$66 Million In Specialty Crop Block Grants Available
April 22, 2014 USDA has announced the availability of approximately $66 million in Specialty Crop Block Grants to state departments of agriculture for projects that help support specialty crop growers, including locally grown fruits and vegetables, through research, programs to increase demand, and more.
The historic support provided by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Farm Bill), will strengthen rural American communities by supporting local and regional markets and improving access to fresh, healthy, and nutritious high quality products for millions of Americans. The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), is designed to enhance the markets for specialty crops like fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops, including floriculture.
“Specialty crop block grants help sustain the livelihoods of American farmers while strengthening the rural economy” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “These grants contribute to food safety improvements, increased access to healthy food, and new research to help growers increase profitability and sustainability.”
As directed by the Farm Bill, the block grants are now allocated to U.S. states and territories based on a formula that takes into consideration both specialty crop acreage and production value. Nearly all states are seeing an increase in funds.
AMS encourages applicants to develop projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops, sustain the livelihood of American farmers, and strengthen rural economies by:
• Increasing nutritional knowledge and specialty crop consumption among children and adults,
• Improving efficiency within the distribution system,
• Promoting the development of good agricultural, handling and manufacturing practices while encouraging audit cost-sharing for small farmers, packers, and processors,
• Supporting research through standard and green initiatives,
• Enhancing food safety,
• Developing new/improved seed varieties and specialty crops,
• Controlling pests and diseases,
• Creating organic and sustainable production practices,
• Establishing local and regional fresh food systems,
• Expanding access to specialty crops in underserved communities,
• Developing school and community gardens and farm-to-school programs,
• Enhancing the competitiveness of specialty crop farmers, including Native American and disadvantaged farmers.
Interested applicants should apply directly to their state department of agriculture. Several states have already published their requests for proposals, and the list of FY 2014 State Requests for Proposals is available on the AMS website.
For more information, contact Trista Etzig via phone at (202) 690-4942 or by e-mail: [email protected].
Here is the available grant allocation for FY 2014 by state:
Alabama $483,202
Alaska $231,963
American Samoa $262,707
Arizona $1,100,428
Arkansas $350,294
California $19,761,118
Colorado $835,857
Connecticut $395,398
Delaware $336,756
District of Columbia $221,328
Florida $4,552,724
Georgia $1,393,719
Guam $223,435
Hawaii $469,615
Idaho $1,914,956
Illinois $654,971
Indiana $453,298
Iowa $307,610
Kansas $313,802
Kentucky $302,121
Louisiana $436,132
Maine $600,343
Maryland $502,785
Massachusetts $456,717
Michigan $1,981,817
Minnesota $1,389,725
Mississippi $479,540
Missouri $457,799
Montana $986,230
Nebraska $597,376
Nevada $300,952
New Hampshire $272,784
New Jersey $809,717
New Mexico $548,734
New York $1,410,388
North Carolina $1,169,378
North Dakota $3,135,521
Northern Mariana Island $223,188
Ohio $653,493
Oklahoma $691,614
Oregon $1,949,765
Pennsylvania $1,039,934
Puerto Rico $522,655
Rhode Island $255,543
South Carolina $599,654
South Dakota $309,899
Tennessee $517,242 1
Texas $1,905,016
U.S. Virgin Islands $222,513
Utah $339,318
Vermont $278,283
Virginia $564,829
Washington $4,259,686
West Virginia $269,872
Wisconsin $1,403,956
Wyoming $290,560
Source: USDA press release
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