Note: This webinar series has passed. Click here to watch the webinar series on CAFF’s YouTube Channel.
Are you a farmer or rancher interested in producing or scaling a value-added product? Are you interested in applying for the USDA’s Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG)?
Join CAFF for a 3-part webinar series on value-added products and the VAPG
Each webinar will feature a guest speaker and conclude with a question and answer session. See below for details about topics covered in each webinar. Participants from any state or Native nation may attend this series, but examples and regulatory information will apply to California producers. Participants can attend all 3 webinars or just one, but registration is required to attend. The series is led by CAFF’s Food Safety Team, Grace Perry and Kali Feiereisel, and all content was created in collaboration with Ellen Rawley Creative and Strategy, Inc.
IS MY VALUE-ADDED PRODUCT VIABLE?
Part 1, Wednesday, November 2, 11am-1pm
Guest Speaker: Merrilee Olson, Preserve Farm Kitchens
Participants can expect to learn about:
- Using the value-added product development process to assess product viability
- Determining competitors, establishing a competitor price comparison
- Estimating the cost of production, including Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) and operating expenses
- Setting a price for your product and estimating profitability
- Food safety and food processing regulatory requirements
- Value-added product processing options
- Launching a test run
- Scaling production
IS MY FARM AND PRODUCT ELIGIBLE FOR THE VALUE-ADDED PRODUCER GRANT (VAPG)?
Part 2, Wednesday, November 9, 11am-12:30pm
Guest Speaker: Joanne Krueger, Little Apple Treats
Participants can expect to learn about:
- The basics of the Value-Added Producer Grant
- Examples of previously awarded projects
- Business and product eligibility grant requirements
- Eligible and ineligible expenses
- Benefits of the VAPG for farmer-led businesses
GETTING READY FOR THE 2023 VAPG
Part 3, Wednesday, November 16, 11am-12:30pm
Guest Speaker: Ellen Rawley, Ellen Rawley Creative & Strategy, Inc.
Participants can expect to learn about:
- The VAPG application process
- How applications are scored by reviewers
- Tips for writing a successful application
- CAFF’s VAPG scholarship
- Next steps to prepare for the 2023 VAPG
This webinar series is presented at no-cost to participants. Funding for this webinar series was made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service through grant 21FMPPCA1007-00. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.