The Kansas Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for the 2022 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Funds for the program are awarded to the agency by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service.
The
Kansas Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for the 2022
Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Funds for the program are awarded to the
agency by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service.
The grant funds are
in turn granted to projects and organizations to enhance the competitiveness of
specialty crops by leveraging efforts to market and promote specialty crops;
assisting producers with research and development relevant to specialty crops;
expanding availability and access to specialty crops; and addressing local,
regional, and national challenges confronting specialty crop producers.
Specialty crops are defined by the USDA as “fruits, vegetables, tree nuts,
dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops, including floriculture.”
Applications will
be evaluated by a team of external reviewers. The team will rate proposals on
their ability to successfully promote specialty crops in Kansas and make a
positive impact on the Kansas economy. Those recommendations will be submitted
to the Kansas Secretary of Agriculture, who will make the final awards.
Applications are
due to KDA no later than 5:00 p.m. CST on March 31, 2022. For more information,
please download and carefully read the 2022 KDA Request for Applications from
the KDA website: agriculture.ks.gov/specialtycrop.
Specialty Crop
Block Grant funding from USDA–AMS is awarded to states based on recent value
and acreage of specialty crops in the state. In 2022, Kansas will receive
approximately $335,000; in addition, some remaining funds from the 2021 H.R.
133 Stimulus funding may be available to applicants.
The vision of the
Kansas Department of Agriculture is to provide an ideal environment for
long-term, sustainable agricultural prosperity and statewide economic growth.
The agency will achieve this by advocating for sectors at all levels and
providing industry outreach.