Part 2: Success Stories - Farm Marketing with USDA Grants
Image provided by Cairncrest Farm.
Now that you’re more familiar with the two USDA grants that can help you with your farm marketing from Part 1, let’s get into a couple success stories!
Cairncrest Farm
Cairncrest Farm is located in central New York and sells grass-fed, grass-finished beef and lamb as well as pastured chicken and pork. They recently won the Value-Added Producer Grant and have used it for marketing, storage, animal processing, purchasing animals from other farms, and shipping costs.
We spoke with Edmund Brown from Cairncrest Farm, who was the primary person involved in writing their grant application. He shared that it may take some time to get the application put together, but with the right support and resources it’s more than doable. In other words, you don’t have to go through the process alone!
For example, your Rural Development Office may have free resources that help you through the process. Edmund explained that “In New York the Rural Development Office had a learning session that one of the grant reviewers ran a couple months before the deadline. And they gave out the applications online so that you could work your way through filling out each section. It was a step-wise guide to make sure you didn't miss any required parts.”
Cairncrest Farm used their grant dollars for advertising and Drip email setup.
In addition to taking advantage of his local resources, Edmund also reached out to a friend who had experience writing grants. With her help, his local Rural Development Office, and time and effort on his part, he was able to put together an application that was successful. And because of that, Cairncrest Farm received funding that went towards activities that helped increase profit - like marketing!
Edmund’s best advice? Be patient with yourself. “Be patient with yourself. It’s a long and difficult process, but when it works it’s great.”
Learn more about Cairncrest Farm at cairncrestfarm.com.
Northwest Indiana Food Council
Images provided by Anne Massie and Lake County Eats Local.
The Northwest Indiana Food Council (NWIFC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization who works to expand affordable access to nutritious food to all of northwest Indiana. They use a variety of methods to carry out their mission, including supporting regional farmers, providing education and outreach, and advocating for policies that support a regenerative food system for all, not just for those who can afford it.
Anne Massie, President of the NWIFC, has ample experience with applying for grants that support farmers. She was involved with writing their grant application for the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) grant, and shared with us that it took them two tries to get it through. On the second try they were successful in being awarded $230,000 that went towards technical assistance in establishing farmers markets in Gary and East Chicago, two areas that are considered almost entirely geographical food deserts. Technical assistance covered a range of necessary components to their project, such as getting farmers set up with programs like WIC as well as outreach to help with recruiting farmers for participation in the farmers markets.
Getting the word out about the new farmers markets was crucial to the success of bringing affordable fresh food to these two areas, so it’s no surprise that funding for marketing was written into the grant as well. With the help of Grapevine Local Food Marketing, Anne explained that they were able to “establish a brand and logo, create a website, design flyers and signage, and incorporate our branding into van wrapping.”
When asked what her top piece of advice is for anyone wanting to apply for the FMPP, Anne had this to say: “I would hammer home partnerships. Partnerships are huge. Especially for groups that might come from underserved communities. These grant applications are not written to promote equity in the application process, so partnerships are really important in putting together a competitive proposal.”
Learn more about Northwest Indiana Food Council at nwifoodcouncil.org.
A Win for Local Food
As you can see, there’s a variety of types of projects that USDA grants will fund. While Edmund and Anne were awarded different grants and carried out two very different projects, both were able to use a portion of their funding for marketing efforts, which was important in their overall success of achieving their project goals.
Another constant in their experiences, and perhaps the most important one, is their recommendation to seek outside help. There are a lot of resources available and people out there who believe that what you’re doing as a farmer is vital and want to see you succeed. All you have to do is ask!
The best place to start is with contacting your local Rural Development Office. They’ll be able to fill you in on any upcoming learning session opportunities and local organizations who work with farmers on grant applications.
Let us Help!
If you’re applying for a grant that supports marketing efforts and you plan on hiring a marketing agency to help, having a letter of support from the agency is a great idea. Which is where we come in! We offer a free Letter of Support with ballpark pricing as well as a more comprehensive VAPG Marketing Support Package that includes calls with our expert teammates and a customized Mini Marketing Plan.
