Agricultural News
Agricultural Grant and Loan Applications Due Jan. 3
Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:19:19 CST
Vicki Stamback has been growing cut flowers for local florists for 18 years. Her Bear Creek Farms operation has expanded from two greenhouses to six greenhouses and five shade houses. She grows 150 different varieties of flowers that bloom at different times of the year. Still, the Payne County entrepreneur knew there was something missing in her business plan. She needed a fresh product to sell in the winter months.
A $5,000 grant from the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture, Food and Forestry helped her fill the gap by planting 900 flowering shrubs last summer. In two or three years, she will be able to harvest stems that retail florists crave for seasonal arrangements. Woody plant materials command higher prices than Bear Creek's other crops and are freshest when purchased locally.
The Agricultural Enhancement and Diversification Program (AEDP) funds awarded to Stamback helped her purchase the plant material for her expansion plan. She matched the grant funds with a new water meter, backflow preventer, pipe and dripline irrigation system. Best of all, she expects the project to pay for itself quickly. It has already created another full-time job with the possibility of more help being needed in the future. The Farm Diversification Grant made it possible for the business to add a large number of trees and shrubs and get water to those plants for the future diversification of Bear Creek Farms.
AEDP funds help qualified agriculture-related projects across the state with 0% interest loans and grants. The program goals are expanding the state's value-added sector and farm diversification. There are four types of funding sources available including farm diversification grants, marketing and utilization loans, cooperative marketing loans, and basic and applied research loans/grants. The application process is fairly simple and applications are accepted quarterly. The next deadline is Jan. 3.
AEDP funds are intended to produce agriculture-related products and create rural economic development. Applicants must be 21 years of age and must reside in and be legal residents of Oklahoma. The application form and additional information can be downloaded by clicking here.
Program coordinators Gary Bledsoe and Jason Harvey are available to assist in the completion and review of applications prior to submission. Call Jason Harvey at 405-522-5563 or Gary Bledsoe at 405-830-1341. The Agricultural Enhancement and Diversification Program is administered by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.
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