Calling all Specialty Crop Growers!
Do you grow vegetables, flowers, mushrooms, seeds, Christmas trees, nursery stock, honey, hops, maple sap, or any other specialty or niche crop for market? Have you heard about the MASC program? This is a rare opportunity being offered through the USDA to get some financial support for these efforts in 2025, but the application period ends January 8. Get help filling out the forms and learn more about what you’ll need to complete an application.
More information and registration is here:
https://www.gofarmconnect.org/.../masc-work-session-in...
The event is being hosted by farmer Erik Heimark, from Maple Ridge Produce, who is Go Farm Connect's Farm Business Management Specialist. He will be joined by Alondra Cano, Go Farm Connect Spanish Language Specialist, and other experienced farmers, USDA staff, and the Farm Service Agency's (FSA) Heather Kirkpatrick, County Executive Director for Dunn County. Growers from Dunn County and elsewhere are welcome to attend - you do not need to own land or already be signed up for federal farm programs to attend or participate in the MASC program.
“This is a rare day for Specialty Crop farmers– Let's make the most of it! Come learn how to complete the forms and (hopefully) leave with a completed application!" says Heimark, who has years of experience working with fellow farmers on USDA applications.
For more information contact Erik: 218-232-1303 [email protected]
More information and registration is here:
https://www.gofarmconnect.org/.../masc-work-session-in...
WHAT IS MASC?
The Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) program provides financial assistance to specialty crop producers to help them expand domestic markets or develop new markets for their crops.
“Specialty crop growers have typically faced higher marketing and handling costs relative to non-specialty crop producers due to the perishability of fruits, vegetables, floriculture, nursery crops and herbs,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “Through this marketing assistance program, we can expand U.S. specialty crop consumption and markets by providing specialty crop producers the financial support needed to help them engage in activities that broaden and enhance strategies and opportunities for marketing their commodities.”
WHAT TO BRING TO THE WORK SESSION
If you are already working with the USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) or Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the process will be very easy. Just make sure you have production/sales records for either 2023 or 2024 with you, in any form. If you haven't yet participated in federal farm programs, you will need to get signed up and you can do it at the work session. You will need these things:
-Name of your farm business, and the business address (this can just be you, if you have not organized into a business entity)
-You will need to provide your name, address, phone, email, and Social Security number (or From I-551/Green Card) to USDA.
-If you have a farm business, you will need to have the TIN or EIN number.
-You will need production records from 2023 and/or 2024, in any form such as a spreadsheet, notebook, laptop computer, or even a shoe box of invoices/receipts. If you don't have this, we may be able to create one with you on the spot from a narrative you tell us.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE
MASC covers the following commercially marketed specialty crops grown in the US:
Fruits (fresh, dried)
Vegetables (including dry edible beans and peas, mushrooms, and vegetable seed)
Tree nuts
Nursery crops, Christmas trees, and floriculture
Culinary and medicinal herbs and spices
Honey, hops, maple sap, tea, turfgrass, and grass seed
About Go Farm Connect:
Are you lost in an alphabet soup of federal acronyms? Need help finding the right resources?
Navigating USDA programs can be overwhelming, confusing and intimidating. We get that! We've pulled together an experienced team of farmers to help you connect to the right programs. We offer FREE services that focus on different aspects of building a successful farm business. We can provide a Connector to be a personal guide, coach, and ally who shares your goal of running a successful farm operation.
Go Farm Connect is a farmer-led initiative to build relationships between historically underserved specialty crop farmers (beginning, women, veterans, BIPOC and new Americans) and federal farm agencies. Our Connectors are trained to help farms of all sizes and specialties in Minnesota and Wisconsin access agricultural assistance programs. The three-year project is led by Renewing The Countryside in partnership with the US Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency, and Natural Resources Conservation Service. Registration through this link is helpful so that USDA staff can be aware of what questions you might want answered. Go Farm Connect staff may take photos and videos at this event to promote programs and future events.
Register HERE.
From the Facebook event page.