The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) recently announced $7 million in grant funding to help strengthen the U.S. maple syrup industry.
On Feb. 16, the AMS announced $7 million in grants for the Acer Access and Development Program (Acer) and the Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP), according to a press release.
"These grant programs help states and territories target resources locally to explore new market opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural products," USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt said, according to the press release. "We know that innovation is often best developed at the local level, where the potential for new markets is most evident."
Acer supports projects that improve public understanding of the domestic maple syrup industry and education projects to advance producer practices that affect the maple syrup industry.
"Through FSMIP, we encourage big ideas that can create marketing opportunities for producers, and through Acer, we aim to increase the competitiveness of the U.S. maple syrup industry," Lester Moffitt added.
Applicants can submit requests online through grants.gov. The deadline for applications is 11:59 p.m. eastern time April 26.
FSMIP will require applicants to provide a one-to-one dollar match for grants.
