculture are funded by the Missouri General Assembly.
The Missouri Food, Beverage, and Forest Products Manufacturing Task Force recommended a grant program for value-added products in 2019. Value-added agricultural items include crops or meat products that have been processed so they can be sold at a higher price, like pickles, jerky or jams.
Value-added products can bring farmers’ products a higher market value, but the infrastructures to create the items may be costly for agriculturalists.
There are five different grants within the Show-Me Entrepreneurial Grants for Agriculture program. A total of 28 businesses and institutions received funding.
The first set of grants is aimed at assisting Missourians who are developing their agricultural businesses with increased value-added products. Recipients are:
- Adam Puchta & Son Wine Company in Hermann
- Bear Creek Meats in Stockton
- Cuttin' Up Custom Meat Processing in Leeton
- Hemme Dairy in Sweet Springs
- Hertzog Premium Beef in Butler
- Inland Cape Rice Company in Scott City
- McKaskle Family Farm in Hayti
- Nadler's Meats and Catering in Wellington
- Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville
- Peno Creek Farms in Frankford
- Rosier Farms Distilling in Mound City
- Show Me HH Farms in Hannibal
- St. James Winery in St James
- Timber Ridge Millworks in Versailles
- Turner Processing in Fair Grove
- Westphalia Trading in Loose Creek
The second set of grants will go to higher education institutions to provide learning opportunities for farmers interested in increasing their value-added products. Missouri State University and the University of Central Missouri received one grant, and the Curators of the University of Missouri received another.
The third grant program provides reimbursement for technical assistance to producers and businesses who create value-added products. Recipients include one producer, Lane Conderman, and the following businesses:
- Gold Crown Food Company of the Ozarks in Springfield
- Jennings Premium Meats in New Franklin
- Kern Meat in Bridgeton
- The Farm Table in California
The fourth set of grants gives reimbursement for hiring, training and certifying costs for businesses and producers. Recipients are Fulton Wurst Haus & Butchery in Fulton, Hermann Wurst Haus in Hermann and ICF Holdings in Eldon.
The final grant program is non-competitive and provides cost offsets for value-added food processing and food safety services.
