USDA Announces Specialty Crop Block Grants

By Growing Produce Staff|September 17, 2010

Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan has announced the award of block grants to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops.

“We are pleased to support diverse efforts to help specialty crop growers market their products in a global marketplace and encourage all Americans to increase their fruit and vegetable consumption,” Merrigan said. “These grants are instrumental in helping specialty crop growers tackle the issues they are facing today.”

The 54 grants total approximately $55 million, and will fund 827 projects, a 10% increase over last year. The grants benefit both specialty crop growers and consumers. One block grant recipient is partnering with a university to determine if E. coli can be transferred by dust or wind from cattle production areas to leafy green produce crops. Another recipient is partnering with an agency to coordinate a Farm to School program where school districts will purchase specialty crops from a variety of growers for direct use in school meals.

The grant recipients are:

Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries – $435,904.12
Alaska Division of Agriculture – $197,258.55
Arizona Department of Agriculture – $1,175,326.21
Arkansas Agriculture Department – $270,934.69
California Department of Food and Agriculture – $17,281,158.92
Colorado Department of Agriculture – $773,535.26
Connecticut Department of Agriculture – $445,339.20
Delaware Department of Agriculture – $251,741.11
District of Columbia, Agricultural Experiment Station – $181,210.00
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services – $4,797,413.00
Georgia Department of Agriculture – $1,015,360.23
Guam Department of Agriculture – $183,112.95
Hawaii Department of Agriculture – $416,808.98
Idaho State Department of Agriculture – $1,037,890.22
Illinois Department of Agriculture – $648,085.68
Indiana State Department of Agriculture – $399,796.45
Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship – $276,310.76
Kansas Department of Agriculture – $282,828.14
Kentucky Department of Agriculture – $273,262.60
Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry – $353,448.31
Maine Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources – $420,878.14
Maryland Department of Agriculture – $432,766.91
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources – $502,944.14
Michigan Department of Agriculture – $1,415,489.62
Minnesota Department of Agriculture – $802,718.56
Mississippi Department of Agriculture – $293,555.29
Missouri Department of Agriculture – $342,960.19
Montana Department of Agriculture – $292,954.57
Nebraska Department of Agriculture – $353,970.92
Nevada Department of Agriculture – $231,060.95
New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food – $260,467.66
New Jersey Department of Agriculture – $840,373.74
New Mexico Department of Agriculture – $396,160.84
New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets – $1,254,272.19
North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services – $1,147,731.84
North Dakota Department of Agriculture – $665,630.19
Ohio Department of Agriculture – $675,086.37
Oklahoma State Department of Agriculture – $369,855.41
Oregon Department of Agriculture – $1,764,486.13
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture – $1,069,427.21
Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture – $400,097.74
Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Division of Agriculture – $ 224,472.49
South Carolina Department of Agriculture – $524,182.84
South Dakota Department of Agriculture – $208,816.87
Tennessee Department of Agriculture – $520,784.72
Texas Department of Agriculture – $1,800,402.41
U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture – $182,405.21
Utah Department of Agriculture and Food – $309,814.75
Vermont Agency of Agriculture – $228,703.36
Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services – $513,226.81
Washington State Department of Agriculture – $3,744,666.16
West Virginia Department of Agriculture – $213,597.69
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection – $1,056,177.63
Wyoming Department of Agriculture – $206,135.08