LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico Department of Agriculture provides limited funds to New Mexicans who grow or make food and other agricultural products through two assistance programs.

The Cooperative Advertising Assistance and Tradeshow Assistance programs can reimburse for partial advertising or tradeshow expenses.

Cooperative Advertising Assistance is available to help offset some advertising costs for New Mexican food and agricultural businesses. Assistance can help cover some of the expenses associated with advertising or marketing activities.

Within the advertising assistance program there is limited funding available for company projects that exhibit collaboration or exclusively involve placing paid online advertisements. The time spent creating the graphic design will not be reimbursed.

Members of the NMDA Logo Program can also receive discounts on print advertisements in several in-state publications.

The Tradeshow Assistance program provides reimbursements of up to 50 percent to companies that plan to exhibit in a trade show.

For exhibiting companies, NMDA provides cost-share assistance on a reimbursement basis for up to 50 percent of the floor space. A company may receive assistance for the same trade show up to three years in a row, after that time companies may still apply, but must be a different tradeshow to continue to receive assistance.

If companies wish to be reimbursed for the Fiery Foods Show, the cost-share assistance is limited to no more than 25 percent of the floor space. A company may receive assistance for this show each year. There is not a yearly limit for the Fiery Foods Show reimbursements.

Applications must be sent to NMDA via mail, email, or fax on or before November 30 of the fiscal year the advertisement(s) or tradeshow will occur.

For more information call NMDA Marketing and Development Division office at 575-646-4929 or email them at tastethetradition@nmda.nmsu.edu. The applications can be found on the NMDA's marketing website, www.newmexicotradition.com. Click on the "Programs" tab on the top of the homepage and then select "Funding Assistance."