USDA Announces Investment in Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
USDA announced $72.9 million in grant funding available to support the specialty crops industry through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Through this program, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) issues noncompetitive grants to state and territory departments of agriculture or equivalent to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops and support specialty crop growers through marketing, education, and research. AMS encourages applications that serve smaller farms and ranches, new and beginning farmers and ranchers, underserved producers, veteran producers, and/or underserved communities. Interested applicants should apply directly through their state departments of agriculture.