From: USDA Office of Communications <usda@public.govdelivery.com>
Date: Tue, Aug 19, 2014 at 11:34 AM
Subject: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Visits New Hampshire Farm to Announce $25 Million for Agricultural Entrepreneurs to Turn Commodities into Value-Added Products
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Contact: Jay Fletcher (202) 690-0498
Miles Smith Farm of Loudon Receives $127,000 to Market Local Beef and Pork Burgers
LOUDON, N.H., August 19, 2014 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited Miles Smith Farm in Loudon Tuesday to announce the farm was one of nearly 250 nationwide receiving a portion of $25 million aimed at helping rural businesses grow, diversify and create jobs. The funding is being provided through USDA Rural Development's Value-Added Producer Grant program. The program helps agricultural producers grow their businesses by helping them turn raw commodities into value added products, expanding marketing opportunities, and developing new uses for existing products. Miles Smith Farm will use a $127,732 USDA Rural Development Value-Added Producer Grant to produce and distribute a burger made of grass fed beef and organically raised pork.
"Value-Added Producer Grants enable small businesses to turn raw products that sell at commodity prices into a finished product that provides a higher return," said Vilsack. "USDA is helping producers brand, package, and market products that diversify our local food systems and grow rural economies. These efforts put more people to work in New Hampshire's agriculture sector while connecting more consumers to the Granite State's farmers. The new Farm Bill will provide even more of these opportunities in rural communities here and across the country."
Carole Soule of Miles Smith Farm said she will use the funds, in addition to their required matching funds, to market and produce burgers made up of 55 percent grass-fed beef and 45 percent organically raised pork. Soule said that by mixing ground pork with extra-lean grass-fed ground beef the farm can produce a burger with the ideal fat and flavor levels grass-fed ground beef does not have alone. Soule calls the mix "the burger that squeals with flavor."
Miles Smith Farm leases over 300 acres of mixed farmland throughout New Hampshire where they let the animals do the work of naturally tilling and fertilizing the soil. Their farming practices follow an organic and antibiotic free philosophy. Although only some of the beef is raised on-site, Miles Smith Farm purchases only cattle and antibiotic free pork from local New Hampshire farms to fill the demand for locally raised meats.
During Vilsack's visit to Miles Smith Farm, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Commissioner of Agriculture Lorraine Merrill, representatives of the Farm Service Agency, and representatives of the Natural Resources Conservation Service met with a group of New Hampshire farmers to discuss ways to grow the state's agricultural sector.
The 2014 Farm bill reauthorized the grant program and increased mandatory funding for the program from $15 million to $63 million (while also reauthorizing $40 million in discretionary funding).
President Obama's historic investments in rural America have made our rural communities stronger. Under his leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way - strengthening America's economy, small towns and rural communities.
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Jeremy Tobias Matthews
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