$73 Million in USDA Funds To Help Pave Way for New Specialty Crop Niches

Posted by Growing Produce Staff|February 2, 2022

USDA has announced the availability of $72.9 million through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) to fund innovative projects designed to support the expanding specialty crop sector and explore new market opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural products.

“I was thrilled to welcome Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt to the ‘Apple Capital of the World’ to make this announcement about Specialty Crop Block Grants. The Block Grant program has been crucial to our state’s tree fruit industry,” says Rep. Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08). “Cutting edge research at Washington State University on sustainable growing practices benefits Washington state and the country. Because specialty crops represent such a large share of Washington state’s economy, I will continue to work with my colleagues on the House Agriculture Committee to ensure robust funding for these research grants every year.”

The SCBGP funds are allocated to U.S. states and territories based on a formula that considers both specialty crop acreage and production value. Interested applicants should apply directly through their state departments of agriculture. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service manages this grant program and a listing of state contacts is available on its website.

AMS encourages applications that serve smaller farms and ranches, new and beginning farmers and ranchers, socially disadvantaged producers, veteran producers, and/or underserved communities. For grants intending to serve these audiences, applicants should engage and involve those beneficiaries when developing projects and applications.

Applications from the states and territories must be submitted electronically through grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. ET on May 3, 2022. Any grant application submitted after the due date will not be considered unless the applicant provides documentation of an extenuating circumstance that prevented their timely submission of the grant application.