Agency
Program Site
Description
The purpose of the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) is to solely enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. Specialty crops are defined as “fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture).”
Eligibility
Applications for specialty crop projects must be submitted to the appropriate State Department of Agriculture to be considered for funding. State Departments of Agriculture are encouraged to partner with specialty crop stakeholders, including socially disadvantaged and beginning farmers, in order to fulfill State specialty crop priorities. Individual or other non-Federal entity interested in applying to through a state’s competitive process, deadlines for each State department of agriculture’s competition varies. Contact your State Department of Agriculture Project Coordinator for more information.
Climate Change Component
This program enhances competitiveness of specialty crops and supports investing in specialty crop research, which includes conservation, environmental outcomes, sustainability, seed varieties / cultivars that will need to be resilient to changes in climate and extreme weather events, research on changes to pest and disease pressures and control methods with climate change, and improving efficiency of distribution systems.