Specialty producers meet to discuss sharing knowledge

Jeff Zimprich, a state conservationist with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, speaks to specialty food producers April 5 about conservation programs.

(Ellen Bardash / Republic)

FROM ONE PRODUCER TO ANOTHER Specialty producers meet to discuss sharing knowledge

BY ELLEN BARDASH The Daily Republic

“There’s no reason for any of us to invent the wheel again,” said South Dakota Specialty Producers Association President Don Bodensteiner, setting the tone for the group’s local foods meeting.

Bodensteiner and others who spoke during the meeting, which was held April 5 at the Davison County Fairgrounds, stressed the importance of sharing information between producers, as well as to consumers and others who might be interested in any of the state’s specialty industries, so that no one needs to learn the hard way how to do something others in the industry have already perfected.

One tool for sharing that information is the SDSPA’s new website, which launched last month and has specialized pages for 18 specialty products and the people who produce them.

“We’re trying to consolidate all this local foods information in one place,” said Chris Zdorovstov, who began working on the website last winter.

Each of the industry pages includes a map showing where producers are located, and many have supplemental information such as lists of resources or more specific details about producers, such as the individual products they offer. SDSPA members are able to have more of their contact and business information displayed on the website.

Zdorovstov encouraged growers to get in touch with SDSPA so their operations can be added to the website, which is still in its formative stages.

“Where does this content come from? Well, I can pull it out of thin air, but what I ideally want is for these industries to come together and help guide me as to what we should share with other growers,” she said.

Also discussed during the meeting were a number of grants that are available to specialty producers, such as those that are intended to help fund a project.

Cayla Holleman, a USDA rural development specialist, referred to two grants in particular that could assist specialty producers: the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program, which provides loans of up to $50,000 to businesses with 10 or fewer employees, and the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG), which can fund up to 50 percent of a project that adds value to agricultural products in some way, such as selling them locally or changing their state.

Holleman said that grants awarded through VAPG are capped at $75,000 for the planning side of a project or $250,000 for the working capital side.

“If anyone has an idea that they want to run by us, we’d be happy to see if any of our programs fit,” Holleman said, noting that the local USDA office doesn’t currently know all the specifics of how the recently-passed federal farm bill will impact grant programs in South Dakota.

Jeff Zimprich, a state conservationist for the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), said that none of the conservation programs available to South Dakota producers in the past were cut by the farm bill and that NRCS hopes to continue working with specialty producers to provide planning assistance.

“Local foods is a key strategic area for us,” Zimprich said. “ … We see this as a really evolving and growing area.”