USDA · RURAL-DEV · VPA · CATALOG
Value-Added Producer Grants
VPA - a USDA rural development farm program administered by the Farm Service Agency. How it works, who it serves, and where the federal dollars go.
What the VPA Program Data Shows
The Value-Added Producer Grants (VPA) is a rural development program (stamp RURAL-DEV · CATALOG) administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency. Helps producers enter value-added activities. Figures on this page draw from the USDA Economic Research Service Farm Income and Wealth Statistics series and FSA program definitions, not academic estimates.
VPA sits in the RURAL-DEV catalog lane. Sibling titles in this lane (FLP, REAP) share FSA administration but not a single shared state Top-10 board. Farm Bill negotiations repeatedly revolve around whether a rural development-heavy program continues at current levels, tightens eligibility, or shifts funding into other Titles.
Reading VPA in isolation misses the stack. Pair this page with the category peer drills below and each state's full ERS portfolio (commodity, conservation, insurance, disaster) before judging program effectiveness or equity.
About This Program
Helps producers enter value-added activities.
RURAL-DEV lane, no single ERS payment column
VPA is catalogued under RURAL-DEV, but ERS state tables do not publish a dedicated column for this title. Use the category peer drills below instead of a recycled national Top-10.
Source: USDA Farm Service Agency, Farm Income and Wealth Statistics (1995-2024)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Value-Added Producer Grants (VPA)?
The Value-Added Producer Grants (VPA) is a USDA rural development program (stamp RURAL-DEV · CATALOG). Helps producers enter value-added activities.
Who administers the VPA program?
The Value-Added Producer Grants is administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA). Farmers and ranchers apply through their local FSA county office. Eligibility and payment calculations vary by program rules set in the Farm Bill.
How does the VPA differ from other USDA programs?
The VPA falls under the rural development category of USDA programs. It sits in the rural development lane of the Farm Bill stack rather than the commodity, conservation, or disaster payment columns.
Which programs sit with VPA in the rural development lane?
VPA peers in the RURAL-DEV lane include Farm Labor Housing Program (FLP), Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).
Program Details
Browse
Read with VPA
Same-lane FSA peers and the leading ERS state pole for Value-Added Producer Grants (RURAL-DEV · CATALOG), replacing the old fixed Guides / Explore more chrome.
RURAL-DEV CATALOG
Farm Labor Housing Program · FLP
FLP shares the RURAL-DEV stack with VPA (CATALOG vs CATALOG) - compare FSA rules and state poles side by side.
Rural Energy for America Program · REAP
REAP shares the RURAL-DEV stack with VPA (CATALOG vs CATALOG) - compare FSA rules and state poles side by side.
Texas · top payment pole
Texas leads the total USDA payment ranking shown on this VPA page.
Full FSA program catalog
VPA stamps RURAL-DEV · CATALOG inside the Farm Bill program roster.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the USDA Farm Service Agency. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Every figure on PlainFarmData is rendered from USDA ERS Farm Income and Wealth Statistics (state and national payments) or the USDA NASS Census of Agriculture (county farm structure), depending on the page, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on USDA Farm Service Agency source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.