U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development California State Director Maria Gallegos Herrera has announced a $4.2 million investment to expand a vermicomposting facility in Hollister, California.
“Locally produced organic fertilizer is an important part of California’s agricultural supply chain and with this investment, I’m confident everyone will benefit, from our producers to consumers,” said Gallegos Herrera in making the Oct. 30 announcement.
Central Coast Worm Farm LLC will use the $4.2 million Fertilizer Production Expansion Program (FPEP) grant to help grow its vermicomposting facility located in Hollister, California. Central Coast Worm Farm, a sustainable composting and organic waste processor, will increase the capacity of this operation by installing a static composting system and improving facility access. When operational, Central Coast anticipates fertilizer production will increase to 158,000 tons per year of organic composting. The project is expected to create 16 new positions and provide product to 28,000 acres of producer operated crops.
The Department recently awarded over $120 million to fund six fertilizer production projects in Arkansas, California, Illinois, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin through FPEP, which is funded by the Commodity Credit Corporation and provides funding to independent business owners to help them modernize equipment, adopt new technologies, build production plants and more.
To date, USDA has invested over $368 million in 67 projects through FPEP, creating new jobs and increasing domestic fertilizer production across the country.
President Biden and USDA created FPEP to combat issues facing American farmers due to rising fertilizer prices, which more than doubled between 2021 and 2022 due to a variety of factors such as war in Ukraine and a lack of competition in the fertilizer industry.
Under the program, Rural Development provides loans and grants that support infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/ca.
