Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/18
Outputs
Target Audience:Commercial farms evaluating the potential for addition of value-added enterprises and participating in the Executive Farm Management program through NCSU. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In the first year of the project, professional training was provided to grant writers assisting producers with value-added grant applications. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Opportunities for participation in the value-added cost share program and program results were reported at the program website and via email to cooperative extension agents. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The program provided cost share of over $1.3 million to support nearly 70 farmers, producer groups and agricultural businesses. This assistance translates to at least $3 million in equipment purchases by N.C. businesses in the last 4 years, expansions that might not have otherwise occurred. Based on past results, the impact of the 4 years of cost-share of equipment investment has increased annual sales of the participating producers and processors by about $4 million. This translated into a total annual economic impact on the North Carolina economy of over $7 million with about 35 new jobs created. The 2013 NCVACS equipment cost share award recipients include an array of agricultural producers and processors, from the mountains to the sea, exemplifying the diversity of N.C.'s agriculture economy
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Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16
Outputs
Target Audience:Value-added agricultural producers and processors in NC. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
11 VAPG proposals completed, 9 of which were funded at of $1.2M to N.C. producers in 2012 4 additional VAPGs were awarded in 2014 at $586,579 to N.C. producers without cost share , but with continued support from the NCSU Value-Added Center 8 Feasibility studies completed with cost share, and additional studies supported through efforts of the NCSU Value-Added Center and funding from USDA's Rural Cooperative Development Grant (3 additional studies are currently underway with support from USDA that will extend to June 2015) 6 VAPG applicants received matching funds support to help leverage the required $1:$1 match 66 Producers, producer groups, and or processors across N.C. have received cost share assistance for value-added processing, packaging, or production equipment. $950.5K has been awarded since 2009, along with $1.5M leveraged from award recipients ($0.63 Cost Share : $1 Recipient Outlay)
Publications
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Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15
Outputs
Target Audience:NCVACS has fostered the vitality and solvency of the tobacco-related segment of the state's agricultural economy, a NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission objective, by increasing the number of N.C. agricultural producers and processors who have profitably added or expanded value-added businesses. Furthermore, NCVACS has addressed another Commission objective by assisting businesses to avoid unemployment and to encourage economic stability of the agricultural economy. NCVACS has focused on helping existing agricultural businesses, both on and off farm, because they have demonstrated the highest likelihood of economic sustainability in the 5 years NCVACS has been in operation. This project has leveraged the ability of N.C. producers and processors to obtain external funds, specifically through the USDA VAPG program. NCVACS has also leveraged the ability of N.C. producers and processors to expand their operations to address unmet market demand for their products and/or services by providing them with cost-share for equipment and market expansion. Based on survey results from past recipients, NCVACS-assisted businesses have either been sustained and/or grown in terms of solvency, profitability, and employment. Several of them report that without the NCVACS program, they would not have realized the sales that they have had through 2014. Changes/Problems:The following measures help evaluate the success of NCVACS and the impacts it has had: NCVACS-Assisted Businesses that Obtained VAPG and/or Other Funding - 11 directly, 4 indirectly (no funding) NCVACS-Assisted Businesses that Remain in Operation 3 Years After Award - 33 (only 2009-2010 recipients included in this measure) NCVACS-Assisted Businesses that Did Not Pursue an Enterprise Following a Neutral or Negative Feasibility Study Outcome - 3 Growth, Size, and Employment of NCVACS-Assisted Businesses 3 Years After Award - Based on anonymous survey results from 2012 and 2014, the majority of NCVACS-assisted businesses report increased sales and profits for their businesses since the award. The majority of those respondents also report that a value-added product has been added to their sales because of the NCVACS award; the NCVACS award reduced labor requirements for making the value-added products; the cost for producing the value-added products has decreased due to the NCVACS award; and that NCVACS increased the volume of value-added products recipients are able to produce. Many of the respondents report increasing the number of both part-time and full-time employees in their operations as a result of the NCVACS award(s) they received. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
11 VAPG proposals completed, 9 of which were funded at of $1.2M to N.C. producers in 2012 4 additional VAPGs were awarded in 2014 at $586,579 to N.C. producers without cost share , but with continued support from the NCSU Value-Added Center 8 Feasibility studies completed with cost share, and additional studies supported through efforts of the NCSU Value-Added Center and funding from USDA's Rural Cooperative Development Grant (3 additional studies are currently underway with support from USDA that will extend to June 2015) 6 VAPG applicants received matching funds support to help leverage the required $1:$1 match 66 Producers, producer groups, and or processors across N.C. have received cost share assistance for value-added processing, packaging, or production equipment. $950.5K has been awarded since 2009, along with $1.5M leveraged from award recipients ($0.63 Cost Share : $1 Recipient Outlay)
Publications
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Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14
Outputs
Target Audience:The North Carolina Value-Added Cost Share (NCVACS) program operated from 2010 - 2014 and was administered by N.C. Cooperative Extension in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at N.C. State University. The program supported the development of value-added agricultural operations, an emerging sector of North Carolina agriculture. Cost-share assistance, with funding from the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, was offered to help developing value-added agricultural businesses purchase specialized equipment through a competitive application process. The program provided cost share of over $1.3 million to support nearly 70 farmers, producer groups and agricultural businesses. This assistance translates to at least $3 million in equipment purchases by N.C. businesses in the last 4 years, expansions that might not have otherwise occurred. Based on past results, the impact of the 4 years of cost-share of equipment investment has increased annual sales of the participating producers and processors by about $4 million. This translated into a total annual economic impact on the North Carolina economy of over $7 million with about 35 new jobs created. The 2013 NCVACS equipment cost share award recipients include an array of agricultural producers and processors, from the mountains to the sea, exemplifying the diversity of N.C.'s agriculture economy Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project provided opportunities to provide training for grant writing for value-added projects. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?NCVACS has fostered the vitality and solvency of the tobacco-related segment of the state's agricultural economy, a NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission objective, by increasing the number of N.C. agricultural producers and processors who have profitably added or expanded value-added businesses. Furthermore, NCVACS has addressed another Commission objective by assisting businesses to avoid unemployment and to encourage economic stability of the agricultural economy. NCVACS has focused on helping existing agricultural businesses, both on and off farm, because they have demonstrated the highest likelihood of economic sustainability in the 5 years NCVACS has been in operation. This project has leveraged the ability of N.C. producers and processors to obtain external funds, specifically through the USDA VAPG program. NCVACS has also leveraged the ability of N.C. producers and processors to expand their operations to address unmet market demand for their products and/or services by providing them with cost-share for equipment and market expansion. Based on survey results from past recipients, NCVACS-assisted businesses have either been sustained and/or grown in terms of solvency, profitability, and employment. Several of them report that without the NCVACS program, they would not have realized the sales that they have had through 2014. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The project has been completed with goals accomplished.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
NCVACS has met the specific objectives outlined its proposal in the following ways: Increase the number of agricultural producers and processors able to apply for funding via the USDA Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) and other programs by providing cost share for grant writing. In 2012, N.C. was awarded more VAPGs than in any other year. Bruce Pleasant of USDA Rural Development has credited NCVACS with having recruited, assisted, and prepared applicants successfully so that the majority of proposals submitted to USDA were, indeed, funded. Subsequent VAPG funding in 2014 included four recipients who had directly worked with the NCSU Value-Added Center and/or NCVACS. Increase the number of agricultural producers and processors able to apply for funding for operating capital via the VAPG and other programs by offsetting the costs to the applicants of conducting an enterprise feasibility study. This objective also has the important impact of helping applicants evaluate the potential profitability of the value-added business they are considering. Of the above VAPG recipients, 8 of those were working capital awards for which NCVACS cost-shared a requisite feasibility study and 4 others were completed with USDA-RCDG funding through the NCSU Value-Added Center. Three feasibility studies were completed for N.C. producers who either did not receive a VAPG award or who decided the project did was not feasible. All of the outcomes were worthwhile in that they helped producers make educated decisions about capital investment, expansion, and cash flow limitations. Enhance the ability of agricultural producers and processors to buy equipment required to add or expand value-added enterprises through continuation of the cost share program for equipment. 20 of the 66 producers, producer groups, and or processors received cost share assistance for value-added processing, packaging, or production equipment in 2013. Six of the twenty were processors, with the remaining 14 recipients being producers, producer cooperatives, or producer groups.
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