One Time $5,000 ARPA Grants Available to Food Commodity Producers

Jefferson County commissioners have allocated American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for a one-time $5,000 grant to food commodity producers that sold at least $2,500 in 2020. To qualify for the grant, the business or individual must employ less than 5 people, have ownership (or a long-term lease) of agricultural land and/or livestock, and have food commodity sales receipts from 2020 for a minimum of $2,500 dollars. Producers interested in applying for the grant can contact Leah Lewis at leah.lewis@jldcmt.com. More information on ARPA implementation can be found on Jefferson County’s website at http://www.jeffersoncounty-mt.gov/. The application is short and sweet (and extremely easy) with only a few “qualifying” documents needed.

Farming and ranching during the COVID-19 pandemic may have appeared to be “business as usual” with the trusty livestock producer continuing to feed animals and water their crops. However, just below the surface in 2020 was a storm of negative impacts created by the pandemic. Stock market volatility, panic food buying, spiking cases of coronavirus in meat processing centers, and price manipulation by packing plants. For the first time in many decades, grocery store shelves were empty and “food security” quickly became a topic of concern across America. Like many counties in Montana, Jefferson County has many small agricultural producers that were hit hard by the pandemic.