INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The Feel Good Farm, LLC serves its customers by delivering locally grown organic food right to their doorstep – and now, the 60-acre certified organic farm in Sheridan, Ind., has been awarded a Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) from the USDA to study the feasibility of developing its own line of soups made from ingredients grown there.

With the $11,295 award, The Feel Good Farm also will develop a business plan for homegrown soups. If produced, they would be added to its line of local produce and natural groceries.

“We are thrilled to have been selected for such an exciting opportunity,” said Matthew Ewer, president and co-founder of The Feel Good Farm.

It is one of three farms in Indiana to receive the grant. Altogether the USDA distributes more than $40.2 million in VAPGs of varying amounts. The application was 100 pages long, said Lincoln Saunders, public affairs director for the farm.

“Putting it all together was an exciting process. (The award) is a great thing for our farm. It is a multi-stage grant. If we decide to create the soups, we can apply for a working grant,” Saunders said. “The grant allows us to study the feasibility of connecting our grocery products to our own farm’s output.”

Based in the Indianapolis area, the agribusiness began in 2007. More food distribution centers have been added in Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton, Ohio, and Fort Wayne, Ind. Another center is going up in Louisville, Ky., in the spring, Saunders said. These centers serve their surrounding communities.

“We are growing rapidly,” he said.

The LLC is an umbrella for several collaborative ventures to serve the Midwest. Green B.E.A.N. Delivery provides the food to customers after they order groceries online. Farm to Kitchen Foods is the arm that creates new recipes and foods by Executive Chef Brandon Hamilton.

The farm was added in 2010 so that B.E.A.N. could start growing more of its own food products; it is headed by Farm Manager Jeff Evard.

The Feel Good Farm and B.E.A.N. work with hundreds of local farmers and artisans to supply fresh produce and “natural groceries,” which are defined as foods made with sustainably grown products, Saunders explained.

These include meats, cheese and dairy, pasta sauces, coffee and tea, chips, crackers, and bottled beverages.

“We cater to individuals looking for natural products with no artificial ingredients, chemicals or pesticides. They like the convenience of ordering online and delivery to their doorstep. They are looking for super-fresh products they can’t find somewhere else,” Saunders said.

Other initiatives are Tiny Footprint Distribution, taking local products to retail stores, and Cool School Lunch, organic foods for schools and nonprofit groups. Altogether, Saunders estimates the Feel Good Farm serves 10,000 customers.

B.E.A.N. stands for Biodynamic, Education, Agriculture and Nutrition. “We are about connecting folks back to farmers and knowing who is growing their food and how it is done in a way that is best for feeding their family,” Saunders said.

To that end the website profiles farmers who contribute food to the food centers. Saunders said his grandfather was a fifth-generation farmer.

He will be going soon to Washington, D.C., to weigh in on the nation’s farm bill from a sustainable agriculture perspective.

For more information on Feel Good Farms, visit www.greenbeandelivery. com or call 317-543-9500.

The other Indiana recipients of the VAPG are Russell and Elizabeth Kelsay in Whiteland for $10,000, and Indiana Farmstead Cheese in Dale for $38,000.

VAPG funds may be used as working capital for marketing value-added agricultural products and farm-based renewable energy products, as well as feasibility studies or business plans. Eligible applicants include independent producers, farmer and rancher cooperatives, ag producer groups and majority-controlled producer-based businesses.

“It is a tremendous thing that the USDA provides funds for new farm projects. The unknown is difficult to launch,” Saunders said.

Through its rural development mission, USDA also offers affordable loans and loan guarantees to improve the economic stability and quality of life in rural America. Go to www.rurdev.usda. gov for more information on rural programs.