1 

Transportation and Marketing

Specialty Crop Block Grant Program

Fiscal Year 2023 Description of Funded Projects – Farm Bill 

Number of Grants Awarded: 55 

Number of Sub-award Projects: 589

Amount of Funds Awarded: $72,900,350.00

For more information, please visit the program’s website: https://www.ams.usda.gov/scbpg

NOTE: The project descriptions below were provided by the grant recipients. (File updated September 7, 2023) 

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Alabama 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Industries

$496,334.85

1. Alabama Fruit and 

Vegetable Growers 

Association - Expanding 

Specialty Crops through 

Innovative Cut-Flower 

Production Education and 

Industry Connect

The Alabama Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association will plan and 

execute two cut-flower production meeting and workshop for 

farmers who are already growing this specialty crop, those looking 

to diversify, and beginning farmers.

$20,000.00

Alabama 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Industries

$496,334.85

2. Assessing and 

Mitigating AmitrazResistant Varroa Mites in 

Alabama

Auburn University will complete the following research. The varroa 

mite (Varroa destructor) is the single greatest driver of honeybee 

(Apis mellifera) colony losses in the United States, including 

Alabama.

$39,986.00

Alabama 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Industries

$496,334.85

3. Cultivar Selection for 

Vegetable Crops in 

Alabama: Helping 

Growers to Maximize 

Production

Auburn University and Alabama Cooperative Extension System 

(ACES) will partner to create a variety trial program for vegetable 

crops in Alabama. Our objective is to conduct variety trials for 

vegetable crops in several locations in the state, which will generate 

information to assist growers with decision-making on variety 

selection.

$39,999.32
2 

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Alabama 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Industries

$496,334.85

4. Drone-Based 

Automated Pests and 

Diseases Scouting in 

Specialty Crops.

Auburn University and the Alabama Department of Agriculture and 

Industries will partner to develop strategies to automate diseases 

and pests scouting for container nursery and vegetable production. 

The project will decrease crop loss and improve plant growth, yield, 

and farm profitability through the evaluation and demonstration of 

novel drone imaging for early automated field scouting.

$40,000.00

Alabama 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Industries

$496,334.85

5. Evaluation of 

Watermelon Varieties in 

Alabama

Auburn University and Alabama Cooperative Extension Systems will 

partner with the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries 

to help prevent and mitigate Root-knot Nematode damage in 

Watermelon by evaluating several watermelon varieties in South 

Central Alabama using a novel approach for root-knot 

identification.

$40,000.00

Alabama 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Industries

$496,334.85

6. Evaluating the Threat 

of Southern Bacterial Wilt 

Disease in Alabama 

Agricultural Production

The University of South Alabama will evaluate the status of 

bacterial wilt disease in the state of Alabama, the genetic diversity 

of R. solanacearum in Alabama tomato farming regions, and 

evaluate the performance of widely cultivated tomato cultivars 

against the isolated R. solanacearum strains.

$39,995.00

Alabama 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Industries

$496,334.85

7. Expanding Education 

and Markets for Alabama 

Christmas Tree Growers

The Southern Christmas Tree Grower Association will partner with 

the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries to support a 

regional annual meeting held in Alabama 2024.

$15,000.00
3 

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Alabama 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Industries

$496,334.85

8. Expanding the Fan Base 

of Alabama Specialty 

Crops at University 

Football Games

Sweet Grown Alabama will promote Alabama specialty crops at 

university football games across the state by 1) inviting football fans 

to sample seasonal specialty crops in a tailgate setting and 2) 

marketing seasonal specialty crops with stadium advertisements. A 

tailgate booth will be set up at six Alabama universities during the 

2024 football season. Participating fans will receive a sample of a 

local specialty crop/product and education regarding how to access 

and prepare the specialty crop. A brief survey will collect data from 

participants about knowledge gained and intent to purchase 

Alabama specialty crops. This project aims to increase consumer 

awareness and willingness to purchase Alabama specialty crops by 

promoting the industry in high-traffic outlets.

$60,000.00

Alabama 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Industries

$496,334.85

9. Introducing New 

Strawberry Cultivars to 

Multiple Regions of 

Alabama

Auburn University and the Alabama Cooperative Extension Systems 

will partner with the Alabama Department of Agriculture and 

strawberry growers to evaluate new strawberry cultivars for a 

minimum of two years in Central and South Alabama.

$39,986.00

Alabama 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Industries

$496,334.85

10. Nano-Enabled 

Fertilizer and Pesticide 

Use on Alabama Pecan 

and Vegetable Crops

Auburn University will partner with local pecan and vegetable 

growers to evaluate and demonstrate the efficacy of using nanoenabled fertilizers and pesticides to reduce current rates which in 

return will reduce costs.

$40,000.00

Alabama 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Industries

$496,334.85

11. Overcoming Armillaria 

Root Rot Challenge in 

Peach Production to 

Sustain Family Farms

Auburn University and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System 

(ACES) will partner with the ADAI to alleviate the Armillaria Root 

Rot (ARR) disease infection rate and the consequential crop loss in 

peach orchards by developing scientifically based

recommendations for the utilization of ARR resistant rootstock ‘MP29’ in peach production and by disseminating research results to 

stakeholders.

$40,000.00

Alabama 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Industries

$496,334.85

12. Plasticulture Mulch 

Management for 

Increased Profitability in 

Vegetable Production

Auburn University will develop research-based guidelines for the 

resilient and sustainable use of plastic and non-plastic mulching 

systems in vegetable production under multiple crop seasons.

$39,972.00
4 

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Alabama 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Industries

$496,334.85 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$36,395.06

Alaska Division of 

Agriculture $255,184.28 

1. Increasing the Yield, 

Nutritional Quality and 

Energy Efficiency of 

Specialty Mushroom 

Farming in Alaska

Seven Spruce Project, in partnership with Hamakua Mushroom 

Heritage Farm Inc. and University of Alaska Anchorage, will increase 

the yield and decrease the grower costs of specialty mushrooms 

production through workforce development, improved substrate 

composition and energy efficiency. The Project will utilize local 

spruce wood as substrate, develop scientifically based methods to 

increase yields and train a skilled workforce, capable of operating 

medium to large-scale mushroom farm. We will disseminate 

methods and results to the stakeholders through online and inperson grower workshops, meetings and by providing multilingual 

training materials.

$60,000.00

Alaska Division of 

Agriculture $255,184.28 2. "Meet the Chef" in Homer, Alaska

Homer Soil and Water Conservation District's project aims to 

increase the connections, awareness and understanding between 

local large-scale buyers and farmers selling local produce by 

facilitating gatherings between local chefs and local farmers to 

share information about expectations and needs; and produce chef 

demonstration videos to showcase various ways to utilize Alaskan 

Grown specialty crops for a wider consumer audience.

$17,180.00
5 

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Alaska Division of 

Agriculture $255,184.28 3. Specialty Crops Tester, Producer and Educator

The Sitka Conservation Society aims to hire a Specialty Crops Tester, 

Producer and Educator to coordinate the Pacific High School (PHS) 

Edible Garden Program, to develop and implement a plan to 

maximize greenhouse and garden capacities to support specialty 

crop knowledge, production, processing, consumption and access. 

The project will research and identify which specialty crops perform 

best in the new greenhouse; disseminate research outcomes and 

lessons learned to the agricultural community; increase the 

quantity and diversity of food produced in the garden and 

accessible via the PHS school lunch program; and delivering high 

quality youth and community education on specialty crops and 

agriculture.

$47,900.00

Alaska Division of 

Agriculture $255,184.28 4. Island Fresh - Greens to Grow On

Southeast Island School District will perform a systematic data 

collection study to determine the highest yielding vegetable crops 

for growth in an aquaponic system. With the help of a greenhouse 

manager, data collection duties will be performed by students and 

tied into school curriculum, enhancing student knowledge and 

agricultural interest. The study will streamline efficiency and 

improve vegetable yields to maximize food production. This study 

will increase the availability of healthy, locally grown produce to 

residents of Prince of Wales Island, and a partnership with Alaska 

Department of Environmental Conservation will provide increased 

food safety.

$59,250.00

Alaska Division of 

Agriculture $255,184.28 

5. Alaska Specialty Crop 

Producers Harmonized 

GAP and GAP+ Cost 

Assistance

The Alaska Division of Agriculture will manage the Alaska Specialty 

Crop Producers Harmonized Good Agricultural Practices (HGAP) and 

HGAP+ cost assistance. This opportunity will provide assistance for 

the costs associated with obtaining buyer- required food safety, 

third party audit HGAP and HGAP+ certifications.

$30,000.00

Alaska Division of 

Agriculture $255,184.28 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post- award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$20,421.73
6 

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

American Samoa 

Department of 

Agriculture

$268,887.86 

1. Sustaining and 

Enriching Local Produce 

By Means Of Acquiring 

Necessary Farming 

Equipment or Tools

The American Samoa Government Department of Agriculture (ASG 

DOA) has indicated the need within the territory of possessing the 

necessary farming equipment’s and tools to sustain crop farming 

within the agricultural community. In recent administrative work 

conducted by the DOA, numerous farmers both subsistence and 

commercial made appearance in the DOA main office for assistance 

with farming tools and equipment’s. Though resources of fertilizers, 

pesticides are also in high demand with the local farmers, a 

common need, high in demand among the farmers are not having 

the adequate tools and equipment’s to sustain their farming efforts 

with their crop or plantations of specialty crops and common crops 

including taro, banana, giant taros, papayas, egg plants, lettuce, 

cabbage just to name a few of the growing efforts that’s been 

showcased and shared with the DOA office. 

$268,684.06

Arizona 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,311,054.35

1. Palestriped Flea Beetle 

Control During Guayule 

Stand Establishment

University of Arizona will continue work to develop efficient, 

effective, and economically viable methods to reduce, mitigate, or 

eliminate palestriped flea beetle (PSFB) damage in guayule during 

stand establishment. Chemistries will be screened in a spraychamber live beetle assay system and promising leads will be fieldtested as foliar chemical controls. In laboratory assays we will test 

novel chemistries as seed coatings for the control of PFSB. Field 

trials will be conducted to validate field efficacies and crop safety to 

support regulatory needs and to develop recommendations for 

grower use. Project outcomes will identify effective chemistries 

that control PSFB and new regulatory packages for Special Local 

Needs applications for labels for Arizona guayule. The work 

completed will provide options for effective chemical controls that 

economically prevent insect damage during guayule stand 

establishment resulting in a healthy more uniform stand that is able 

to tolerate adverse conditions, ultimately avoiding lost productivity 

and costly additional inputs.

$32,542.00
7 

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Arizona 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,311,054.35

2. Building Capacity for 

Proactive Resistance 

Management

The University of Arizona will work extensively with growers and 

pest control advisors to identify their needs for an information 

product that will detail the availability of refuges based on 

insecticide usage patterns in their community. With this 

information, growers will be able to make better chemical control 

decisions that mitigate or even prevent resistances. To build 

understanding of refuge effects on resistance, we will study 

resistance bioassay data for six whitefly modes of action from 

Arizona whitefly populations in relation to Arizona Department of 

Agriculture section-level insecticide use records and build models 

that forecast the likelihood of resistance relative to availability of 

refuges. Our project will be a proof of concept that will lead to 

future development of a grower forecasting product that will help 

them mitigate or prevent resistance development in their 

community. This work will build and test new models for predicting 

resistances based on refuge availability and assemble stakeholders 

in focus groups to help design a future product for their use.

$19,952.00

Arizona 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,311,054.35 3. Acre 51 Food Forest

The Creighton Community Foundation will demonstrate the 

feasibility of growing specialty crops in the urban Phoenix desert 

through a community food forest by using sustainable growing 

methods, water harvesting techniques, and integrated pest 

management and translating that to the community through 

educational workshops, volunteer workdays, training, and specialty 

crop dissemination among low-income, food insecure communities.

$93,820.00

Arizona 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,311,054.35 4. Mobile Trap Crops for 

Organic Vegetable IPM

Macey Keith, partnering with AZDA, will enhance organic lettuce 

IPM programs in Arizona, specifically the desert southwest, using 

trap crops to combine conventional and organic practices to control 

Western Flower Thrip and Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus (INSV). The 

economic loss of lettuce due to INSV (Impatiens Necrotic Spot 

Virus) is creating a demand for new strategic pest control tactics. 

The efforts of this trial are to create a new organic IPM practice that 

emphasizes cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical control 

strategies carefully and appropriately.

$11,233.00
8 

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Arizona 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,311,054.35

5. Determining Water 

Disinfectant Dose and 

Understanding Impact on 

Soil Health

The University of Arizona will investigate the effects of disinfectants 

for use in irrigation waters. The overall goal of this study is to 

determine optimal concentrations of two commonly used 

disinfectants for use during the irrigation of produce while 

considering water quality conditions in Arizona and the impact on 

soil health and crop production. The optimal concentrations of free 

chlorine and peracetic acid (PAA) needed to kill pathogenic and 

irrigation water isolates of Escherichia coli and Salmonella using 

different water quality conditions typical of irrigation waters in 

Arizona will be determined.

$63,805.00

Arizona 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,311,054.35

6. Salt Tracking Tools for 

Optimal Leaching and 

Water Management

The University of Arizona Environmental Science department has 

been a leader in water and salinity management for decades. More 

recently, some of this work has been in coordination YCEDA but this 

project does not require stakeholder resources as the back-ground 

field data for model testing has been compiled from previous work. 

The budget requests of this project is to partially cover salary of the 

scientist that do the model evaluations and comparisons, and some 

costs for supporting laboratory work to generate physical and 

chemical constants that are currently not available.

$87,972.00

Arizona 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,311,054.35

7. Molecular RNA 

Interference Method to 

Manage Fusarium Wilt of 

Lettuce

This project will be focused on developing an RNAi-based fungicide 

to control the fungi Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae (FOL). FOL 

genes involved in ergosterol biosynthesis will be used to synthesize 

an in vitro homologous dsRNA molecule. The fungicide activity of 

synthesized dsRNA will be measured by spraying it on plants grown 

in the greenhouse and fields. Also, dsRNA mechanism of action, 

translocation in the plant, and biological affectations on FOL will be 

addressed.

$87,212.00
9 

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Arizona 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,311,054.35

8. Endangered Species Act 

- Supporting Positive 

Outcomes for Arizona 

Specialty Crops

The University of Arizona will work with the Arizona Department of 

Agriculture (ADA) to maintain ongoing access to timely and 

accurate pesticide use data for the benefit of Arizona specialty crop 

industries. Data will be available to support research priorities of 

specialty crops, Extension education, and pesticide registration 

needs, including EPA registration reviews of key chemistries for the 

production of specialty crops.

$82,566.00

Arizona 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,311,054.35

9. Investigations on 

Biology and Management 

of the Agave Grease Mite

The University of Arizona in collaboration with partnering 

horticultural nurseries in Phoenix and Tucson will conduct 

investigations on the biology, transmission, seasonality and host 

range of the agave grease mite, a pest that is causing significant 

economic damage to agaves in Arizona. Through this project, we 

will also test management practices and disseminate our results to 

inform nurseries and landscape managers so they can take 

appropriate and effective measures to manage and control the 

spread of the pest.

$78,226.00

Arizona 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,311,054.35

10. Do Water Sanitizers 

Change Soil Biology in 

Romaine Lettuce Fields?

The University of Arizona research and extension team plans to 

measure the short- and medium-term changes in soil microbial 

communities in the commercial romaine lettuce fields following the 

application of water sanitizers commonly used in leafy greens 

production. We propose to use universally recognized scientific 

approaches and tools to identify changes in soil biology as well as 

recommend key solutions for soil biological health improvements 

toward sustainable romaine lettuce production. The 

multidisciplinary project team will collaborate with the industry to 

select research sites and establish research plots. The research 

findings and recommendations will be shared through educational 

and outreach media such as grower meetings, field days, and 

extension articles to educate the industry and fill the existing 

knowledge gap.

$99,883.00
10

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Arizona 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,311,054.35

11. Identification of Races 

and Host Resistance to 

Lettuce Downy Mildew

The University of Arizona, Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert 

Agriculture will characterize the population of Bremia lactucae 

present in the Yuma growing region each year and identify 

commercial lettuce cultivars resistant to the population. This will be 

accomplished by planting a field trial at the Yuma Ag Center each 

growing season with the differential lettuce cultivars designated by 

the International Bremia Evaluation Board, and plots of commercial 

cultivars and evaluating for signs of the pathogen and disease 

symptoms. Each year results will be released to stakeholders.

$19,032.00

Arizona 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,311,054.35

12. User-Friendly Venues 

for Dissemination of DataDriven Fertilizer 

Recommendations

The University of Arizona's Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert 

Agriculture (YCEDA) will convert fruit and vegetable fertilizer 

management information generated by the University of Arizona's 

Dr. Charles Sanchez through Arizona research trials over the past 3 

decades into user-friendly formats that are readily accessible via 

the internet by Ag producers, crop consultants and others who can 

utilize and benefit from the information. This information is 

extremely valuable to keep Arizona specialty crop growers 

competitive but is not currently readily accessible in any venue.

$90,000.00

Arizona 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,311,054.35

13. Honey Production and 

Beekeeping Educational 

Program

The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Urban Agriculture 

Production, Small-scale, and Beginner Farmer, and Field Crops 

Integrated Pest Management Programs are proposing to develop 

an educational program that would help growers, beginning 

farmers and entrepreneurs interested in honey production and 

pollination to have first-hand learning experience about beekeeping 

in the Sonoran Desert before venturing into a new project. This 

training will provide them with the needed skills to have alternative 

operational revenue that will secure them financially, provide 

needed pollinators for their crops, and help conserve honeybees.

$99,990.00
11

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Arizona 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,311,054.35

14. Safe Effective 

Sanitizer for Specialty 

Crop Harvesting and 

Processing Environments

The University of Arizona will evaluate the use of a new UV-C light 

technology for the sanitization of specialty crop harvesting and 

processing environments. 222-nm FAR UV-C light has been 

demonstrated to be safe for human exposure, unlike the germicidal 

UV-C light typically used for disinfection that can be damaging for 

eyes and skin. FAR UV-C wavelengths are also highly effective 

against a wide variety of microorganisms including bacteria and 

viruses. This new technology will be evaluated against various 

foodborne pathogens (including environmental isolates and 

foodborne outbreak strains) or surrogates on various surfaces 

found in fresh produce harvest / processing environments such as 

workers' hands, harvesting tools, cardboard boxes, plastic produce 

bins, and stainless-steel surfaces.

$61,841.00

Arizona 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,311,054.35

15. Survey of Novel Plant 

Viruses in Arizona’s 

Produce Growing Region

The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension is collaborating 

with Arizona's lettuce and melon producer-cooperators and Co-PIs 

to understanding the role of insect vectors and host weeds in plant 

virus transmission. These efforts will assist in developing insect and 

weed management recommendations to reduce the impact of plant 

viruses for the Arizona lettuce and melon industry. This project is 

aims to understand the role of insect vectors and weeds in the 

occurrence and spread of plant viruses in melon and lettuce 

production. Results will be widely disseminated to the Arizona 

produce industry to aid in virus, weed, and insect pest management 

decisions. 

$99,862.00

Arizona 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,311,054.35 16. Increasing Date Palm 

Fruit Size

The University of Arizona will continue to attempt to increase 

`Medjool' date fruit size by application of urea, potassium sulfate 

and boron (B) directly to date palm fruit bunches, then disseminate 

the results to stakeholders through grower meetings, field days and 

email. 

$39,673.00
12

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Arizona 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,311,054.35 17. Inducing Seedlessness 

in Lemons

The University of Arizona will continue to attempt to induce 

seedless in lemons by application of various rates of elemental 

sulfur to the plants at bloom time then disseminate the results to 

stakeholders through grower meetings, field days and email.

$39,026.00

Arizona 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,311,054.35

18. Antimicrobial Fogging 

Treatments for Safer and 

Longer Lasting 

Cantaloupe

Cantaloupe is a specialty crop that is economically important to the 

state of Arizona. However, cantaloupes have been associated with 

foodborne disease outbreaks, particularly with Salmonella enterica 

and Listeria monocytogenes. No effective decontamination 

treatment currently exists for cantaloupes. The University of 

Arizona researchers will conduct decontamination experiments 

using a novel fogging method consisting of low concentrations of 

natural antimicrobials and small volumes of water to assess 1) their 

effectiveness in reducing foodborne pathogenic bacteria and molds, 

and 2) their effectiveness in increasing the shelf-life of cantaloupes.

$95,371.00

Arizona 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,311,054.35 19. GHP/GAP One-to-One 

Assistance

The Arizona Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Consultation 

and Training (ACT) division will offer and provide one-on-one 

assistance to fresh fruit and vegetable producers/growers, 

distributors, wholesalers and handlers so that they can become 

USDA GHP/GAP certified. This assistance program will provide 

benefits to those producers looking to address food safety concerns 

of their customers. These funds will be used for a GHP/GAP 

Coordinator to expand upon the education and outreach efforts of 

the current GHP/GAP Certification Training Program and to provide 

“one on one” assistance to training participants as needed to 

develop GHP/GAP procedures.

$43,000.00

Arizona 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,311,054.35 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$62,635.14
13

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Arkansas 

Agriculture 

Department

$364,134.47 1. Arkansas Grown 

Conference & Expo

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture's Arkansas Grown program 

proposes to partner with Arkansas specialty crop associations to 

host an Arkansas Grown Conference & Expo 2024 focusing on 

specialty crop farmers by offering training, networking, and a 

vendor show. Development of this project includes collaborating 

with partner associations; planning and coordinating workshops 

topics; recruiting experts to speak on the topics; promoting at a 

grassroots level; recruiting relevant vendors; advertising and 

promoting statewide; coordinating with venue personnel to plan te 

event; managing logistics before, during, and after the event.

$220,786.38

Arkansas 

Agriculture 

Department

$364,134.47 

2. A Blackberry Discovery 

Farm: Expanding Berry 

Crop Research and 

Grower Support in 

Arkansas

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture will 

develop a new "Blackberry Horiculture Discovery Farm" and new 

strawberry and blackberry production and fertility 

recommendations, to support expansion of these crops in Arkansas.

$115,839.50

Arkansas 

Agriculture 

Department

$364,134.47 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and postaward activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$27,095.58

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 1. California Grown: 

Always in Season

The Buy California Marketing Agreement (BCMA) will implement a 

multi-platform digital campaign including retail and foodservice 

promotions to create strong support from the retail and food 

service trade and increase consumer demand for California 

specialty crops and specialty crop products. The multiplatform 

digital campaign will utilize contextually relevant media 

placements, deliver rich and engaging experiences within impactful 

media, integrate multiple influencer marketing programs, and 

utilize social media to reach consumers in shareable environments. 

Retail trade outreach will be conducted, and promotional 

partnerships will be established with key California retailers to 

execute retail promotion programs both in-store and through 

digital extension.

$2,500,000.00
14

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

2. Eureka! Guiding the 

Discovery of Sustainably 

Produced, Diverse, 

Appealing California

Wines by United States 

Trade and Consumers

The project will accomplish this by launching a new marketing 

campaign Eureka!, executed on behalf of the California wine 

industry to boost sales of California winegrapes and wine. Through 

public relations, social media and digital outreach, and the pilot of 

an immersive one-of-a-kind event, Eureka! will guide a target 

audience of trade and consumers to discover the treasure of 

sustainably produced, diverse, and appealing California wines.

$500,000.00

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

3. Avocado Extra Virgin 

Oil: Expanding Alternative 

Market Opportunities for 

California Avocado 

Growers

The project is predominately research-focused, but the ultimate 

goal is market enhancement as the project team feels there is a 

potentially lucrative market niche for California EV avocado oil. 

Through the project’s contribution to defining EV avocado oil grade 

standards, California growers and processors will benefit being 

leaders in high quality avocado oil production.

$487,077.00

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

4. Sharing Nutritional 

Benefits of California 

Prune and Plum Juices to 

Build Sales Among United 

States Families

This project addresses the priority of creating economic 

opportunities for specialty crop producers, including organic 

producers, through specialty crop market development activities 

that focus on local, regional, institutional, national, and 

international markets by leveraging the unique qualities of specialty 

crops grown in California. Reaching

young United States families will boost demand domestically and 

grow sales into higher value domestic retail channels. The project 

will build domestic consumers for California prune and plum juices 

by targeting United States millennial families through, 1) a public 

relations campaign, 2) outreach to dietitians and health 

organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics, and 3) 

digital and social media placements. This project’s activities are 

projected to boost domestic California prune and plum juice sales 

by $1.7 million, with all profits flowing directly to SSG’s 200 prune 

growers.

$500,000.00
15

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

5. A Roadmap for Paso 

Wine: Data-Driven 

Research, Strategic 

Marketing, and Increased

Sales 

This project’s research will present several opportunities to 

highlight the benefits of a California grown product that messages 

the Paso Robles’ unique history, quality, and longevity of the 

winegrapes and wines from the region. By analyzing markets where 

Paso Wine sales are strong and tracking sales trends, this project 

will provide key markers that can potentially identify other markets 

for growth opportunities. This data will assist in forecasting and 

marketing allocation for Paso Robles wineries. By understanding 

when sales are strong and for what types of wines, brands can use 

that information to support those sales or reallocate marketing 

resources.

$379,677.00

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

6. Increasing Awareness 

and Consumption of 

California Specialty Crops 

Among California

Fourth-grade Students 

and Teachers

This project addresses the program priorities of, educating to 

increase specialty crop consumption through healthy eating habits, 

increasing knowledge of how to produce, prepare, or preserve 

specialty crop, and increasing the awareness of and demand for 

locally sourced specialty crops. The project will achieve this by vital 

education and outreach efforts to California fourth grade teachers 

and students during the grade in which students focus on their 

state.

$499,371.00

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

7. Specialty Crop 

Resources for Early 

Childhood Education

Research shows that repeated exposure to an unfamiliar vegetable 

is needed to increase consumption, especially among young 

children. This project creates opportunities for TK-K students to 

learn and taste specialty crops in their cafeterias, classrooms, 

school gardens, and afterschool programs — a multiple-exposure 

model to increase knowledge and consumption.

$447,720.00
16

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

8. Expanding Efforts to 

Increase Procurement of 

California Grown 

Specialty Crops in the 

California Corrections 

System 

This project addresses the priorities education to increase specialty 

crop consumption through healthy eating habits; increasing 

knowledge of how to produce, prepare, or preserve specialty crops; 

Increasing the awareness of and demand for locally sourced 

specialty crops; and increasing the availability of specialty crops in 

homes, schools, the workplace, hospitals, prisons, and in other 

underserved communities. Programming at CDCR prisons will 

increase the availability of California grown specialty crops and 

establish connections between prison facilities and local food hubs 

and growers. The HOTM program will expose residents and staff to 

new California grown fruits and vegetables and will educate them 

on the health and other benefits of California grown produce.

$487,755.00

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

9. Hands-On Cooking and 

Nutrition Education for 

Low-Income Families

This project addresses the priorities of education to increase 

specialty crop consumption through healthy eating habits; 

increasing knowledge of how to produce, prepare, or preserve 

specialty crops; and increasing awareness of and demand for locally 

sourced specialty crops. 18 Reasons will implement and expand 

four programs including, 1) Cooking Matters, a six-week series 

offering general cooking and nutrition education for kids, teens, 

adults, and families, 2) Planned & Prepped, a four-week series 

offering hands-on cooking, meal planning, and budgeting for adult 

graduates of Cooking Matters, 3) Food as Medicine, an ongoing 

series with cooking and nutrition education for patients with type 2 

diabetes, co-taught with a team of doctors, and 4) Nourishing 

Pregnancy, a four-month series with cooking, nutrition, and 

prenatal or postpartum education for low-income Black and Latinx 

pregnant people.

$450,000.00
17

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

10. Urban Ag at the 

Market: A Model for 

Urban Producers to 

Improve Fresh Food 

Access at

Neighborhood Farmers’ 

Markets

The project will address the identified priorities as follows: Urban 

Producer Trainees, which include backyard growers in underserved 

and/or low-income Los Angeles communities, established urban 

farmers, and students operating campus farms, will participate in 

the Urban Ag Accelerator training program, which focuses on 

increasing knowledge about specialty crop production in an urban 

setting to prepare trainees to grow produce for small-scale 

neighborhood farmers’ markets. During the pilot, where urban 

producer trainees sell at local farmers’ markets, the project team 

will develop and distribute targeted promotional materials to 

farmers’ market customers, increasing both awareness of and 

demand for locally grown specialty crops. By placing urban 

producers at small-scale farmers’ markets in underserved 

communities that currently struggle to recruit and/or retain 

regional farmers, the pilot will increase the availability of specialty 

crops in these neighborhoods. By working with backyard growers in 

underserved communities, the project will increase specialty crop 

production in these neighborhoods.

$500,000.00

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

11. Cooking Up 

Community: Culinary and 

Nutrition Education with 

California Specialty Crops 

for Los Angeles Students 

and Families

This project addresses the priorities of education to increase 

specialty crop consumption through healthy eating habits; 

increasing knowledge of how to produce, prepare, or preserve 

specialty crops; and increasing the awareness of and demand for 

locally sourced specialty crops. Research shows that opportunities 

to experience new foods help children increase liking, and liking a 

food is the best predictor of future consumption. Programs also 

give youth and families the chance to prepare snacks and meals 

with their own hands, since studies show that experiential learning 

is especially effective at bringing about behavior change and that a 

feeling of self-efficacy in cooking skills will increase the chance that 

children will help cook at home.

$251,455.00
18

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

12. Peak of Season 

Specialty Crop Nutrition 

Education and Culinary 

Program

This project will address the priorities of education to increase 

specialty crop consumption through healthy eating habits; 

increasing knowledge of how to produce, prepare, or preserve 

specialty crops; and increasing the awareness of and demand for 

locally sourced specialty crops. The program uses a diverse model 

of specialty crop education curricula targeted to both adults and 

youth blending evidence-based nutrition education with recipe 

demonstrations or hands-on food preparation to ensure positive 

impact on healthy eating habits to increase specialty crop 

consumption. The participatory model enabling hands-on culinary 

preparation within culinary tracts in schools and in the community 

setting increases participant knowledge of how to prepare and 

preserve specialty crops. Two video curricula provide broad student 

introduction to urban and rural agricultural production methods, 

increasing knowledge of how to produce specialty crops in a 

classroom setting.

$499,982.00

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

13. Provide ResearchBased Online Food 

Preservation Educational 

Events for Specialty Crops

This project addresses the program priority of increasing knowledge 

of how to produce, prepare, or preserve specialty crops. This will be 

accomplished by educating adults on the benefits of incorporating 

specialty crop foods in meals. Education activities include online 

demonstrations, follow-along hands-on workshops, email helplines 

for one-on one education, and online newsletters focusing on 

seasonal specialty crops. Classes will consist of live and recorded 

demonstrations. Participants will learn how preservation methods 

affect optimal food safety and quality during long-term storage.

$402,221.00
19

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

14. Youth Engagement 

and Education on 

Specialty Crops Careers in 

the Central Valley

This project addresses the priorities of increasing knowledge of how 

to produce, prepare or preserve specialty crops and increasing the 

availability of specialty crops in homes, schools, the workplace, 

hospitals, prisons, and in other underserved communities. This will 

be accomplished through field trips to specialty crop farms will 

introduce youth to the industry and center the farm as the basis for 

all specialty crop ventures. Interested students will be linked with 

internship opportunities. Intern choices will be linked to a specialty 

crop farm or community garden for hands-on experience in 

production, organizations that hold cooking and nutrition classes 

focused on specialty crop preparation, small local businesses that 

process and preserve specialty crops, or local groups that help 

increase access to specialty crops.

$232,552.00

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

15. Attracting and 

Building the Next 

Generation Workforce for 

Napa's Winegrape 

Industry

This project addresses the priorities of introducing and recruiting 

young and beginning farmers, as well as members of socially 

disadvantaged and underrepresented groups, including women and 

veterans, to the variety of specialty crop career opportunities; and 

creating and implementing workforce training programs to develop 

and maintain the technical skills required to keep the California 

specialty crops sector competitive. The project will address the 

identified priorities by, 1) introducing and attracting a new young 

workforce to winegrape careers through Fields of Opportunity, a 

youth mentorship program on Napa farms and a new year-round 

apprenticeship program, and 2) developing the technical skills of 

Napa’s current workforce to increase expertise and retention 

through workforce training through a conference on leadership and 

management training and bilingual train-the-trainer workshops for 

Napa farmworkers who speak Spanish.

$500,000.00
20

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 16. Growing Civic Urban 

Farmers 

This project addresses the priorities of introducing and recruiting 

young and beginning farmers, as well as members of socially 

disadvantaged and underrepresented groups, including women and 

veterans, to the variety of specialty crop career opportunities and 

providing support to specialty crop producers in adopting the 

requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act. It also 

addresses the priorities of creating and implementing workforce 

training programs to develop and maintain the technical skills 

required to keep the California specialty crops sector and 

conducting outreach to increase the safety and security of the 

specialty crop food system competitive.

$497,335.00

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

17. Development of 

Teaching Modules to 

Support California’s 

Vegetable Crops Industry

This project will result in a practical and highly focused curriculum 

that will inform, enable, and empower a significant portion of the 

next generation of California’s vegetable production workers, i.e., 

students who attend the partner universities and community 

colleges. Each of the affiliated colleges and the Agriculture and 

Land-Based Training Association (ALBA), a private-sector partner in 

Salinas, is both a minority- and Hispanic-serving institution that has 

majority student populations from historically underserved 

communities. This project addresses the priority of creating and 

implementing workforce training programs to develop and 

maintain the technical skills required to keep the California 

specialty crops sector competitive.

$396,926.00
21

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

18. A Specialty Crop 

Beginning Farmer 

Mentoring Program to 

Support Equity, 

Education,

and Agricultural 

Sustainability in California

This project addresses the priorities of introducing and recruiting 

young and beginning farmers, as well as members of socially 

disadvantaged and underrepresented groups, including women and 

veterans, to the variety of specialty crop career opportunities; 

providing training to support specialty crop producers in adopting 

methods to reduce

water use and improve water efficiency; and providing technical 

assistance and training to better equip farmers to protect and 

conserve natural resources through on-farm practices that reduce 

greenhouse gas emissions, increase carbon sequestration, and 

adjust to a changing climate.

$435,867.00

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

19. Creating Access for 

Asian Specialty Crop 

Producers Initiative

This project addresses the priorities of providing support to 

specialty crop producers in adopting the requirements of the Food 

Safety Modernization Act; providing training to support specialty 

crop producers in adopting methods to reduce water use and 

improve water efficiency; and creating and implementing 

workforce training programs to develop and maintain the technical 

skills required to keep the California specialty crops sector 

competitive. The project will also address the priorities of providing 

technical assistance and training to better equip farmers to protect 

and conserve natural resources through on-farm practices that 

reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase carbon sequestration, 

and adjust to a changing climate; assisting specialty crop farmers in 

adapting to ongoing impacts of COVID-19, including addressing 

workplace health and safety requirements and market uncertainty, 

and by increasing equity in food systems; and conducting outreach 

to increase the safety and security of the specialty crop food 

system.

$353,585.00
22

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

20. California Frontline 

Supervisor Training 

Program

This project will focus on the program priority of assisting specialty 

crops farmers in adapting to the ongoing impacts of COVID-19, 

including addressing workplace health and safety requirements by, 

1) frontline supervisor trainings, and 2) a virtual learning network. 

The program will empower frontline supervisors in their role as a 

liaison between growers and farmworkers by increasing their 

knowledge and confidence on critical worker safety topics.

$496,116.00

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

21. Understanding and 

Breeding for Yield Under 

Water and Heat Stress in 

Chili Pepper

Peppers drive a $1.4 billion salsa and $2.8 billion hot sauce market 

in the United States, with increasing demand. California produces 

one third of the peppers grown in the United States. Extreme 

weather events of heat and water scarcity threaten this rich source 

of nutrients available to all cultures and incomes. The project 

leverages initial work on screening populations derived from 

landraces collected in semi-arid regions of the center of genetic 

diversity, Mexico. The University of California at Davis (UC Davis) 

will combine tolerance to heat and water stress with yield and 

quality traits in chili peppers and develop genotyping and 

phenotyping tools to define the physiological and genetic basis of 

traits. Information and germplasm will be extended to growers, 

industry, and public stakeholders while training the next generation 

of scientists.

$503,653.00
23

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

22. Designing Drought 

Tolerant Specialty Crops 

Using Metabolic Modeling

The University of California, Riverside has the long-term goal to 

improve the productivity and sustainability of California’s specialty 

crops by using metabolic models to create drought tolerant 

varieties. Climate change has and will continue to cause problems 

for California agriculture, including those caused by droughts. There 

are currently no

commercial citrus varieties shown to produce desirable fruit and be 

drought tolerant in California growing regions. In this project, the 

team will use metabolic models to identify drought tolerance 

mechanisms of two citrus rootstocks grown in Brazil. The project 

team expects this research will enable the design of solutions for 

growers. Short-term solutions will involve nutrient amendments 

that redirect metabolic pathways facilitating drought tolerance. 

Longer-term solutions will involve engineering varieties that utilize 

an in-depth, model-based understanding of drought tolerance.

$499,921.00

California 

Department of

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

23. Limited Irrigation 

Management and Smart 

Water Technologies for 

the Pistachio Orchard

of the Future

Water is cited as the number one concern of pistachio growers in 

the Central Valley. Climate change and regulation of groundwater 

use threaten the sustainability of pistachio production. Limited 

irrigation involves applying less than full crop water needs or 

applying full irrigation to smaller acreage to obtain economically 

viable yields. Also, water technologies such as stem water potential 

sensors, soil water potential sensors, and remote sensing imagery 

can be used to refine irrigation scheduling decisions. With this 

project, the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) will, 1) 

evaluate limited irrigation management strategies for pistachios, 2) 

evaluate the performance of stem water potential sensors and soil 

water potential sensors in various pistachio orchards, 3) validate 

the accuracy of satellite remote sensing of evapotranspiration, and 

4) disseminate findings to growers.

$498,402.00
24

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

24. Conversion of Almond 

and Walnut Shells to 

Prebiotic Oligosaccharides 

and Gluconic

Acid

The Regents of the University of California, Davis aim to produce 

high-value prebiotic products, cellobiose and oligosaccharides, and 

an industrial chemical gluconic acid from almond and walnut shells 

to increase the economic return to farmers and processors and 

ensure sustainable management of these byproducts. Project 

objectives include producing cellobionic acid and cellobiose from 

the cellulose portion of the shells using fungal fermentation. 

Cellobiose will be one of the probiotic products. Cellobionic acid 

will be used as the hydrolysis agent to produce oligosaccharides as 

another probiotic product from the hemicellulose fraction of the 

nut shells, and the cellobionic acid will be hydrolyzed to glucose 

and gluconic acids during the process. Gluconic acid will be 

recovered as another product. Project success will be determined 

by the positive economic evaluation of the process and the farmers' 

and processors' willingness to adopt the new technology.

$498,706.00

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

25. Farmer Driven 

Drought Resilience 

Innovations for Soil 

Health, Environmental

Stewardship, and 

Marketability of California 

Processing Tomatoes

The California processing tomato industry is under intense pressure 

from the decades long megadrought in the Central Valley. There is 

an urgent need to identify the suite of water, soil, and plant 

management practices which enable drought resilience and 

quantify their adaptive potential. The University of California, Davis 

(UC Davis) has developed a network of 25 fields with varied 

adoption of climate smart practices for over 5 years, leading to 

different water use, yields, soil health, and carbon statuses. This 

project proposes to work with this network to identify the socioecological drivers of drought resilience and quantify their relevance 

to cope with water shortage scenarios in field experiments.

$396,176.00
25

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

26. Appraising 

Uncertainties and Errors 

of Evapotranspiration of 

Micro-Irrigated Orchards 

and Vineyards Estimated 

with Satellite Remote 

Sensing Method

Evapotranspiration (ET) and water productivity information of 

California’s perennial crops is limited and outdated, but crucial for 

water management decisions. In addition, many irrigation districts 

and groundwater management agencies recently adopted satellite 

remote sensing (SRS) methods to derive ET, which may lead to 

uncertain and highly inaccurate ET estimates, while the limits for 

acceptable ET inaccuracy are uncertain and unclear. With this 

project, the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) proposes to, 1) 

determine the acceptable levels of ET accuracy for orchards and 

vineyards by surveying main industry’s stakeholders, 2) measure ET 

and yield in commercial nut orchards and wine-grape vineyards, 

and 3) quantify errors and room for improvements of SRS-ET tested 

against ground-ET measurements.

$496,321.00

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

27. Development of a 

New Integrated Drying 

and Aeration Method for 

Off-ground Harvested

Almonds

California annually produces 5 million tons of in-hull almonds, with 

$5.6 billion economic value. The current harvesting method 

generates a large amount of dust, causing air pollution and making 

the industry unsustainable. The off-ground method has been 

considered as the most promising approach. The most critical 

challenge for this approach is to dry the almonds rapidly and 

efficiently and ensure product quality and food safety. Heated air 

drying is a promising method to dry a large volume of almonds in a 

short time. However, the moisture variation of products in different 

locations in a dryer may affect product quality and food safety. 

Also, it is not energy efficient at the later stage of drying. The 

University of California (UC), Davis, will develop a new integrated

drying and aeration method for off-ground harvested almonds to 

increase drying capacity, reduce energy use and cost, and ensure 

product quality and safety.

$497,865.00
26

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

28. Improving Irrigation 

Management in Specialty 

Crop Systems: The Case 

for Advancing

Proximal Sensing Tools 

and Forecasting 

Evapotranspiration Using

Acquiring accurate measurements of crop water use such as 

evapotranspiration (ET) is increasingly important in California. 

Farmers use various forms of ET to guide irrigation management. 

Some are based on crop coefficients, using reference ET from the 

California Irrigation Management Information System, while more 

sophisticated

approaches use remote sensing. These new tools still require 

validation and refinement to ensure mass adoption. This project 

from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research 

Service (USDA ARS) aims to, 1) continue efforts to ground-truth 

remotely sensed ET models, 2) develop a 10-day forecasted actual 

ET product based on satellite data and machine learning, 3) 

improve stress detection using novel machine learning methods to 

determine optimal, site-specific crop water use with ground-based 

and remotely sensed data, and 4) create the structure required to 

ingest new tools into cloud-based OpenET framework. Ultimately, 

the project’s goal is to optimize irrigation management strategies 

for improved water use efficiency and crop health in a myriad of 

cropping systems.

$492,999.00
27

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

29. Wildfire Smoke 

Exposure Risk Assessment 

for Different Grape 

Varietals 

Wildfires will occur with greater frequency and intensity in 

California, with 2020 wildfires resulting in a $3.5 billion loss in 

revenue in the wine and winegrape industry. During wildfires, large 

amounts of volatile phenols (VPs) are released into the air, absorb 

through the berry skin, and compromise fruit quality. Different 

grape varieties naturally contain different amounts of VPs and 

differ in their ability to absorb VPs; this has not been studied. This 

University of California (UC), Davis, project will determine VP 

synthesis in different varietals and the impact of smoke exposure 

on VP metabolism, vine physiology, and grape and wine 

composition. Information gained will aid in the development of 

targeted mitigation actions, determine the best time for grape 

sampling for risk assessment, determine varietal differences 

regarding VP synthesis and impact of smoke exposure thereon, and 

provide metrics for smoke risk assessment.

$499,991.00

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

30. Advancing Adoption 

of Decision Support 

Systems for Irrigation 

Management of 

Vegetable Crops

California growers are under increased regulatory pressure to 

achieve groundwater sustainability due to the Sustainable 

Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). Central coast growers face 

added requirements under Agricultural Order 4.0, which focuses 

attention on irrigation practice efficiency and, among other things, 

mandates reporting of crop evapotranspiration (ET). Decisionsupport models can help irrigators quantify ET and apply water in 

alignment with crop demand. CropManage is a leading software 

tool operated by the University of California, Cooperative Extension 

(UCCE), for guidance of ET-based irrigation and nutrient scheduling 

and now provides nearly 3,000 vegetable crop irrigation 

recommendations to approximately 200 farms annually. With this 

project, the University Corporation at Monterey Bay will perform 

additional validation work in commercial fields to broaden user 

acceptance through further refinement of

CropManage and evaluation of a complementary satellite-based ET 

monitoring system.

$490,048.00
28

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

31. Control of Strawberry 

Pathogens by 

Nanoencapsulated Oils 

Extracted from Citrus 

Fruit 

Waste

California produces approximately 90 percent of the strawberries 

and 50 percent of the citrus grown in the United States. Strawberry 

yield and quality are affected by Botrytis Fruit Rot (BFR) and 

Powdery Mildew (PM), which can cause annual yield and 

postharvest losses greater than 15 percent. BFR and PM are 

controlled by multiple applications of conventional fungicides but 

have begun to develop resistance. Fungicide resistance frequency 

for strawberry BFR worldwide ranges from 18 to 86 percent. 

Organic waste from processing citrus is approximately 50 percent of 

the original fruit biomass; citrus oil has antimicrobial properties 

that, if applied effectively, could help control pathogens. With this 

project, Cal Poly Corporation proposes to close this loop using 

nanoencapsulated citrus fruit waste oil to control BFR and PM. 

Objectives are to, 1) extract and characterize oils from citrus fruit 

waste, 2) develop an encapsulation technique to apply citrus oils in 

a nanoemulsion as an antimicrobial delivery system (ADS), and 3) 

determine the impact of an ADS on BFR and PM control in vitro and 

in vivo.

$192,721.00

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

32. Rapid-Response 

Detection and 

Management of Emerging 

Outbreaks of Lettuce 

Fusarium Wilt in Coastal 

California 

Fusarium wilt of lettuce has recently become one of the top lettuce 

pests on California’s Central Coast. Data on resistance of 

commercial cultivars to the pathogen is lacking, and rapid 

diagnostic tools for all races are not available. Preliminary data 

suggests a novel race may be present on the Central Coast as of 

August 2021. The Regents of the

University of California, Riverside’s (UCR) goals of this project are 

to, 1) evaluate commercial cultivars and breeding material against 

pathogen races, 2) investigate the source of resistance to the 

potential novel race, 3) determine the geographic distribution of 

races in California, and 4) complete and validate molecular assays 

to rapidly detect

the novel race in plant material and soil. Anticipated outcomes are 

that growers will be able to rapidly identify the race present in their 

soil and make informed cultivar selections.

$492,390.00
29

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

33. Advancing Diagnostic 

and Management Tools 

that Mitigate Severe 

Fusarium Bulb Rot

Pre- and Post-Harvest 

Losses in California’s 

Allium Crops

Fusarium bulb rot (FBR) is an emerging destructive disease of 

California garlic, onion, and leek production. In-field and postharvest losses equal to or greater than 30 percent are common, 

with 60 percent or more garlic seed being contaminated. Rotten 

seed is not planted, resulting in hundreds of lost acres. Growers are 

desperate for effective

management strategies. This project by the University of California, 

Davis, proposes to, 1) advance diagnosis and seed detection 

decision support tools, 2) evaluate epidemiological linkages 

between allium crops for rotation recommendations, 3) identify 

synthetic and biological chemistries effective against both 

pathogens, 4) develop in-field 

strategies for seed and fresh market FBR management in garlic, and 

5) disseminate tools and recommendations via outreach 

presentations, trainings, publications, and diagnostic support.

$446,190.00

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

34. MolecularDiagnostics-Ready Total 

Nucleic Acid Collection 

without a Laboratory

Specialty crops are the mainstay of California’s agriculture. 

However, various diseases, such as Huanglongbing and curly top, 

threaten the industry’s long-term prosperity and sustainability. The 

University of California, Riverside, aims to develop a new tool for 

infield total nucleic acid collection in order to improve disease and 

pathogen detection. The project team will validate the device with 

three distinct pathogen types, including bacteria, viruses, and 

viroids, and three different crops, including citrus, avocados, and 

grapes. The success of the developed device will be evaluated 

based on the accuracy and sensitivity of quantitative polymerase 

chain reaction (qPCR) tests using known infected samples in the lab 

and field. The project team will educate and train specialty crop 

stakeholders through presentations and hands-on training at 

regional events and a dedicated website.

$310,543.00
30

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

35. New Traps and 

Sensors for Regional 

Monitoring of Navel 

Orangeworm in Pistachios

Navel orangeworm (Pyralidae: Amyelois transitella) (NOW) is the 

key pest of pistachios. Adults deposit eggs on nuts and larvae feed 

on kernels, reducing crop yield and quality, but only if hull integrity 

is low. As such, pesticide use for NOW is a function of pest 

abundance and hull integrity. Unfortunately, monitoring for this is 

time and labor intensive. The University of California, Riverside (UC 

Riverside) will provide a decision support tool to promote judicious 

pesticide use for NOW by integrating new automated traps and 

plant volatile sensors to track regional NOW abundance and 

changes in pistachio hull integrity.

$473,917.00

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

36. Improved Nematode 

Thresholds Determination 

in Almond

California almonds are produced in different agro-ecological 

environments and soil textures, with varying assemblages of plantparasitic nematodes, including Pratylenchus vulnus, Meloidogyne 

spp., and Mesocriconema xenoplax. To combat these threats at 

planting, producers select resistant rootstocks or use pre-plant soil 

fumigation with 1,3 dichloropropene (1,3-D). In Integrated 

Nematode Management, grower decisions are based on nematode 

numbers in the soil. These are determined by highly trained 

personnel in tedious, species-specific extraction and counting 

procedures, while species identification frequently requires 

molecular confirmation. In a wheat advisory system in Australia, 

amounts of soil pests and pathogens have been determined with 

real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (rt qPCR) tests 

from soil DNA extracts, foregoing classical nematode procedures. 

This University of California, Riverside, project will use DNA 

methods and almond-pest-specific rt qPCR protocols to determine 

reproducible thresholds, guiding rootstock and fumigation 

decisions.

$498,088.00
31

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

37. Reducing Chemical 

Use and Maintaining 

Product Quality Using 

Smart Technology for

Early Detection and 

Notification of Insect 

Activities in Tree Nu

The University of California, Davis, believes that tree nuts are the 

most important specialty crops in California, with a value of $9.5 

billion as 20 percent share of the agriculture output in the state. At 

present, insect infestation during storage and handling is monitored 

by human inspection and cannot be discovered in a timely fashion, 

which causes a 3 to 4 percent product loss. Meanwhile, a frequent 

fumigation practice uses a large amount of chemicals. The project 

team at with the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) have 

successfully developed a smart wireless technology (SmartProbe) 

for early detection of insects and environmental monitoring. The 

insects were detected when they emerged, and temperature and 

relative humidity (RH) were simultaneously monitored in almond 

and walnut during storage, which made reducing chemical use and 

maintaining product quality achievable. This project will study the 

reduction of chemical use and preservation of product quality 

through the further development and implementation of this 

technology.

$497,672.00

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

38. Loss of Susceptibility 

for Durable and BroadSpectrum Resistance 

Against Root-Knot

Nematodes in Tomato

Root-knot nematodes are highly evolved obligate parasites that 

threaten global food security. These nematodes have a remarkable 

ability to modify host cells that serve as their only source of 

nutrients throughout their life cycle. Resistance to root-knot 

nematodes conferred by the single dominant gene Mi-1 is available 

in many varieties of fresh and processing tomatoes. However, 

reliance on Mi-1 has led to the emergence of resistance-breaking 

nematode populations in tomato fields in California and worldwide. 

Research over the last years has identified a number of plant 

susceptibility genes that are essential for development of root-knot 

nematodes. The University of California, Davis’s goals of this project 

are to, 1) characterize tomato susceptibility genes that are essential 

for root-knot nematode development, 2) use CRISPR-Cas9 enzymes 

to mutate key susceptibility genes in tomato, and 3) demonstrate 

the efficacy of identified targets to control root-knot nematodes in 

greenhouse and field trials.

$369,068.00
32

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

39. Testing Citrus Tristeza 

Virus Delivery of Bacillus 

Thuringiensis-Pesticide 

Proteins in

Cara Cara Navels and its 

Economic Benefits

This project by the University of California, Agriculture and Natural 

Resources division will support the California citrus industry in 

response to the threat of Huanglongbing (HLB) disease transmitted 

by the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). ACP is endemic in parts of 

California and innovative tools are required for cost-effective 

control to prevent introduction of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus 

(the HLB-associated bacterium

assumed to be the causal agent) into commercial citrus. A citrus 

tristeza virus (CTV)- based vector driving the production of 

engineered Bacillus thuringensis-derived proteins (BtP) to manage 

ACP populations in citrus has shown promising results in Florida. A 

bioactive CTV-based vector from a California isolate that can be 

used to determine BtP’s efficacy in growing conditions unique to 

California will be tested and its economic benefits assessed.

$495,341.00

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

40. Developing a UserFriendly Risk Assessment 

Tool to Assess the Food 

Safety Risks of

Fresh Produce Production 

and Landscape Use

The Center for Produce Safety (CPS) will partner with the University 

of California, Davis, to help produce growers better manage the risk 

of contamination in their fields. Production of leafy greens and 

other fresh produce grown in California is a billion-dollar industry, 

concentrated in the Salinas Valley and Imperial Valley. Outbreaks of 

foodborne bacterial infections due to Escherichia coli (E. coli) 

O157:H7 have been traced back to produce grown in these regions, 

which have led to investigations on the origin of the bacterial 

contamination. Despite much scientific effort, it has been difficult 

to determine exact causes of E. coli O157:H7 contamination in fresh 

produce. This project will develop a risk assessment model that will 

consider knowledge from multiple sources and research studies to 

determine where and when the risk of a contamination event is 

increased.

$386,842.00
33

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

41. Development of a Risk 

Ranking Tool for 

Evaluating Hazards and 

Risks Related to 

Agricultural Water 

Subpart E

The Center for Produce Safety (CPS) will partner with the University 

of Arizona to develop a tool that ranks the risks posed by 

agricultural water. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is 

proposing revisions to some preharvest agricultural water 

requirements in Subpart E of the Food Safety Modernization Act 

Produce Safety Rule, requiring a more risk-based approach to 

assess potential hazards to agricultural water. To enhance industry 

and regulatory confidence in making risk-based decisions on 

agricultural water and its use, this project will build a risk ranking 

tool, backed by quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA). This 

tool will allow users to identify hazards and practices that increase 

potential risk as well as mitigation strategies that reduce risk, 

applicable to their production system.

$456,713.00

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

42. Characterization and 

Mitigation of Food Safety 

Risks Associated with 

Waxing Roller

Brushes

The Center for Produce Safety (CPS) will partner with the University 

of California, Davis, to optimize the cleaning and sanitizing 

protocols for waxing roller brushes used by fruit packinghouses. 

Waxing roller brushes play an important role during the application 

of waxes onto fruit and vegetable surfaces. However, food safety 

risks associated with waxing roller brushes have not been well 

characterized, and the

cleaning and sanitizing of roller brushes have been challenging for 

the produce industry. To address the above knowledge gap and 

challenge, the team will first evaluate the impact of waxes and wax 

residues on the survival of pathogens on roller brushes made with 

different materials. Second, the team will conduct microbial 

sampling at operating packinghouses during peak packing season to 

generate first-hand information about the native microbial loads of 

commercially used waxing roller brushes. Third, the team will 

characterize the physical and chemical properties of wax residues 

and compare, optimize, and validate the efficacy of commonly used 

roller brush cleaning and sanitizing protocols. Optimized protocols 

will be validated at two pilot facilities for both clean-out-of-place 

and clean-in-place usages.

$462,246.00
34

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

43. Evaluation of 

Sanitation Protocols for 

Non-Conventional FoodContact Surface Materials 

used in Produce 

Packinghouses

The Center for Produce Safety (CPS) will partner with the University 

of Arkansas System, Division of Agriculture, to develop guidance for 

produce packinghouses on sanitizing hard-to-clean food-contact 

surfaces such as wood, vinyl, and foam. Data are lacking on the 

microbial risks associated with current cleaning and sanitizing 

practices for non-conventional, porous food-contact surfaces that 

may be found in very small to medium-sized and seasonal packing 

facilities. Also, there is a need for evidence-based sanitation 

standard operating procedures for these surfaces. This project will 

evaluate cleaning and sanitizing practices for porous food-contact 

surfaces and assess the risks of product contamination influenced 

by surface or equipment characteristics.

$254,196.00

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

44. Improving Methods 

for the Assessment of 

Infectious Human Enteric 

Virus Survival in

Produce

The Center for Produce Safety (CPS) will partner with the University 

of Barcelona to improve methods used to detect and measure 

infectious viruses in fresh produce. Detection of viruses in produce 

items is difficult, partly because contamination usually occurs at 

low levels but also because the molecular tests currently used are 

time consuming, have low recovery efficiencies, and do not 

discriminate between infectious and inactivated viruses. This 

project will optimize current human norovirus (HuNoV) and 

hepatitis A virus (HAV) concentration and detection methods in 

leafy greens and berries, to increase efficiency, reduce turnaround 

time, and provide estimates of viral infectivity and risk of infection.

$358,166.00
35

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

45. Advancing Food 

Justice and Resilience in 

Low-Income, Black, 

Indigenous, and People of 

Color Communities

San Francisco Parks Alliance will fiscally sponsor Urban Sprouts, 

which believes safe and beautiful outdoor environments are the 

best conduits for advancing healthy, economically thriving, and 

socially connected communities; they should be accessible to all. 

Urban Sprouts offers three programs: garden-based education, job 

training, and community health and nutrition education. The 

Community Sprouts program offers hands-on training in 

regenerative agriculture through a network of Certified California 

Production gardens and through one-on-one technical support for 

home gardeners. Community Sprouts focuses on growing specialty 

crops without chemical pesticides and fertilizers, prioritizing water 

conservation, and maximizing carbon sequestration. The Sprout 

Out program is an intensive agricultural job training program that 

focuses on strengthening transferable jobs skills, increasing 

financial capacity, farmer’s market management, and earning the 

nationally accredited ServSafe Food Protection Manager 

Certification. The Community Health and Nutrition Education 

program provides hands on classes and demonstrations that use 

culturally appropriate recipes and practices to promote the 

production and consumption of specialty crops.

$151,710.00

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 

46. Cultivating the Next 

Generation of Agricultural 

Workers in the South 

Central Valley

Hundreds of specialty crop growing, packing, and processing 

operations in Southern San Joaquin Valley seek vocational and skill 

development of their employees. There is a lack of accessible, 

affordable, and applicable training opportunities that align with the 

unique characteristics of the farming industry. Most importantly, 

agricultural workers lack access and opportunity to pursue skill 

development on their own. The California Farmworker Foundation 

(CFF) will bridge the gap between agricultural operations and 

regional community colleges in Kern and Tulare counties to address 

cultural, social, and economic barriers that exist for both employees 

and employers. The project will marry existing industry training 

needs with available educational assets and resources in the region.

$499,715.00
36

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

California 

Department of 

Food and 

Agriculture

$23,934,874.31 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$1,795,636.85

Colorado 

Department of 

Agriculture

$799,208.65

1. Identification of the 

Causal Agents of Potato 

Early Dying Disease 

Complex and Fusarium 

Dry Rot in Colorado 

Potato Crops

To enhance the competitiveness and sustainability of Colorado's 

potato specialty crop sector, the Colorado Potato Administrative 

Committee (CPAC) and scientists at Colorado State University (CSU), 

in collaboration with potato grower cooperators in the San Luis 

Valley, will identify the causal agents of potato early dying disease 

complex and Fusarium dry rot in Colorado potato crops. The

proposed project aims to (1) identify the pathogen/pest complex 

causing the potato early dying and dry rot diseases in the San Luis 

Valley, Colorado, (2) develop molecular detection methods of 

pathogen/pests responsible for potato early dying and Fusarium dry 

rot in Colorado, and (3) share the outcome of this project with 

stakeholders using online and printed communication tools through 

CSU Extension, CPAC, and other media distribution networks in 

addition to in-person presentations at producer and industry 

meetings, extension conferences, and webinars.

$60,905.22

Colorado 

Department of 

Agriculture

$799,208.65

2. Supporting New High 

Elevation Specialty Crop 

Growers

In order to make the FIT and Incubator program more accessible we 

are requesting wages, Summer Short Courses (SSC), Spring Farmer 

Training Immersion (SFTI) scholarships and a living stipend for at 

least three participants. We will also offer a second-year experience 

as a Field Assistant that allows a farmer to gain more experience on 

the same farm taking on more responsibility and gaining new skills.

SCBGP funds supported the development of 12 High Elevation 

Growing Guides (www.tinyurl.com/highelevationgrowingguides) 

that are available in English and Spanish for print or downloads. In 

order to serve a more diverse population, we are proposing to 

translate them into Navajo and Ute and distribute them.

$86,661.62
37

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Colorado 

Department of 

Agriculture

$799,208.65

3. Modeling and Teaching 

Value-Added Methods to 

Increase Specialty Crops 

Sales to Wholesale Buyers 

in Rural Colorado

Guidestone Colorado will continue its work to evaluate and share 

institutional buying patterns with local specialty crop producers 

while growing institutional capacity to accept, process, and 

preserve fresh, seasonally available produce in rural Colorado. 

Guidestone will implement growing and processing techniques onfarm to respond to learned institutional buying preferences and 

utilize commercial kitchen space to process fresh produce in ways 

responsive to institutional needs. This project will seek to close the 

gap between locally and conventionally grown produce by testing, 

refining, and sharing innovative on and off-farm value-added 

methods to ultimately expand market access to institutional buyers 

for local growers and increase the value of produce sales in rural 

Colorado communities.

$74,339.82

Colorado 

Department of 

Agriculture

$799,208.65

4. Optimizing Fertilization 

of Pulse Crops to Improve 

Profitability and 

Environmental Outcomes

Colorado State University will conduct research to reduce the use of 

nitrogen fertilizers by promoting nodulation and enabling the 

fixation of nitrogen from the atmosphere by pulse crops. 

Additionally, our study will facilitate the incorporation of pulses into 

crop rotations for Colorado farmers.

$90,000.00

Colorado 

Department of 

Agriculture

$799,208.65

5. Going Viral: Creating a 

Grape Virus Education 

and Presence Mapping 

Program

Colorado State University (CSU) aims to increase the sustainability 

of the Colorado wine grape industry by creating a virus-focused 

educational program and establishing the capacity to test for 

grapevine viruses at the CSU Plant Diagnostic Clinic. Grapevine 

leafroll and Red blotch are group of wine grape viruses known to 

cause profit loss both directly by reducing vine vigor and crop yield 

and indirectly by altering fruit composition, changing the resulting 

wine flavor. This program will focus on developing free classic 

extension products such as webinars and factsheets, to provide 

regionally relevant information and work with the four main 

growing regions to host a series of in-the-field demonstrations of 

viral sampling and scouting techniques during fruit color-change 

(August), the optimum viral sampling time.

$33,664.23
38

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Colorado 

Department of 

Agriculture

$799,208.65

6. 2024 Colorado Literacy 

Project Featuring the 

Pueblo Chile

The Colorado Foundation for Agriculture will increase the 

knowledge and consumption of Pueblo Chile through its 2024 

Colorado Literacy Project, an annual agricultural and reading 

literacy program for elementary schools across Colorado. For this 

project, a new children's book will be published about Pueblo Chile 

and Dr. Mark Bartolo, the man who developed the Pueblo Chile. 

Accompanying academic resources and student activities will be 

created and used in the classroom. In the spring, farmers, ranchers, 

and agriculturalists, will volunteer their time to complete classroom 

visits, reading the book to students, completing activities, and 

talking about their connection to agriculture. Students will sample a 

Pueblo Chile product and start their own Pueblo Chile plant during 

the visit, enhancing their understanding, and creating a memorable 

experience. This project aims to reach 600 classrooms, 12,500 

students, and 550 teachers and volunteers across the state.

$29,697.36

Colorado 

Department of 

Agriculture

$799,208.65

7. Exploring Regional 

Available Substrates for 

Sustainable Container 

Production of Colorado 

Native Plants

Colorado State University will evaluate regionally sourced growing 

media for use in peat-free or peat-reduced nursery container 

production of Colorado native plant species. Properties of growing 

media and plant growth response of up to ten species will be 

measured in a replicated study over two growing seasons in order 

to assess suitability of peat-alternatives during the finishing period 

when native plants are sized up for retail sale. Results will be 

statistically analyzed and findings will be distributed to green 

industry professionals at conferences, through educational 

outreach, and via news releases to industry trade groups. If species 

that have not been previously used within the industry are found to 

succeed in peat-reduced container production, these species will be 

proposed to industry collaborators for introduction, and 

accompanying finishing protocols will be published. Relevant fact 

sheets published through Colorado State University Extension will 

be updated and findings will be submitted for peer review in a 

journal.

$63,609.00
39

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Colorado 

Department of 

Agriculture

$799,208.65

8. Exploring Novel Post 

Harvest Technologies for 

Storage and Shelf Life 

Extension of Locally 

Grown High Quality 

Peaches 

The Colorado State University will address peach cold storage 

extension challenge in Colorado through cooperation among 

researchers, tree fruit growers and agricultural professionals and 

will develop decision-support tools to optimize peach postharvest 

handling. More specifically the team will optimize hypobaric 

controlled atmosphere (CA) conditions for long term storage of CO 

peach cultivars, will combine hypobaric CA storage conditions with 

remote sensing technologies for optimum postharvest peach fruit 

quality management and decision making and will optimize grower 

commercialization with an improved hypobaric CA storage 

protocol.

$59,546.52

Colorado 

Department of 

Agriculture

$799,208.65

9. Validating IPM Tactics 

to Manage Alfalfa Mosaic 

Virus in Chili Peppers in 

Colorado

Colorado State University scientists will establish a sustainable 

strategy to manage a new pathogen in chili peppers, alfalfa mosaic 

virus (AMV) by validating the effectiveness of resistant chili 

varieties and integrated pest management tactics on producers' 

farms and disseminating results to stakeholders. In a previously 

funded project, we found that a resistant variety, had significantly 

lower virus load and significantly higher yields than a susceptible 

variety, especially when planted early. The goal of the current 

project is to validate these results on a larger scale in realistic 

production conditions and with inclusion of other resistant varieties 

in order to confirm they can be implemented by chili pepper 

producers in Colorado. This project will result in recommendations 

for specific varieties that have superior resistance against the virus 

and planting date modifications that can be implemented in by chili 

pepper growers. The outcomes of this project will lessen the 

environmental and economic burden of this devastating disease 

and improve profitability of chili pepper production in Colorado.

$71,810.19
40

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Colorado 

Department of 

Agriculture

$799,208.65

10. Detection of Potato 

Mop Top Virus in 

Potatoes for Export

The Colorado Potato Administrative Committee and Colorado State 

University will collaborate to improve market relations with Mexico, 

by developing and evaluating a pre-shipment screening strategy to 

detect the presence of potato mop-top virus in potato lots for 

export. We will provide training to growers interested in on-farm 

testing and the screening service will also be offered by the CSU 

Plant Diagnostic Clinic.

$34,235.87

Colorado 

Department of 

Agriculture

$799,208.65 11. Promoting Colorado 

Produce at Buyers Events

The Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (CFVGA) will 

showcase Colorado's wide variety of high-quality produce to U.S. 

produce buyers at trade events featuring high buyer to other 

attendee ratios to increase sales of Colorado produce. CFVGA will 

rent a booth and take its display touting the quality and variety of 

Colorado produce at buyer events in 2024 and again in 2025. 

CFVGA representatives attending the booth will converse with 

buyers and encourage them to consider buying Colorado produce. 

Collateral to be used will include the Colorado produce calendar 

which lists all produce raised commercially in Colorado and the 

expected harvest time availability.

$27,405.11

Colorado 

Department of 

Agriculture

$799,208.65

12. Improving the Food 

Safety Capacity of 

Colorado Specialty Crop 

Producers and Handlers

Colorado Department of Agriculture Markets Division Fruit and 

Vegetable Inspection Service will provide services to enhance food 

safety by training producers and handlers necessary protocols and 

procedures to ensure shareholders understand and can minimize

any microbial contaminants entering the food chain and keeping 

consumer food products safe for consumption. These measures will 

be obtained by providing the shareholders with training on Good 

Agricultural Practices and Good Agricultural Handling Procedures 

(GAP/GHP) and performing audits to ensure the critical services 

provided to the shareholders were followed. The scope of the 

training and audits will encompass growing conditions of products, 

harvesting conditions, packing conditions, and all general food 

handling and distribution conditions.

$46,626.36
41

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Colorado 

Department of 

Agriculture

$799,208.65 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and postaward activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$118,692.89

Connecticut 

Department of 

Agriculture

$403,931.24

1. Using the Stable 

Isotope of Nitrogen as a 

Long-Term Marking 

Strategy to Eliminate 

Natural Dispersal Capacity 

of Spotted Lanternfly

The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) will utilize 

stable-isotope methodology to gain empirical information on the 

dispersal patterns of spotted lanternfly (SLF), a new invasive pest of 

grapes, to support vineyard pest management strategies. We aim 

to determine how far, where, and when SLF will move across 

Connecticut to infest vineyards. Results will be shared with growers 

through field-days, talks, and the CAES web page.

$93,345.00

Connecticut 

Department of 

Agriculture 

$403,931.24

2. Evaluating the Use of 

Organic Amendments to 

Reduce Crop Drought 

Stress by Increasing Plant 

Available Water

The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) will 

evaluate the use of organic amendments to enhance soil water 

storage, increase soil carbon stocks, and reduce plant stress during 

drought conditions. Improving the intrinsic capacity of soils to hold 

and provide water to plants, especially in times of high 

evapotranspiration demand, is critical. This project has two goals: 1) 

quantify benefits of organic amendments for plant available water 

capacity, and 2) use plant drought stress indicators as a tool for 

evaluating the effects of changes to plant available water capacity 

on crop yield and quality. CAES will carry out knowledge 

dissemination and outreach through our network of local farmers. 

The long-term goal is to improve sustainable small-scale and urban 

agriculture that is resilient to a harsher climate.

$96,162.00

Connecticut 

Department of 

Agriculture

$403,931.24

3. Expanding CT Grown 

Wines into Package Stores 

& Restaurants

The Connecticut Vineyard & Winery Association will expand and 

increase sales of CT Grown wines by piloting a marketing effort 

focused on increasing the visibility and demand for CT Grown wine

in package stores and restaurants. Our pilot project will create and 

test the use of professionally designed and attractive displays in 40 

locations, and then use pre- and post-sales data over one year to 

measure any increase in sales for participating vineyards and 

wineries.

$62,878.05
42

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Connecticut 

Department of 

Agriculture

$403,931.24

4. Establish a Commissary 

Honey House and Training 

Hub in New Haven

Huneebee Project will develop and establish a commissary honey 

house and training hub to make success amongst existing and 

aspiring beekeepers in Connecticut more equitable and to make 

Connecticut more competitive amongst honey producers in the 

Northeast. This training hub will serve as an incubator for 

entrepreneurs across Connecticut whose products are derived from 

the honeybee (i.e., honey, beeswax, and propolis). Honey 

harvesting and beeswax rendering equipment will be rented on a 

sliding fee scale; guidance and reliable information on Servsafe 

licensure, food licensing and registration, labeling, and retail and 

wholesale compliance will be accessible and free; and scholarships 

for licensing fees will be made accessible as needed.

$82,300.00

Connecticut 

Department of 

Agriculture

$403,931.24

5. Planting to Plating, 

Increasing Access and 

Awareness of Connecticut 

Grown Specialty Crops to 

Urban Consumers

The Connecticut Department of Agriculture will be responsible for 

the planning and execution of the project This project will increase 

access and awareness of Connecticut Grown specialty crops to 

urban residents through a multilingual video campaign with 

amplification through social media, website, and consumer enewsletters. Through these videos, Connecticut Department of 

Agriculture will not only be able to increase knowledge about how 

and where specialty crops are grown, but also how to prepare them 

for eating.

$35,000.00

Connecticut 

Department of 

Agriculture

$403,931.24 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$32,290.96

University of the 

District of Columbia $243,001.17 1. DCCFN Archdiocesan Farm Project

The District of Columbia Catholic Farming Network (DCCFN) will 

establish two urban farms on properties controlled by the Roman 

Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, DC to grow specialty crops for 

the purpose of educating parish-run food pantry clients and training 

them in seasonal specialty crop production. Our community 

engagement will expand specialty crop accessibility for twenty 

stakeholders.

$120,508.79
43

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

University of the 

District of Columbia $243,001.17 2. Washington Youth Garden Expansion

Friends of the National Arboretum will promote awareness and 

consumption of specialty crops through field trips and family visitor 

days at the Washington Youth Garden; produce distribution at 

schools and summer programs; and increased planting of fruits, 

nuts, mushrooms, and plants to attract pollinators.

$65,421.00

University of the 

District of Columbia $243,001.17 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$57,071.38

Delaware 

Department of 

Agriculture

$342,020.44

1. Be Swell and Test the 

Well to Improve Food 

Safety in the First State

The Delaware Department of Agriculture, Food Products Inspection 

Section, intends to help offset the financial burden on Delaware 

growers by reimbursing growers’ water testing cost for the 

requirements of the Produce Safety Rule. These growers may take a 

significant financial hit in efforts to comply with new rules and 

regulations set forth by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). 

Parts of these efforts are the extensive and costly water testing that 

growers are required to perform. Water testing and other effects 

will continue to provide safe food for Delaware citizens, as well as 

citizens of the United States and abroad.

$45,000.00

Delaware 

Department of 

Agriculture

$342,020.44

2. Connecting Students 

with Specialty Crop 

Agriculture

Marvelous Produce will implement a tiered educational approach 

for both high school and elementary aged students. Agriculture 

education will be administered based on the growing of 

strawberries in the spring and pumpkins in the fall. The purpose of 

this project is multi-faceted. The goal is to reach our elementary 

students at a young age, on the importance of agriculture and how 

crops grow. Elementary students will come to the farm on field 

trips, have a u-pick experience at our farm and leave with a wealth 

of knowledge on these specific crops. Using our farm and our crops, 

we have the opportunity with this project to spark more interest in 

agriculture and create a lasting impact on students of various ages 

here in the first state!

$20,000.00
44

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Delaware 

Department of 

Agriculture

$342,020.44 3. Educating Through 

Specialty Crop Crates

Delaware Farm Bureau, in relationship with the Delaware 

Department of Agriculture, will promote specialty crops, while 

educating children on the importance of agriculture and healthy 

eating. The Educating through Specialty Crop Crates program will 

enable elementary school teachers to apply to receive a crate, 

which will include various hands-on activities, lesson plans, and 

other specialty crop related materials to utilize within their 

classroom.

$20,000.00

Delaware 

Department of 

Agriculture

$342,020.44

4. Expanding Master 

Gardener Outreach to 

Educate Children About 

Vegetables Through an 

Entertaining Puppet Show

With new, more easily transported audio equipment and 

backdrops, Sussex County Master Gardeners, volunteers with 

Delaware Cooperative Extension, will expand the outreach of their 

award-winning puppet show, "The Misadventures of Peter Rabbit in 

Farmer McGregor's Garden", performing before grades Pre-K 

through 2 in public and charter schools, teaching them how a large 

variety of vegetables are grown, how they can be prepared, their 

nutritional value and the importance of pollination. A take home 

coloring/activity book will be developed and distributed to 

reinforce the information presented.

$11,700.00

Delaware 

Department of 

Agriculture

$342,020.44

5. Farm to Child and Adult 

Care Food Program 

(CACFP)/Summer Food 

Service Program (SFSP)

Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware will plant, maintain and harvest 

vegetables, fruits, berries and herbs at its Seaford Mini-Farm 

operation to be used to supplement daily meals prepared on-site at 

its self-prep kitchen operation. The kitchen provides more than 

1,000 meals daily for youth at sites throughout Kent and Sussex 

counties, in conjunction with the state sponsored CACFP and SFSP

nutrition programs.

$25,000.00
45

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Delaware 

Department of 

Agriculture

$342,020.44

6. First in Flowers: 

Increasing Awareness and 

Availability of Delaware 

Grown Specialty Cut 

Flowers 

Spectrum Farms LLC seeks to partner with industry leaders, 

technical experts, and fellow flower farmers to enhance the 

competitiveness of Delaware's specialty cut flower crop industry 

through a multifaceted approach of increasing consumer awareness 

and interest in Delaware grown specialty cut flowers as well as 

establish a cohort of Delaware specialty cut flower growers in order 

to develop a community of support amongst members that can 

share in growing practices, experience and technical knowledge.

$47,604.00

Delaware 

Department of 

Agriculture

$342,020.44

7. Impact of Eca on RootKnot Nematode 

Populations and Longevity 

of Fumigant Applications 

in Lima Bean

The University of Delaware project team consisting of Drs. Alyssa 

Koehler and Emmalea Ernest will assess the potential of using 

apparent soil electrical conductivity (ECa) to predict elevated rootknot nematode populations and monitor longevity of fumigant 

applications in lima bean production fields. Findings from this 

research will be shared with producers through meetings and 

publications while providing a foundation to develop predictive 

models to improve efficiency of nematode management in lima 

bean and vegetable production.

$26,500.00

Delaware 

Department of 

Agriculture

$342,020.44

8. Operation Home 

Grown Let's Grow 

Together - Bridging 

Homes and Community

Annually, Operation Home Grown (OHG): Let's Grow Together - 

Bridging Homes and Community will incrementally increase the 

number of seasonal and year-round specialty crop growers starting 

in two pockets of New Castle County by implementing a satellite 

garden program. By equipping the initial 28 growers (14 in each of 

zone) with small indoor and/or outdoor home gardens, OHG will 

have the opportunity to educate entire families on the importance, 

growing processes, and distribution of specialty crops, along with 

their uses and best storage practices while showcasing the benefits 

of growing foods communally. OHG's parent organizations, 

Messiah's Market and The Here We Grow Project (HWG), will 

provide educational programming, training, and resources for the 

project on topics ranging from garden planning to cooking the 

specialty crops grown. Produce safety training will be provided to 

project participants through a local grower organization.

$37,500.00
46

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Delaware 

Department of 

Agriculture

$342,020.44 9. School Nutrition AgriCulture Garden Program

The School Nutrition AgriCulture (SNAC) Garden Program will 

increase direct education and access to specialty food crops, 

nutrition and mindfulness programming, and direct horticulture 

and ecological education to students, parents, and teachers in one 

additional school in the Indian River School District or surrounding 

districts with a high level of students on federal reduced or free 

lunch, above 50 percent. Educational programming will be 

provided on-site to the school on a regular basis with the SNAC 

curriculum through the use of permaculture gardens which 

integrate native horticulture, vegetable gardening, and fruit trees, 

providing 16 educational lessons for each student every year.

$32,276.10

Delaware 

Department of 

Agriculture

$342,020.44

10. Towards Identifying 

Seedcorn Maggot Risk 

and Impact to Processing 

Vegetables 

The University of Delaware will identify flight activity periods for 

seedcorn maggot (SCM) and crop injury patterns associated with 

SCM activity in early season vegetables, especially processing peas. 

An SCM fact sheet will be created and distributed to processors and 

allied farmers.

$5,986.00
47

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Delaware 

Department of 

Agriculture

$342,020.44 11. Delaware Farm Fresh 

Initiative Part 2

Delaware Farm Fresh Initiative (DEFF) is a locally grown food 

facilitation cooperative working to improve local food distribution 

in Delaware and combat food insecurity. DEFF will provide 

Delaware farmers from all over the state with a web-based 

platform and delivery service that will allow them to market and 

sell their locally grown and curated products to the retail customer, 

restaurant industry, commercial businesses, farm market stands, 

and institutions. The cooperative will facilitate the marketing and

organization of the web-based platform which will allow small to 

medium-sized farmers to sell their locally grown and produced food 

throughout the State of Delaware. This service will allow consumers 

to specialize their orders, helping reduce food waste for smaller 

farmers. This web-based system will also create opportunities for 

small producers to sell their products to larger industry partners 

looking for local products on demand. In addition, our planned 

distribution system will serve as an efficient method to get fresh 

food into food deserts and underserved communities through our 

donation-based CSA program and markets.

$70,000.00

Florida Department 

of Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$3,835,063.68

1. Developing HerbicideTolerant Caladiums for 

Weed Control for the 

Florida Environmental 

Horticulture Industry

The University of Florida will develop new caladiums with tolerance 

to the broad-spectrum herbicide, glyphosate, for the Florida 

environmental horticulture industry to use as a new and effective 

tool to control weeds in commercial production. We propose to 

address this critical need using a three-pronged approach: 1) 

screening commercial cultivars and breeding lines with glyphosate; 

2) inducing and selecting glyphosate-tolerant mutants from tissue 

cultures; and 3) generating new seeds and conducting chemical 

mutagenesis to identify caladiums with glyphosate tolerance. 

Results from this project will have significant benefits to multiple 

sectors of the industry: Provide growers with a new and effective

tool to control weeds cost-efficiently and timely, reduce production 

costs, and restore their competitiveness, and have a steady supply 

of caladium tubers to the industry.

$207,267.41
48

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Florida Department 

of Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$3,835,063.68

2. Integrated 

Management of Key Pests 

of Specialty Crops

The University of Florida will develop control strategies for 

whiteflies and pepper weevil pests of specialty crops. This project 

proposes to test commercial formulations of Beauveria bassiana 

and Cordyceps (Isaria) fumosorosea as a stand-alone program and 

in rotations with conventional insecticides against a standard 

conventional program to control whiteflies and pepper weevil using 

tomato and pepper crops, respectively. Biopesticides will be 

screened against whiteflies, pepper weevil, and natural enemies in 

the laboratory and tested in the field. Effects on pest population, 

natural enemies, yield, and production cost will be determined, and 

findings communicated to the stakeholders through presentations, 

field days, industry journal articles, and peer-reviewed publications.

$187,952.00

Florida Department 

of Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$3,835,063.68

3. Producing High-Quality 

Ornamental Plants with 

Reduced Fertilizer 

Application and N 

Leaching Using Novel 

Potting Media

The University of Florida will develop novel potting media for the 

nursery industry to produce high-quality ornamental plants with 

reduced fertilizer application and nitrogen (N) leaching. Specifically, 

N-fixing bacteria and engineered biochars will be incorporated into 

peat-based potting media at different rates; ornamental plants will 

be produced in the media applied with different rates of N. 

Leachates will be collected during plant growth, N and other 

elements will be analyzed, and plant quality will be evaluated. This 

project will show that N-fixing bacteria can provide plants with 

considerable amount of N and engineered biochars can retain N in 

the media to sustain plant growth, thus reducing fertilizer 

application and N leaching and protecting surface and ground water 

resources.

$158,574.14
49

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Florida Department 

of Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$3,835,063.68

4.Al-Enhanced 

Sustainable Management 

of Spider Mites

Researchers at the University of Florida will use recent 

developments in artificial intelligence (AI), mechatronics, and 

machine vision to build a low-cost and automated early Spider 

Mites (SM) detection system in ornamental nursery production. 

Development and adoption of this technology would greatly 

enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of ornamental 

nurseries through early intervention and mitigation of losses from 

SM. Ornamental nurseries will see enhanced profitability using this 

technology by reduced SM spread and impact and decreased 

production costs to manage SM. Training the growers on detecting 

SM early by using this novel technology will also be addressed.

$178,706.00

Florida Department 

of Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$3,835,063.68

5. Breeding for 

Neopestalotiopsis 

Resistance in Florida 

Strawberries 

The University of Florida (UF) strawberry breeding program will 

reduce yield and economic losses from a new fungal disease by 

developing resistant strawberry varieties through conventional and 

molecular breeding. In the last four years the Florida strawberry 

industry has faced the emergence of a new and aggressive strain of 

Neopestalotiopsis sp., a fungus that causes severe leaf and fruit rot 

epidemics that reduce yield and even kill plants. Previous work in 

the UF strawberry breeding program has revealed rare sources of 

resistance in strawberries that are not well-adapted to Florida 

production and lack necessary yield and quality. New DNA markers 

must be developed and utilized in new crosses to combine 

resistance, yield, and quality in new varieties.

$193,216.00
50

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Florida Department 

of Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$3,835,063.68 6. Biological Control of 

the Invasive Thrips

The University of Florida will mitigate the spread of Thrips (T.) 

parvispinus and avoid further economic damage to the ornamental 

industry by providing growers with environmentally friendly tools 

to manage this pest and ultimately enhance Florida's 

competitiveness. Research efforts will focus on biological control 

using predatory mites and insects. Moreover, a field diagnostic 

tools will be developed to aid the growers with the early and 

accurate detection of this invasive species. Objectives include 

evaluations of biocontrol agents under laboratory, greenhouse, and 

nursery conditions, and development of a field diagnostic guide. 

Results will be shared with ornamental growers in workshops.

$197,617.00

Florida Department 

of Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$3,835,063.68

7. Management of a New 

Weevil Pest of Celery and 

Related Apiaceous Crops

In 2020 and 2021, celery and parsley producers in the Everglades 

Agricultural Area (EAA) reported unusual insect injury in organic 

and conventional fields. The weevil causing the injury was identified 

as Listronotus sparsus, which had never been reported as a pest. 

This weevil is an emerging pest causing substantial losses with 

limited and costly control options. The University of Florida aims to 

(1) determine effective weevil management practices using 

reduced-risk insecticides by conducting field studies, (2) determine 

weevil biological characteristics for more effective management by 

conducting laboratory studies, field studies, and field surveys, and 

(3) develop an educational program disseminating weevil 

management research results and recommendations. The adoption

of these recommendations and gained knowledge are expected to 

lead to a more effective weevil management strategy, which will 

enhance the profitability and competitiveness of the Florida celery, 

parsley, herb, and carrot industries.

$68,501.00
51

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Florida Department 

of Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$3,835,063.68

8. Optimizing Blueberry 

Planting Arrangements 

for Cross-Pollination and 

Mechanical Harvesting

The University of Florida will improve pollination and yields of 

southern highbush blueberries by identifying optimal cultivar 

planting arrangements for both cross pollination and management, 

and for optimal fruit quality. We will accomplish this by 1) 

determining the effects of cultivar planting arrangement on 

pollination and yields in modern machine-harvestable cultivars, 

comparing planting designs that alternate cultivars every other row, 

every two rows, and every four rows; and 2) assessing benefits of 

cross-pollination for fruit quality traits, including time to ripen, 

synchrony in ripening, and firmness. We will share results with 

growers through field days, online extension publications, and 

presentations at the annual growers meeting.

$180,539.00

Florida Department 

of Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$3,835,063.68

9. Improving Sweet Corn 

Production by Elucidating 

Novel Dynamics of the 

Northern Corn Leaf Blight 

Pathogen

Sweet corn growers in the Everglades region have reported an 

inability to control northern corn leaf blight (NCLB), caused by 

Exserohilum turcicum, despite deploying fungicides with different 

active ingredients as well as increasing the number of applications. 

There are two hypotheses for the observed NCLB epidemic: 1) the 

E. turcicum population has become resistant to the fungicides 

applied; and 2) a new race has emerged in the E. turcicum 

population. The University of Florida aims to understand fungicide 

resistance, identify possible sources of NCLB-resistance in maize 

lines for future breeding projects, and evaluate E. turcicum race 

structure and distribution. The University of Florida will improve 

sweet corn production by developing optimized management 

strategies against NCLB, which will ultimately help sweet corn 

growers and seed companies.

$193,437.52

Florida Department 

of Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$3,835,063.68

10. Drone-based Smart 

Monitoring System for 

Strawberry Using Artificial 

Intelligence 

The University of Florida will develop an automated and integrated 

drone system that can fly over strawberry fields, take images of 

strawberry plants, and come back with very important site-specific 

crop information, including the number of strawberry flowers and 

fruit, canopy volume, nutrient and water stress of the plants, and 

an accurate yield forecasting using artificial intelligence.

$169,446.71
52

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Florida Department 

of Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$3,835,063.68

11. Evaluating Regional 

Aerial Fungal Spore 

Sampling Techniques for 

Improved Early Pathogen 

Detection in Potato and 

Watermelon Diseases

The University of Florida will examine how aerial spore samplers 

utilizing morphological and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) data 

can improve grower management of late blight and powdery 

mildew in potatoes and watermelons, respectively. It will also 

examine the feasibility and utility of adding genetic analysis of 

fungicide sensitivity traits to the data produced by these systems. 

The outcomes of this project will strengthen the potato and 

watermelon industry in Florida through improved fungicide usage 

and related profits to producers.

$208,513.00

Florida Department 

of Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$3,835,063.68

12. Integrated 

Management of Common 

Purslane in Leafy 

Vegetables 

The University of Florida will focus on developing an integrated 

management program for common purslane using the herbicide 

pendimethalin and other weed control strategies. The project 

proposes to further evaluate pendimethalin use in leafy vegetables 

and develop an economically effective integrated management 

system using the herbicide in combination with other strategies to 

allow for sustenance and expansion of production to meet growing 

regional demand. An effective common purslane management 

program will mitigate its impact and significantly reduce the need 

for hand labor for weeding while improving leafy vegetables yield 

and quality.

$112,522.00

Florida Department 

of Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$3,835,063.68

13. Improving Florida 

Radish Consumption and 

Sales 

The Florida Specialty Crop Foundation seeks to increase sales of 

Florida radishes year over year by 2 percent. This will be 

accomplished by increasing consumer demand through education 

about recipes and health benefits. Outreach will occur through 

sampling in retail stores, a blogger/influencer tour, and a farm tour 

for South Florida chefs.

$63,300.00
53

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Florida Department 

of Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$3,835,063.68

14. Measures to Avoid 

and Prepare for the 

Introduction of the 

Impatiens Necrotic Spot 

Virus (INSV) in Florida 

Lettuce

Researchers and statewide extension specialists at the University of

Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) will 

monitor the Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus (INSV) in lettuce and 

other leafy vegetables in the Everglades Agricultural Area, the 

major producer of lettuce in the state. The team will work with

extension agents, producers, and any other stakeholders to 

understand if the virus causing INSV is present in Florida by 

sampling leafy vegetables. These partners will sample weeds in 

nearby fields to lettuce producers and will screen lettuce 

germplasm adapted to Florida for their resistance to the western 

flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis), the insect vector capable 

of transmitting the virus. Resistance in lettuce to the insect will 

provide the opportunity to plant breeders to develop thrips 

resistance lettuce cultivars adapted to Florida's subtropical 

environment.

$200,751.00

Florida Department 

of Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$3,835,063.68

15. Developing New 

Management Tools for 

the Lychee Erinose Mite 

in Florida

The University of Florida aims to identify conventional and 

biorational (i.e. botanical, microbial and mineral) acaricides that, 

combined with cultural practices, will provide a workable solution 

for the lychee erinose mite (LEM) (Aceria litchii) pest problem. 

Research efforts will focus on identifying the best prophylactic and 

curative treatments against LEM and their combination with 

different methods of sanitation pruning. Objectives include 

screening acaricides under greenhouse conditions and the most 

promising combination of treatments will be field tested under 

commercial production conditions. This project will have an 

important extension component to inform lychee growers of the 

best practices for LEM management.

$189,361.00
54

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Florida Department 

of Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$3,835,063.68

16. Evaluation of Exotic 

Germplasm for Use as 

Blueberry Rootstocks to 

Reduce Production Costs 

and Inputs and Increase 

Sustainability 

The University of Florida will evaluate rare and unique germplasm 

for use as blueberry rootstocks. The material will be evaluated for 

its adaptation to nursery practices including propagation by rooted 

cuttings, graft compatibility, and scion vigor. Established grafted 

blueberry plants will be evaluated and compared with non-grafted 

blueberry plants under a low input production system. Information 

will be shared with growers and industry professionals at field days, 

grower seminars, and trade publications.

$219,682.65

Florida Department 

of Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$3,835,063.68

17. Application of CIO2 

Gas-based Technologies 

to Control Postharvest 

Diseases and Enhance 

Food Safety and Quantity 

of Strawberry and 

Blueberry Fruit

The University of Florida will conduct research to develop effective, 

safe, and commercially applicable and economically sustainable 

gaseous chlorine dioxide (ClO2)-based treatments to: 1) reduce 

fruit losses due to fungal decays (such as Botrytis gray mold, 

Rhizopus rot, and anthracnose); 2) eliminate or reduce E. coli 

contamination on fruit surfaces; 3) maintain fruit quality; and 4) 

improve overall fruit shelf life. It is expected that this project will 

result in new, economically viable and commercially applicable 

methods to treat strawberry and blueberry fruits for improved shelf 

life and customer satisfaction.

$207,513.85
55

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Florida Department 

of Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$3,835,063.68

18. Optimizing Nitrogen 

Fertigation in Blackberry 

Production in Florida

The University of Florida aims to develop nitrogen (N) fertigation 

recommendations for new/young (less than 2 years) blackberry 

plants of floricane-fruiting `Ouachita' and primocane-fruiting 

`Prime-Ark Freedom' grown in North and Central Florida. Plant 

growth and development, cane growth pattern, physiological and 

biochemical activities in leaves, defoliation/foliation will be 

measured for two seasons. Leaf tissue analysis for nutrients in 

particular total N concentration, and the soil will be measured 

periodically for nitrate concentration and pH; and measured 

continuously for temperature, moisture content, and electrical 

conductivity. Optimum moisture level in rootzone required for 

maximum N use efficiency will also be determined through soil 

moisture probes. Seasonal patterns of plant growth and 

development in response to the N fertigation rates, will result in 

recommendations on optimal N fertigation rate and application 

timing for blackberry that optimize plant health, productivity/fruit 

quality while minimizing leaching and ground water contamination.

$291,872.08

Florida Department 

of Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$3,835,063.68

19. Improving Hibiscus 

Bud Weevil Tolerance 

Through Germplasm 

Evaluation and Advanced 

Plant Breeding

The University of Florida Tropical Research and Education Center 

will evaluate the cytogenetic variability, genetic diversity, and 

tolerance of hibiscus bud weevil (HBW) in the newly established 

tropical hibiscus germplasm collection. The specific objectives are: 

1) performing ploidy characterization and chromosome counts, 2) 

evaluating the HBW tolerance of tropical hibiscus germplasm 

collection, 3) assessing the genetic diversity within the tropical 

hibiscus collection, and 4) selecting elite breeding lines and 

developing new varieties. The evaluation results will aid breeding 

parents selection and facilitate successful hybridization efforts to 

develop HBW resilient tropical hibiscus varieties that will allow 

significant reduction of pesticide use and increase the quantity and 

quality of tropical hibiscus for sale, thus minimizing environmental 

pollution and maximizing the competitiveness and profitability of 

Florida's hibiscus industry.

$176,796.90
56

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Florida Department 

of Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$3,835,063.68

20. Survival of Pathogens 

on Work-In-Process 

Fresh-Cut Produce 

Ingredients

The Center for Produce Safety will partner with U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service - Eastern Regional 

Research Center to evaluate the microbial risks associated with the 

holding of fresh-cut produce. Work-in-process (WIP) fresh-cut 

produce, prepared as ingredients of commercial salad products, is 

held in containers for various times before being utilized. This 

project will evaluate the survival and growth of Listeria 

monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Salmonella on WIP 

produce ingredients during holding, and the potential for cross 

contamination between the produce and the holding containers. 

Models will be developed to predict the survival of pathogens on 

the WIP ingredients and containers, and to evaluate the crosscontamination risk between the WIP ingredients and holding 

containers. Results of this study will be summarized in project 

reports, published in peer-reviewed journals, and presented at the 

annual Center for Produce Safety Research Symposium.

$282,811.04

Florida Department 

of Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$3,835,063.68 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$127,786.33

Georgia 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,426,271.94

1. Georgia Grown 

Marketing Project for 

Promotions: Georgia’s 

Harvest Huddle

Georgia’s Harvest Huddle is a coordinated effort by the Georgia 

Dept. of Agriculture (GDA) to promote fall Georgia grown specialty 

crops during college football games. The initiative partners with 

major college football programs to develop menus showcasing 

these crops and create promotions to increase awareness. 

Outcomes include increased demand and sales for farmers, 

awareness of Georgia agriculture, and a strengthened connection 

between consumers and local farmers. The project aims to create a 

sustainable and thriving agricultural economy in Georgia while 

highlighting the state's unique specialty crops.

$104,000.00
57

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Georgia 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,426,271.94

2. Georgia Grown 

Satsuma Education 

Project

Georgia Department of Agriculture will partner with local farmers 

and produce distributors to increase the availability of Georgia 

grown satsuma oranges in supermarkets, grocery stores, and other 

retail locations. The project will work closely with retail buyers to 

educate them about the unique characteristics of satsuma oranges 

and the benefits of carrying locally grown produce in their stores.

$103,225.38

Georgia 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,426,271.94

3. Increasing Georgia 

Grown Marketing to 

Reach National Retail 

Wholesalers (GPFS showAnaheim)

This project addresses a simple marketing principle for profitability, 

‘to increase market revenue you must increase sales to your 

current customer base while adding new customers’. Georgia Fruit 

& Vegetable Growers Association will provide Georgia specialty 

crop growers with the opportunity to ‘get in front of’ wholesale 

buyers and accomplish this marketing principle with west coast 

buyers. Each fall over 20,000 retail grocery and food service 

wholesale buyers gather for the Global Produce and Floral Show 

(GPFS) to reconfirm supplier contacts and find new suppliers. This 

project will provide Georgia specialty growers the opportunity to 

interact with thousands of wholesale buyers attending GPFS and 

present a focused message from the Georgia Grown Pavilion as to 

the diversity and high quality of Georgia Grown products.

$49,991.00
58

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Georgia 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,426,271.94

4. Increasing Spec Crop 

Prod Profitability [by] 

Access to the Most 

Current Best Practices 

(SERFVC)

The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association will plan and 

coordinate the 2024 Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable 

Conference (SERFVC), an educational conference and trade show. 

The Conference is considered by growers/packers/shippers, to be 

the premier educational event in the Southeast. The Conference 

will provide specialty crop producers access to the most up to date 

information related to specialty crop production, pest 

management, labor relations, operations, marketing choices and 

compliance with FSMA food safety regulations. All educational 

sessions at the Conference will be professionally recorded and 

posted on the GFVGA YouTube channel and the searchable archives 

page of the SE Regional Conference website. This will allow growers 

to be able to review the educational presentations and materials. 

Additionally, GFVGA will offer a reimbursement stipend for a few 

growers that qualify as underserved, beginning, or veteran. These 

reimbursement stipends will cover the cost of travel to and 

registration for the Conference.

$99,976.00

Georgia 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,426,271.94

5. Innovative Online 

Marketing to Drive 

Consumers to Purchase 

Georgia Grown

The Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) will 

engage and drive consumers to buy and consume Georgia, 

southeastern, and US fresh fruit and vegetable specialty crops 

when they are available. Nearly 150 million shoppers used retailer 

apps or online fulfilment services in 2022. As more and more 

consumers shop for their household online and using retail apps, it 

is critical that GFVGA emphasize the need to be specific about their 

food choices and that we do not miss this audience in our 

marketing. A survey of more than 1500 discovered that more than 

60% of respondents had bought something because an influencer 

recommended it, per online marketing company SheSpeaks. This 

grant will allow the GFVGA to market to and educate consumers in 

online spaces like InstaCart and/or retail shopping apps such as 

Kroger, and to partner with social media influencers to encourage 

consumers to purchase Georgia grown produce.

$103,380.00
59

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Georgia 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,426,271.94

6. Beyond the Pie: A 

Targeted Marketing 

Campaign Promoting 

Georgia Pecans

Georgia Pecan Growers Association (GPGA) will execute a 

marketing campaign to get Georgia Pecans directly into the hands 

of consumers through a collaboration with Georgia-grown Yom Ice 

Cream based in Atlanta, Georgia. The goal of this project is to raise 

awareness and create demand for the unique flavor and premium 

quality of Georgia Pecans by hosting unique sampling opportunities 

with food and health enthusiasts over the 5-day period around the 

4th of July in the metro Atlanta market. This market totals more 

than 6 million people in population and is the 9th largest metro 

region in the U.S. The campaign emphasizes Georgia Pecan usage 

beyond the pecan pie. The goal of this campaign is to create 

demand for Georgia Pecans beyond the times of year when the 

pecan is traditionally purchased and used in dessert holiday 

traditions. GPGA works to create opportunities and buyer 

partnerships to assist growers in selling their product.

$44,645.00

Georgia 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,426,271.94

7. Managing Citrus 

Leafminer and Impact on 

Citrus Canker in Georgia

The University of Georgia Research Foundation and Georgia 

Department of Agriculture will conduct research work on citrus 

leafminer (CLM) population dynamics and its management in 

Georgia citrus that will benefit growers with insecticide application 

decision-making. Region specific research is critical for efficient 

insect pest management, as both plant and insect growth are 

influenced by climatic differences, cultivars grown, and other 

landscape factors. Seasonal abundance of CLM in relation to citrus 

growth phenology, level of CLM infestation and resultant crop 

damage in citrus varieties will be established to determine 

threshold levels for insecticide intervention, which will reduce 

unnecessary applications of insecticides on groves.

$96,304.45
60

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Georgia 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,426,271.94 8. High Density Peach 

Production in Georgia

The University of Georgia will establish research plots to address 

the current need for information about high density training 

systems in peach. High density training systems for fruit production 

has increased yield efficiency and economic gains. In the U.S., 

peaches are being tested in high-density systems in Northern and 

Western states. No trials are currently available in the Georgia and 

the Southeast using high density plantings. The objective of this 

project is to test different high-density training system in peaches 

using various rootstock available in the U.S. and scions with unique 

architecture characteristics. The idea is to evaluate if using these 

kinds of scions and/or rootstocks will make feasible high-density 

peach production. This information will greatly help the Georgia 

peach industry that has been growing peach trees the same way for 

the last century and will help create new opportunities to increase 

efficiency and automatization. All the results obtained from this 

project will be provided to growers to help with future planting and 

management needs.

$97,046.00

Georgia 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,426,271.94

9. The Hygiene Status of 

Conventional vs. Modified 

Blueberry Machine 

Harvesters 

The University of Georgia will work collaboratively with Oregon 

State University to compare using the conventional vs. the modified 

over-the-row (OTR) machines to harvest fresh blueberries. The hard 

surfaces of OTR machines create significant damage to harvested 

berries. Attempts have been made to modify standard OTR 

harvesters by replacing the hard surfaces with softer materials. This 

project will monitor the hygiene conditions of 9 different sites on 

the conventional vs. the modified OTR machines cleaned/sanitized 

with different approaches in Georgia/Oregon in two harvest 

seasons. Microbial loads on the two types of harvesters will be 

compared and better cleaning/sanitation approaches identified.

$99,272.00
61

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Georgia 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,426,271.94

10. Chemical Constituents 

of Pine Bark for 

Nematode Control

The University of Georgia aims to suppress plant-parasitic 

nematode (PPN) populations in vegetable and blueberry 

production. Previous studies confirmed that pine bark mulch 

layered on the soil surface suppresses blueberry PPNs, suggesting 

water-soluble compounds leaching out of the pine bark are 

responsible for PPN suppression. Two well-known pine compounds, 

α-pinene, and d-limonene, have not been evaluated for their 

impact on blueberry and tomato PPN populations. The project 

proposes to evaluate: 1) the efficacy of α-pinene, and d-limonene in 

suppressing tomato and blueberry PPNs; 2) determine the optimal 

concentration for nematode suppression with little to no 

phytotoxicity; and 3) evaluate the cost/benefits compared to nonfumigant nematicide. The research findings can potentially increase 

blueberry and tomato yields at a lower cost by suppressing PPN, as 

well as provide an effective management option for organic and 

conventional vegetable and blueberry growers against PPNs.

$99,249.79

Georgia 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,426,271.94

11. AI-Based Tools for 

Disease Detection in 

Vidalia Onion

A University of Georgia team will apply artificial intelligence (AI) and 

machine learning (ML) to create a series of disease management 

decision support tools (DSTs) for Vidalia sweet onion. The DSTs will 

allow onion growers to increase the yield and quality of marketable 

onions while reducing production costs. Our disease management 

DSTs will range from smartphone apps to robotic solutions that will 

enable growers and their consultants to scout entire fields rapidly 

and target prophylactic and curative sprays to areas in the field 

where disease may be emerging or has emerged. This project will 

enhance the competitiveness of Vidalia onion growers in Georgia by 

providing them with the ability to confidently detect onion diseases 

early and enabling them to make management decisions, which will 

help with increased yield and quality of marketable onions and an 

overall increase in efficiency and profitability.

$97,508.50
62

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Georgia 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,426,271.94

12. Whitefly-transmitted 

Viruses Overcome 

Resistance Against TYLCV 

in Commercial Tomato

There are reports of tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) resistance 

in commercially available tomato varieties in Georgia. The 

University of Georgia Research Foundation’s project is a 

comprehensive investigation into multiple viruses vectored by 

whitefly affecting tomato production. We hypothesize that there 

are virus mutations or interactions between multiple viruses that 

are responsible for overcoming host-resistance. Our research will 

allow us to have a better understanding of viruses in our area and 

make science-based variety selection recommendations to 

vegetable growers in southern Georgia through UGA extension 

networks (county extension meetings, the Southeast Regional Fruit 

and Vegetable Conference, and UGA extension publications). The 

fundamental knowledge about dominant virus strains and gene 

resistance during multiple virus infection will facilitate grower 

adoption of improved tomato varieties and will decrease virus 

incidence and pesticide sprays while increasing yields and 

profitability.

$99,988.00
63

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Georgia 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,426,271.94

13. Detection and 

Characterization of 

Candidatus Liberibacter 

Asiaticus in Commercial 

Citrus

Among the challenges encountered by Georgia’s emerging citrus 

industry are diseases, especially citrus greening/huanglongbing 

(HLB). HLB is caused by the bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter 

asiaticus (CLas). Early detection of the bacterium is critical to 

prevent spread and establishment in commercial plantings. The 

University of Georgia Research Foundation will select commercial 

citrus groves where HLB has been confirmed and conduct molecular 

testing of asymptomatic plant tissues. This will facilitate the rapid 

removal of infected, pre-symptomatic trees. Detection of infected 

psyllid vectors has proven useful to monitor disease spread in 

Florida, so ACP traps will be installed and regularly monitored. 

Finally, to investigate the origin and adaptations of CLas strains 

causing HLB in Georgia, their genetic diversity will be characterized 

and compared against populations in other locations. This project 

will benefit Georgia’s citrus industry by providing updated 

information on the best strategies for early CLas detection in 

trapped psyllids and in asymptomatic plant samples.

$99,990.80

Georgia 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,426,271.94 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$227,538.00

Hawaii Department 

of Agriculture $534,282.75 

1. Education and 

Accessibility of Hawaii 

Floriculture Products

The Hawaii Floriculture and Nursery Association (HFNA) will 

educate an estimated 400 members of the floral industry on how to 

acquire Hawaii flowers and foliage as well as how to use them in 

everyday designs and other topics of interest to the industry. 

Growers and shippers of Hawaii flowers and foliage will exhibit 

their wares in trade booths, giving the attendees a tremendous 

opportunity to view their products, discuss with them the virtues of 

using Hawaii flowers in design, how they can acquire them, and 

potentially discuss future orders.

$46,825.00
64

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Hawaii Department 

of Agriculture $534,282.75 

2. Providing Elite and 

Locally Adapted Cacao 

Varietals to a Fledging 

Cacao Industry in Hawaii

Hawaii is the only US state where Theobroma cacao (cacao) is 

cultivated and is an emerging origin for “fine flavor” cacao, the 

main ingredient in fine chocolate. Cacao cultivation and research 

activities in Hawaii have steadily increased over the last decade, led 

by efforts to identify and select high performing clones adapted to 

local conditions. Hawaii cacao growers, chocolate makers and 

agronomists work in proximity, allowing for close collaboration 

resulting in effective research and extension. Recent attrition of 

faculty from the local land grant college (University of Hawaii at 

Manoa’s CTAHR) and the effects of COVID19 including a hiring 

freeze and travel restrictions have stalled research and extension 

efforts, placing the burden of advancement on independent 

growers and agronomists. The authors are requesting funds for a 

project that will increase competitiveness of this promising 

specialty crop industry through the identification, release, and 

proliferation of elite local cultivars. The project will also shed light 

on the understudied relationship between growing environment 

and cacao flavor, commonly known as “terroir” in the fine wine 

industry.

$49,763.16
65

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Hawaii Department 

of Agriculture $534,282.75 

3. Improving Banana and 

Taro Local Production 

with Plantlets/Hulies and

Education Program

The University of Hawaii will distribute statewide 1,000-2,000 

disease-free plantlets and hulis of local/commercial taro varieties 

and conduct training of good agricultural practices (GAP) and 

Integrated Pest management (IPM) practices to prevent banana 

bunchy top virus (BBTV) infection (No known banana variety with 

resistance to both diseases) and the Taro leaf blight (TLB). This 

project is expected to improve taro and banana local production, 

through increasing availability of disease-free plantlets and 

local/commercial taro huli, reduce the reliance on imports by 

providing large number of banana tissue culture seedlings to 

revitalize the declining local production, prevent BBTV and TLB 

infection through training on GAP/IPM practices, reduce the chance 

of new diseases introduction to Hawaii by providing disease free 

seedlings and improving the local production, which will lead to less 

imports.

$50,000.00

Hawaii Department 

of Agriculture $534,282.75 

4. Supporting the 

Expansion of Local 

Coconut Production by 

Evaluation and 

Distribution of Dwarf 

Coconut Seedlings

The University of Hawaii at Manoa Cooperative Extension will 

support the expansion of local dwarf coconut production by 

evaluating established seedling populations to develop practical 

tools for farmers using easily observed physical characteristics of 

young trees that can help in the early identification of true dwarf 

trees, thus reducing the variability and costs incurred in establishing 

new orchards. Seedlings from intentional crosses of elite dwarf 

trees will be distributed statewide, and project results will be 

shared with stakeholders through publications, workshops, and 

webinars.

$49,607.00
66

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Hawaii Department 

of Agriculture $534,282.75 

5. Improving the 

Ornamental Industry of 

Hawaii Through the 

Evaluation and

Distribution of Temperate 

Cut Flower Crops

The University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture 

and Human Resources (CTAHR) will evaluate and distribute 

temperate cut flower crops that producers can grow to improve 

and diversify floriculture production in Hawaii. First, the University 

of Hawaii CTAHR extension agent will conduct growth trials of at 

least seven temperate cut including but not limited to: lilly (Lilium 

sp.), Gloriosa lilly (Gloriosa superba), chrysanthemum 

(Chrysanthemum sp.), anemone (Anemone sp.), lisianthus (Eustoma 

grandiflorum), snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus), and yarrow 

(Achillea millefolium) at two different locations to ascertain bestgrowing conditions within the first year. During the trials, we will 

collect growth, harvest, and vase life data.

$36,332.25

Hawaii Department 

of Agriculture $534,282.75 

6. Technology Transfer to 

Farmers: Rooting 

Hermaphrodite Papayas 

for Their Fields

Hawaii's papaya industry relies primarily on planting seeds that 

must be procured from trustworthy seed producers. Reliance on 

seeds increases the cost of production due to the need to rogue 

female plants in favor of hermaphrodites, making farmers 

susceptible to disruptions in seed supply. Hawaii Agriculture 

Research Center (HARC) proposes to train Hawaii island and Oahu 

farmers to propagate hermaphrodite papayas using rooted cuttings 

methods developed at HARC.

$49,874.22
67

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Hawaii Department 

of Agriculture $534,282.75 

7. Increasing Production 

of Hawaii-Grown 

Eucalyptus Through Best 

Management Practices 

and Outreach

The University of Hawaii team of extension agents, entomologist 

specialist and researchers will increase high-value cut foliage 

eucalyptus production in the State of Hawaii by developing best 

management practices (BMP) for seed germination, vegetative 

propagation, pruning, nutrition and pest and disease management. 

Management practices for older plantings have yet to be 

determined for each of the sites, since the plants at each location 

are 1-2 years old. Nutrition, harvesting, handling and seedharvesting practices will be developed for each of the locations 

and/or microclimates. To generate BMP recommendations, 

increasing the number of plants of the most promising species for 

further characterization is desired. Alternative vegetative 

propagation methods for eucalyptus will be investigated to 

ultimately educate propagators with BMP to produce plant material 

for cropping.

$49,705.00

Hawaii Department 

of Agriculture $534,282.75 

8. Hawaii Integrated Pest 

Management Program for 

Diamondback Moth to 

Increase the Sustainability 

of Crucifer Crops

The University of Hawaii at Manoa will conduct bioassay and field 

tests on Diamondback moth (DBM) insecticide resistance to 

develop an insecticide rotation schedule using the most effective 

insecticides for the management of DBM in conventional and 

organic farms. Also, this program will develop other sustainable 

management strategies for the control of DBM on crucifer crops. 

This project's results will mitigate insecticide resistance on DBM 

leading to an increase in farmers’ net profitability by minimizing 

DBM damage in brassica crops in Hawaii.

$50,000.00
68

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Hawaii Department 

of Agriculture $534,282.75 

9. Enhancing the 

Competitiveness of 

Hawaii Specialty Crop 

industry Through a StateWide Media Campaign

In Hawaii, more than 60% of the 7,000 farms are relatively small by 

size with less than 10 acres of land growing diversified agriculture 

crops, and 93% of them are operated by family members, according 

to the 2017 Census of Agriculture. While the State of Hawaii aims to 

increase food security by supporting Hawaii specialty crops farmers, 

most of the farmers lack resources, especially for marketing 

purposes. Thus, there is a need for marketing assistance for the 

Hawaii specialty crop industry. This project will feature Hawaii 

specialty crops/farms/farmers in media channels, either traditional 

or digital media, or both, depending on the RFP, to increase the 

visibility of the Hawaii specialty crops to build a sustainable 

agriculture industry in Hawaii.

$106,495.00

Hawaii Department 

of Agriculture $534,282.75 Grant Admin

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$44,660.00

Idaho State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$2,103,808.93

1. Development of Cold 

Atmospheric Pressure 

Plasma to Improve Seed 

Quality and Safety

Boise State University will focus on the development of cold 

atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPPs) for application in inactivating 

human and plant pathogens found on seeds. The overarching 

purpose of this project is two-fold: 1) to develop CAPP technology 

for use in agricultural processing of crop seeds to improve 

germination and subsequent yields by decreasing losses due to 

plant pathogens, and 2) to improve food safety derived from 

sprouted seed products by inactivating human pathogens 

responsible for foodborne illness.

$97,429.00

Idaho State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$2,103,808.93

2. Collect and Identify 

Pollinators that Enhance 

Special Crops 2.0

The College of Idaho will identify specimens collected near to or 

from specialty crop fields as well seeking to determine if adjacent 

lands also contain pollinator habitat. Building with data collected in 

the previous grant period, we will continue selectively to collect 

specimens with intention of expanding the database.

$62,081.00
69

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Idaho State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$2,103,808.93

3. Enhancing Carrot Seed 

Production Through UAS 

Precision Applications of 

Fertilizers and Pesticides

The College of Southern Idaho Agriculture Department will create 

guidelines for industry seeking to employ UAS pesticide applications 

on specialty crops (carrot seed in this study) and training to 

individuals seeking careers as UAS Remote Pilots conducting 

agriculture pesticide applications.

$63,450.00

Idaho State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$2,103,808.93

4. Developing a Database 

of Seed Testing Services 

to Facilitate Export of 

Idaho Seed

The Idaho-Eastern Oregon Seed Association through the University 

of Idaho will develop a comprehensive database of seed health 

testing services which shall be made available to the Idaho Seed 

Industry. This will include testing services available from diagnostic 

laboratories based in Idaho as well as public labs across the whole 

US.

$35,000.00

Idaho State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$2,103,808.93

5. Evaluating Sustainable 

Approaches for Managing 

Bacterial Diseases of 

Onion in Idaho

The Idaho Eastern Oregon Onion Committee through the University 

of Idaho seeks to conduct replicated field trials in 2024 and 2025 

investigating potential disease management approaches for 

bacterial diseases of onions.

$73,558.00

Idaho State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$2,103,808.93

6. Increasing Sales and 

Demand of IEOOC Onions 

through VIP Tour, Trade 

Missions, and Trade 

Shows

The Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Committee (IEOOC) will conduct a 

VIP Tour that will bring in new buyers annually to visit the Eastern 

Idaho and Oregon Onion region, where they can witness first-hand 

the growing and packing practices of the local growers and 

handlers.

$100,000.00

Idaho State 

Department of

Agriculture

$2,103,808.93

7. Building Demand and 

Awareness for Idaho Hops 

through Tours, Social 

Media, Promotions, and 

Conventions

The Idaho Hop Growers Commission will provide tours and 

advertising. Hops are an interesting crop for the public, and the 

Commission will offer visits to hop fields during harvest for all 

interested parties. These tours along with other domestic 

promotions continue to build awareness of Idaho Hops.

$50,000.00
70

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Idaho State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$2,103,808.93

8. Agronomic and 

Herbicide Management 

Practices for Irrigated 

Culinary Mustard Grown 

for Spice

The Idaho Oilseed Commission will work with researchers at the 

University of Idaho to research the agronomic and sustainable 

management of irrigated culinary yellow, oriental, and brown 

mustard grown for spice by conducting field studies to evaluate the 

optimal seeding rates, nutrient rates (nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, 

copper, manganese, boron, and zinc), and nitrogen application 

timings.

$183,084.00

Idaho State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$2,103,808.93

9. Driving the Demand for 

Specialty Crops and 

Diversifying Producer 

Income Streams through 

Omni-Channel Marketing

Idaho Preferred will amplify consumer awareness and create 

demand of specialty crops throughout the State through 

streamlined sourcing directories, unique in-person experiences, 

digital and print resources, and direct connection between 

consumers, their food and agricultural experiences, further 

increasing the long-term sales of Idaho-grown specialty crops.

$397,000.00

Idaho State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$2,103,808.93 10. Idaho Has Great Wine, 

Don’t Be So Surprised!

The Idaho Grape Growers and Wine Producers Commission (IWC) is 

committed to promoting and championing all Idaho wine grape 

growers and winemakers. The IWC will focus resources on four 

main areas - promotion and execution of in-person experiences, 

brand activation opportunities that include hosting media tours, 

updating print and digital assets and strategic advertising 

placement. Through these targeted efforts, the IWC will strengthen 

consumer and media knowledge of the Idaho wine industry and 

expand sales and production within the region.

$240,000.00

Idaho State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$2,103,808.93

11. What They Don’t 

Teach You in Viticulture 

and Enology School – The 

Business of Wine

The Idaho Wine Grape Growers and Wine Producers Commission 

(IWC) is committed to helping wine grape growers and wine 

producers in the state of Idaho produce the best quality wine. We 

will provide educational experiences in growing grapes, producing 

wine as well as marketing, sales and management so members are 

better equipped to promote their product to consumers and the 

media. This grant will offer additional educational viticulture & 

enology educational opportunities.

$60,000.00
71

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Idaho State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$2,103,808.93

12. Showcasing Local 

Farm Stands in North 

Idaho while Highlighting 

Specialty Crops

The Panhandle Farm Corridor in conjunction with all its member 

farms will use resources provided by this grant to increase 

awareness of specialty crops available in North Idaho at local farm 

stands. This will be completed through the creation of an app, 

updated website, an active social media presence, paid digital and 

newspaper ads, printed, disbursed materials (fliers and brochures), 

and experiential education farm tours.

$35,000.00

Idaho State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$2,103,808.93

13. Sustainable 

Alternatives to 

Fumigation for Managing 

Potato Early Die

The University of Idaho will develop a set of practical 

tools/recommendations/practices that Idaho potato growers will 

be able to use to effectively manage potato early die (PED). This 

tool kit will be based on soil testing to determine risk from multiple 

potential causal agents, variety resistance and 

biopesticide/fungicide alternatives to fumigation.

$145,027.00

Idaho State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$2,103,808.93

14. Seed Transmission 

and Management of High 

Plains Wheat Mosaic 

Virus in Sweet Corn Seed 

Crops

The University of Idaho will develop better and optimal 

management strategies for High Plains wheat mosaic virus 

(HPWMoV) disease in sweet corn by studying its epidemiology and 

transmissibility through seeds, and by examining the effectiveness 

of various seed disinfection treatments.

$100,000.00

Idaho State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$2,103,808.93

15. Developing and 

Promoting Best Practices 

for Managing Grapevine 

Trunk Diseases in Idaho

The University of Idaho will develop and promote best practices for 

managing grapevine trunk disease (GTD) in the state of Idaho by 

evaluating control measures, determining sources of inoculum in 

the environment, and raising awareness through extension and 

outreach activities.

$92,223.00

Idaho State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$2,103,808.93

16. The Role of CoInfection in Onion Bulb 

Rot in the Treasure Valley

The Treasure Valley of Idaho and Eastern Oregon produces 

approximately 30% of the nation's onions. Despite the dry climate, 

a wide range of bacteria are present in onion crops and cause bulb 

rot both within the field and in storage. It is thought that the 

presence of multiple pathogens will increase the severity of onion 

bulb rot. The University of Idaho will quantify the contribution of 

various bacterial and fungal pathogens, in combination, to the 

development of onion bulb rot.

$124,598.00
72

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Idaho State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$2,103,808.93 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$237,192.50

Illinois Department 

of Agriculture $545,731.87

1. A Solar Powered 

Mobile Cooler for 

Improving Food Safety 

and Shelf Life of 

Strawberry

Southern Illinois University of Carbondale will develop a solar 

powered mobile system for postharvest strawberry handling to 

improve shelf life and prevent food born disease. The system will 

include an enclosed trailer fitted with a CoolBot controlled AC unit, 

UVC light dome, and shelves for holding strawberry packaging. This 

system will be powered with clean energy from solar power system 

that will be mounted overthe cooler trailer and equipped with real 

time monitoring system for vibration, temperature, and humidity.

$74,980.00

Illinois Department 

of Agriculture $545,731.86 2. Gardeneers’ Growing Food + Equitable Justice

Gardeneers partners with a network of partner schools, primarily 

on the West and South sides of Chicago, in low-income, underresourced communities of color that face barriers to fresh, healthy 

food access. Our school farm and garden programs contribute 

positively to the larger food system by building students’ 

awareness, habits, knowledge, and skills to directly address food 

inequality and become leaders who care for themselves, their 

communities, and their environment.

$50,000.10

Illinois Department 

of Agriculture $545,731.86 

3. lllinois Specialty Crop 

Conference & Educational 

Series 

The Illinois Specialty Growers Association (ISGA) will offer specialty 

crop farmers educational programs through their Illinois Specialty 

Crop Conference, virtual educational library, and educational 

workshops to create in-depth educational resources for the 

specialty crop industry year-round. To maintain a successful and 

thriving operation, proactive farmers search for educational 

opportunities to improve farm viability.

$100,800.00

Illinois Department 

of Agriculture $545,731.86 

4. Expanding Knowledge 

Among Low-Income

Clients of Specialty Crops 

Sold at the 61st Street 

Farmers Market

The 61st Street Farmers Market, a program of Experimental Station, 

seeks to enhance and expand further its educational programming 

to rebuild local knowledge of the nutritional benefits and pleasure 

of consuming foods on the Illinois Specialty Crops list, as well as 

how to access, grow and prepare them.

$44,529.00
73

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Illinois Department 

of Agriculture $545,731.86 

5. Increasing Access to 

Specialty Crops Among 

Underserved 

Communities Through 

Culturally Appropriate 

Market and Educational 

Opportunities in Rockford

Angelic Organics Learning Center will increase access to and 

utilization of specialty crops among low income and underserved 

communities in Rockford, IL by expanding market opportunities for 

the specialty crops, enabling use of SNAP benefits for the purchase 

of specialty crops at market stands, and broadening our suite of 

educational opportunities to educate consumers about producing, 

procuring, and preparing specialty crops, with special focus on 

racial and ethnic minorities, and members of the LGBTQ+ 

community.

$44,985.00

Illinois Department 

of Agriculture $545,731.86 

6. Cooking Up 

Community: Highlighting 

Chicago-Grown Produce 

in Interactive Nutrition 

Education

Common Threads, a nonprofit with a 20-year history serving 

Chicago communities, will increase nutrition knowledge, 

consumption, and preparation of Illinois specialty crops among 

underserved communities by expanding community-based 

nutrition and culinary education programs that feature produce 

from urban farms, reaching 250 students, in alignment with our 

organization's local procurement initiative.

$63,266.00

Illinois Department 

of Agriculture $545,731.86 

7. Creating Food Safety 

Culture Among Specialty 

Crop Growers in Illinois – 

A Community-Based Boot 

Camp Approach

In this project, the University of Illinois researchers and extension 

professionals will build a comprehensive food safety program that 

will instill a “food safety culture” among resource-limited small 

specialty crop growers, beginning farmers, and socially 

disadvantaged farmers in Illinois to comply with FDA’s Food Safety 

Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Regulations (PSR) and 

USDA’s Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) audit requirements.

$74,999.00

Illinois Department 

of Agriculture $545,731.86 

8. Determining 

Susceptible Stages of 

Leaves and Fruits of 

Cucurbits to 

Xanthomonas cucurbitae 

Incitant of Bacterial Spot 

Disease

University of Illinois will investigate susceptible growth stages of 

leaves and fruits of cucurbit crops to Xanthomonas cucurbitae, 

incitant of bacterial sport disease of cucurbits, to optimize effective 

management of the disease. Result of this study will be presented 

to growers, industry personnel, extension educators, students, and 

scientists in local, statewide, regional, and national meetings, and 

be published in bulletins, newsletters, websites, and refereedjournals. The results are expected to have significant positive 

impact on production of cucurbits crops in Illinois and nationwide.

$74,942.00
74

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Illinois Department 

of Agriculture $545,731.86 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$15,723.00

Indiana State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$485,809.82

1. Education and 

Outreach Activities to 

Improve Food Safety

Purdue University Extension will develop and deliver produce food 

safety programming for small fruit and vegetable growers in 

Indiana. In addition to current educational offerings that assist 

specialty crop growers in achieving compliance with the Food 

Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule (21 CFR 112), 

educators will develop practical, research-based trainings that may 

be offered at the Purdue Student Farm, the Purdue Extension Food 

Safety Training Hub, and across the state. These two locations will

allow for hands-on training to use equipment that will improve food 

safety practices for small growers. Course materials will be 

developed, and outreach will be conducted based on stakeholder 

input that will address real time needs.

$155,966.00

Indiana State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$485,809.82

2. Enhancing the Indiana 

Honey Market: NMR as a 

Tool for Honey 

Characterization and 

Authentication

Purdue University Food Science and Entomology Departments will 

collect honey samples from beekeepers around Indiana to develop 

a fingerprinting methodology utilizing nuclear magnetic resonance 

to assess quality and authenticate the origins and purity of honey 

produced in Indiana. The information generated through the honey 

testing will allow us to A database for adulteration and origin 

testing through NMR fingerprinting will be established to allow 

honey producers to ensure the quality of their honey and increase 

the marketability of Indiana honey.

$126,523.00

Indiana State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$485,809.82

3. Safe Harvest and 

Processing of Traditional 

and Ground Harvest 

Apples for Hard Cider

Slaughter Orchard and Cidery will demonstrate to orchards, cider 

mills, cideries, and wholesale buyers that ground harvested apples 

can be safely and legally harvested, processed, and fermented into 

hard cider by creating a HACCP Plan, demonstrating the HACCP Plan 

for stakeholders during multiple field days, and writing a position 

paper explaining how the process can be achieved safely and legally 

by others in the apple, cider, and hard cider industries.

$163,680.00
75

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Indiana State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$485,809.82 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$38,797.71

Iowa Department of 

Agriculture and 

Land Stewardship

$355,771.22 

1. Helping Iowa Farmers 

Get Sweet Corn to Market 

Earlier: Evaluating Sweet 

Corn Cultivars for 

Emergence & Vigor in 

Cold Soils

Iowa State University will evaluate cold soil vigor in early season 

plantings of super sweet and synergistic sweet corn cultivars. The 

purpose of this research is for growers to be able to better plan 

their first plantings and produce earlier sweet corn. Researchers 

will disseminate the results to Iowa's sweet corn growers through 

grower meetings, Extension publications, and replicated on-farm 

trials with collaborating growers.

$29,782.00

Iowa Department of 

Agriculture and 

Land Stewardship 

$355,771.22 

2. Winter, Spring, 

Summer & Fall: 

Investigating Strategies 

for Growing Through it All

Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI) will support specialty crop growers 

to test and share about season extension strategies for successfully 

growing and marketing horticultural crops on the shoulders of the 

typical growing season. This project will directly serve vegetable 

farmers who wish to learn how to extend their offerings into fall 

and early spring.

$30,000.00

Iowa Department of 

Agriculture and 

Land Stewardship

$355,771.22 

3. Pest & Pesticide 

Resistance Monitoring for 

Iowa Fruit Growers

Dr. Xiochen Yuan and Dr. Suzanne Slack of the Iowa State University 

project aims to provide fruit growers in Iowa with information that 

is severely lacking regarding disease management in their orchards 

and vineyards. This information includes which pests are currently 

problematic and their levels of resistance to antibiotics or 

fungicides. The general tasks for this project are to survey as many 

orchards and vineyards as possible to identify Iowa diseases and 

their pesticide resistance level so growers can make informed 

decisions for pesticide applications.

$30,000.00
76

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Iowa Department of 

Agriculture and 

Land Stewardship

$355,771.22 

4. On-Farm Food Safety 

Upgrades for Fruit & 

Vegetable Growers to 

Access More Markets

Practical Farmers of Iowa's (PFI) mission is to equip farmers to build 

resilient farms and communities. The central objective of this 

project is to improve the competitiveness of specialty crops in Iowa 

by supporting on-farm food safety improvements through a 

financial reimbursement program and by sharing that knowledge at 

a field day. Expected outcomes include farmers implementing 

new/improved practices, tools, or technologies to mitigate food 

safety risks or purchase food safety equipment using grant funds; 

and an in-person training focused on farm food safety practices.

$30,000.00

Iowa Department of 

Agriculture and 

Land Stewardship

$355,771.22 

5. Use of Grape Stems to 

Improve the Quality of 

Iowa Red Wines

The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Iowa 

State University will evaluate the use of grape stems, a common byproduct rich in tannins, throughout the winemaking process and its 

impact on the chemistry and quality of red wines. Grape stems will 

be added back fresh to red grapes at crushing, will be added back 

after drying and grinding and will be compared with red grapes 

being processed without removing stems. The goal of this project is 

to identify the best stem inclusion technique to allow extraction of 

compounds responsible for astringency mouthfeel, color stability 

and overall high quality of red wines made from cold-hardy grape 

varieties in Iowa.

$29,983.00

Iowa Department of 

Agriculture and 

Land Stewardship

$355,771.22 

6. Developing Accurate 

Yield Estimation Methods 

for Iowa Vineyards & 

Wineries 

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will develop accurate 

ways to estimate vineyard yields and correlate growing degree days 

to berry phenological stages to assist in pest management. Current 

methods of vineyard yield estimation are not readily used due to 

inaccuracies between predicted and actual yields. This project will 

track berry growth on a minimum of five commercially important 

wine grape cultivars in several locations in the state. This will 

provide accurate yield estimations to allow for more efficient 

vineyard crop load management and provide growers and wineries 

with accurate yield estimations to better handle the variable supply 

and demand between seasons. Being able to provide an estimate 

on when important berry phenological stages occur will allow for 

better and more efficient pest control.

$29,947.00
77

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Iowa Department of 

Agriculture and 

Land Stewardship

$355,771.22 7. Iowa Specialty 

Producers Conference

The Iowa Wine Growers Association will work with the Iowa 

Specialty Crop Growers Association, Iowa Department of 

Agriculture and Land Stewardship, and other industry members and 

connections to plan, prepare and carry out the 2024 Iowa Specialty 

Producers Conference. Tasks include, but are not limited to; date, 

venue, and speaker selections, creating conference materials, 

exhibitor and sponsor connections, and marketing and outreach to 

potential conference attendees.

$29,450.00

Iowa Department of 

Agriculture and 

Land Stewardship

$355,771.22 

8. Increasing Markets for 

Specialty Cut Flowers in 

NE Iowa Through 

Development of a 

Regional Flower Hub 

Toolkit

Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) 

will partner with local producers to develop a Regional Flower Hub 

Toolkit that will expand the market for specialty cut flowers for 

producers in Northeast Iowa. The RC&D will partner with three 

flower farms in NE Iowa - Canoe Creek Produce, Oak & Olive 

Flowers, and River Root Farm - all of which have been successful 

direct-to-consumer producers. The toolkit created with direct input 

from area producers and retailers will consist of three chapters that 

will focus on 1) producers, 2) retailers, and 3) marketing. At the 

conclusion of the project the Regional Flower Hub Toolkit will be 

made available to farms for free.

$29,963.75

Iowa Department of 

Agriculture and 

Land Stewardship

$355,771.22 

9. Increasing Wholesale 

Markets for Refugee 

Specialty Crop Producers 

in Iowa

Lutheran Services in Iowa's (LSI) Global Greens (GG) program will 

increase the sale of specialty crops by equipping 25 immigrants and 

refugee farmers to sell wholesale through in person classes, 

individualized support, and strengthening partnerships with food 

hubs in Iowa, as a result at least 300 under-served community 

members that regularly purchase from GG farmers will have 

increased access to specialty crops in addition to the wider society.

$30,000.00

Iowa Department of 

Agriculture and 

Land Stewardship 

$355,771.22 

10. Vegging Out to 

Increase Nutrition & 

Agriculture Knowledge

The Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation will develop new specialty 

crop resources to include an elementary nonfiction book featuring 

Iowa specialty crop farms and production, corresponding lesson 

and activities to encourage nutrition learning, and will disseminate 

results to stakeholders through professional development and 

school programs.

$30,000.00
78

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Iowa Department of 

Agriculture and 

Land Stewardship

$355,771.22 

11. Iowa Kids Garden Day: 

Launching a Statewide 

Celebration of Specialty 

Crop Gardening at Iowa K12 School & ECEs

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Farm, Food, and 

Enterprise Development Program will work with partners to launch 

a statewide celebration of edible gardening at educational sites, 

called "Iowa Kids Garden Day," promoting the on-site growing and 

eating of specialty crops by K-12 school and early care and 

education (ECEs) communities. This statewide celebration will be 

collaboratively planned and piloted with local food, nutrition, and 

outdoor education specialists and implemented by at least 200 

school and ECEs, which will increase knowledge and intent to 

access specialty crops in 100% of participating sites and increase 

consumption of specialty crops adults and children at participating 

school and ECE communities.

$14,480.50

Iowa Department of 

Agriculture and 

Land Stewardship

$355,771.22 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$35,787.83

Kansas Department 

of Agriculture $328,330.06 1. Montgomery County Farm of the Future

Coffeyville Public Schools will increase students’ knowledge of 

specialty crop production along with the number of leafy greens 

produced and consumed by our students by placing an indoor farm 

classroom at our high school.

$45,923.96

Kansas Department 

of Agriculture $328,330.06

2. Expanding Fruit 

Production Among Small 

Scale Beginning Farmers 

in Kansas City, KS

Cultivate KC will increase the variety, diversity, and resilience of 

specialty crops grown and sold in Kansas City by providing 

education, training, and resources to produce & sell more fruit. 

Through this grant, we aim to increase the number of beginning 

and small-scale farmers in the Kansas City metro that are growing 

fruit. Specifically, we will focus on increasing the production of 

strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries.

$65,267.20
79

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Kansas Department 

of Agriculture $328,330.06

3. Specialty Crop Video 

Series Highlighting Unique 

Specialty Crops in Kansas

The Kansas Department of Agriculture will partner Kansas Tourism 

and a local marketing entity with proven specialty crop experience, 

to facilitate a Specialty Crops video series. The video series will 

showcase different regions across the state, featuring 4 different 

specialty crops, their locations, and producers. The Specialty Crop 

video series will provide specialty crop growers and consumers with 

tools to help spread awareness and excitement of Specialty Crops 

and the unique on-farm experiences they provide throughout the 

state.

$36,958.68

Kansas Department 

of Agriculture $328,330.06 4. Exploring Mungbean Production for Kansas

Kansas State University, in collaboration with Crop Quest Inc. and a 

farmer (Neville), will establish baseline recommendations for 

mungbean production and assess crop adaptability to different 

environments across Kansas.

$58,800.60

Kansas Department 

of Agriculture $328,330.06

5. Continued Safety for 

Produce Growers: Worker 

Protection Standard 

Training And Gaps 

Certification Funding

and Outreach

Kansas State University will assist at least 10 Kansas specialty crop 

producers to receive training and certification as a US 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-recognized Worker 

Protection Standard (WPS) pesticide safety train-the-trainer (TTT) 

so that they can train the workers on their farm. In addition, at least 

8 Kansas fruit and vegetable producers will earn Good Agricultural 

Practices (GAPs) certification during the project, which will help 

growers access new markets. This will help improve worker safety, 

produce safety, and profitability of Kansas specialty crop producers.

$58,371.84

Kansas Department 

of Agriculture $328,330.06

6. Cultivate Maize: 

Growing Toward 

Educating Future Farmers 

with Sustainable School 

Meals Through School 

Gardens

The goal of "Cultivate Maize" is to provide Maize USD 266’s 7,590 

students grades preschool through twelfth grade with hands-on 

opportunities to plant, maintain, harvest, and consume produce 

from a sustainable hydro garden. Cultivate Maize will give all 7,590 

students in the district the opportunity to participate in and 

appreciate sustainable gardening, taste and experience schoolgrown produce, and explore specialty crop farming as a hobby or 

career.

$51,426.50
80

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Kansas Department 

of Agriculture $328,330.06 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$11,221.03

Kentucky 

Department of 

Agriculture

$332,492.58 

1. Sustainable 

Horticulture Practices, 

Fruit, and Vegetable Crop 

Diversification 

Kentucky Ag Development Advocacy trains specialty crop producers 

by implementing a curriculum that addresses the needs of 

beginning and historically underserved farmers for long-term 

sustainability. The curriculum will demonstrate sustainable 

horticulture for climate-smart management of fruits, vegetables, 

and culinary herb crops for consumers purchase and consumption 

and this will be demonstrated to producers through a cohort 

program and workshops which will results in reducing agriculture 

barriers.

$47,614.11

Kentucky 

Department of 

Agriculture

$332,492.58 

2. Institutional Purchasing 

Markets Through Food Is 

Medicine 

Through this project, the Kentucky Equal Justice Center will work 

with members of the Kentucky Food Action Network (KFAN) to 

support the establishment of sustainable Food is Medicine practices 

across Kentucky, which will lead to a decrease in food insecurity 

and increase in positive health outcomes. Our project will only 

focus on medical/health claims that are backed by the FDA and/or 

the Dietary Guidelines for America.

$53,062.10

Kentucky 

Department of 

Agriculture

$332,492.58 

3. Improve Product 

Labeling for Kentucky 

Honey Consumers and 

Expand Honey Production 

in Kentucky

Through its Certified Kentucky Honey Producers program, the 

Kentucky State Beekeepers Association will improve product labels 

for Kentucky honey producers and consumers while expanding 

honey production through increased education for beekeepers to 

implement best practices in their apiaries. Online resources such as 

newsletters and classes through the KSBA website (KYBEES.ORG) 

will supplement the in-person demonstrations and beekeeper 

education provided by the Certified KY Honey Producers manager 

and KSBA Officers and Volunteers.

$25,109.00
81

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Kentucky 

Department of 

Agriculture

$332,492.58 

4. Expanding 

Consumption of Kentucky 

Proud Produce in Food 

Desserts During the 

Shoulder Seasons

Rootbound Farm and New Roots, Inc. will collaborate to bring fresh 

Kentucky Proud “farm shares” to families facing food insecurity in 

the traditional “off season” months of November - January. The 

project will support consumer engagement with local produce 

outside of the traditional summer season, helping to grow the 

market for year-round local produce and provide a more robust and 

secure local food supply.

$43,761.00

Kentucky 

Department of 

Agriculture

$332,492.58 

5.Defining Best 

Production Practices for 

Fortified Wines Made 

from 'Norton' Grapes

The University of Kentucky will define best practices for producing 

fortified wines made from the wine grape cultivar ‘Norton’, 

including performing experiments at the University of Kentucky 

Winery and at participating commercial wineries in Kentucky to test 

the effect of various grape derived spirits and aging practices on 

product quality.

$50,339.06

Kentucky 

Department of 

Agriculture

$332,492.58 

6. Suppression of Fruit 

and Vegetable Fungal 

Rotting by Plant Natural 

Products

At the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of 

Kentucky, we will test whether specific plant natural products can 

suppress the microbial rotting of fruits and vegetables. Our aim is to 

increase the shelf life of fresh produce safely and naturally.

$25,269.47

Kentucky 

Department of 

Agriculture

$332,492.58 7. Ribes Evaluation for 

Eastern Kentucky

University of Kentucky Department of Horticulture will research 

other varieties of Ribes (Hinnomai Red Gooseberry, Titania Black 

Currant, Viking Red Currant and Primus white currant) that are 

more resistant to White Pine Blister Rust and Mildew limiting 

potential disease issues. They will determine the suitability of these 

crops for eastern Kentucky growth.

$17,155.26
82

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Kentucky 

Department of 

Agriculture

$332,492.58 

8. Utilizing Abandoned 

Coal Mine Infrastructure 

for Sustainable 

Mushroom Cultivation

The University of Pikeville proposes to determine the potential of 

transforming abandoned coal mines into productive and 

sustainable mushroom farms by duplicating growing conditions in a 

controlled environment; develop and implement a method for 

testing the feasibility of recycled waste streams in the production of 

mushroom growth substrate, develop and test regional mushroom 

varieties for use in cultivation, and investigate best methods for 

growing specialty mushrooms in controlled systems that will entail 

site assessments, substrate preparation, controlled environment 

agriculture, development of mushroom strains and varieties of 

native mushrooms, economic analysis as well as outreach and 

education to the community.

$41,129.51

Kentucky 

Department of 

Agriculture

$332,492.58 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$25,896.75

Louisiana 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Forestry 

$355,925.38 

1. Tea Terrior: Tailored 

Soil Fertility and 

Microclimate 

Management for High 

Quality Louisiana-Grown 

Tea

The Louisiana State University Agricultural Center will conduct field 

and laboratory research studies to evaluate the effects of soil 

fertility and microclimate management practices on the growth of 

tea plants, Camellia sinensis, a new specialty crop for Louisiana, and 

additionally, the quality of processed tea sampled from these 

treatments at Year 3. Soil fertility and shade treatments will be 

applied to a newly established research field at Burden Botanic 

Gardens (Baton Rouge). In addition, a newly released design of a 

selective harvester will be investigated at Hammond Research 

Station (Hammond) and a commercial tea farm (Fleur de Lis Tea 

Co., Amite) to compare its efficiency on harvesting from mature tea 

plants grown under full sun and partial shade.

$83,279.20
83

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Louisiana 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Forestry 

$355,926.38 

2. Evaluation of the 

Effects of Raw Poultry and 

Cattle Manure Application 

in the Production of Bell 

Pepper and Radish Crops 

with Two Different Land 

Ap

The Louisiana State University Agricultural Center will establish field 

plots to determine how the usage of manurers (cow and poultry) 

affect soil health and food safety. Two crops will be produced, bell 

peppers in the spring and radish in the summer/ early fall. These 

crops were selected as one is in direct contact with the ground 

during production (radish) and the other is trellised above ground 

(bell pepper). Manure will be top dressed or incorporated into the 

plots. Additional plots without manure will be evaluated as a 

control. Before, during and at harvest, soil samples will be collected 

for human pathogen detection. Soil samples will be collected to test 

microbial populations and mineral availability in the soil. At harvest, 

the edible portion of the crop (radish - root) (bell pepper - fruit) will 

be tested for the presence of human pathogens. This project aims 

to find a balance of using organic or sustainable-based manures in a 

safe manner to protect humans from disease but also enhance soils 

on existing farms. These production practices will be demonstrated 

and extended to the commercial industry and hobby gardeners via 

field days and printed and online extension publications.

$61,424.00

Louisiana 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Forestry 

$355,927.38 

3. Examine the 

Application of Organic 

Friendly Antimicrobial 

Agents Such as Propionic 

and Lactic Acid Against 

Microbial Risks on 

Specialty Crops

The Louisiana State University (LSU) Agricultural Center will 

investigate and identify generally recognized as safe (GRAS) levels 

of propionic acid, lactic acid, or a mixture of propionic acid/lactic 

acid that decontaminate Louisiana specialty crops (bell pepper, 

cucumber, or cantaloupe) against pathogenic bacteria by 

preventing Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria to attach, 

grow, and form film on the surface of produce. The minimum 

inhibitory concentration of propionic acid or combination of 

propionic acid and lactic acid that produces at least 95% bacterial 

growth reduction and the minimum bactericidal concentration that 

does not allow bacterial growth will be determined.

$37,058.00
84

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Louisiana 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Forestry 

$355,928.38 

4. Cold Plasma Reduction 

of Microbial Loads and 

Maintenance of Fresh 

Produce Quality 

Retention

The Louisiana State University Agricultural Center will determine 

the effectiveness of cold plasma (CP) in reducing Salmonella 

enterica, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli O157:H7 

levels on the surface of strawberries and in reducing spoilage 

microbial loads, thereby extending the shelf life. Non-pathogenic 

bacteria Enterococcus faecium, L. innocua B-33016, and E. coli ATTC 

25922 will be used as surrogates to evaluate the effectiveness of 

the CP. We will inoculate strawberries with pathogenic bacteria 

surrogates (non-pathogenic bacteria); subsequently, we will apply 

CP on the surface of strawberries for various exposure times and 

determine the effectiveness of the CP. The application of CP is 

expected to assist growers in reducing pathogen loads, enhancing 

safety, and extending the shelf life without compromising the 

overall quality of strawberries during refrigerated storage.

$59,765.00

Louisiana 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Forestry 

$355,929.38 

5. Development of 

Sustainable Nanoparticle 

Coating Materials to 

Reduce Sweet Potato 

Postharvest Deterioration 

and Maintain Market 

Quality

The Louisiana State University Agricultural Center will utilize 

nanoparticle technology to develop sustainable and edible coatings 

to reduce Louisiana-grown sweet potato postharvest deterioration, 

weight loss, sprouting, and decay, while maintaining root market 

quality. This new and innovative postharvest technology can have 

broad and practical uses for extending the postharvest life of 

several Louisiana specialty crops, in addition to sweet potato. The 

beneficial effects of the nanoparticle coatings on sweet potato 

external quality will be complemented by quantification of the root 

internal composition and quality, including individual sugar content, 

vitamin C, nutraceutical compounds, and total antioxidant values. 

The combination of the beneficial external effects and internal root 

quality maintenance effects will be useful in future sweet potato 

marketing programs. Collaborating growers will be asked to 

evaluate the nanoparticle coating performance in terms of sweet 

potato market quality, applicability, and other relevant issues for 

the technology.

$85,461.30
85

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Louisiana 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Forestry 

$355,930.38 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$28,433.70

Maine Department 

of Agriculture, 

Conservation, and 

Forestry 

$655,134.94

1. Building Specialty Crop 

Markets through 

Immigrant Education 

Programs

Farms for Food Equity, a 501(c3) non-profit agricultural 

organization and its partners will work with ethnic organizations to 

develop the market for Maine specialty crops through a 

comprehensive program of awareness, education, and promotion 

of crops that are suitable for multicultural cooking traditions.

$86,700.00

Maine Department 

of Agriculture, 

Conservation, and 

Forestry 

$655,134.94

2. How to Mitigate the 

Effects of Leaf Spots on 

Wild Blueberry Health, 

Yield, and Climate 

Resilience 

This University of Maine project continues a project started in 

spring 2023, which is examining the effects of leaf spot diseases on 

wild blueberry health and yield, and the use of fertilizer, fungicides 

and irrigation to mitigate the effects of leaf spot infection under the 

current and a warming climate. Outcomes will include 

recommendations on effective leaf spot control and that will be 

disseminated in grower meetings, field days with demonstration 

plots, fact sheets and other publications.

$83,648.00

Maine Department 

of Agriculture, 

Conservation, and 

Forestry 

$655,134.94

3. Quantitative Detection 

and Management of 

Powdery Scab and MopTop Virus of Potato

The University of Maine proposes to conduct laboratory and field 

studies to develop a tool for the detection and quantification of 

potato powdery scab. The outcome will be expected to improve soil 

potato production by avoiding heavily infested soil and applying 

appropriate soil treatment. We will team up with potato extension 

specialists and collaborate with Maine Potato Board. Field trials will 

be conducted on Aroostook Farm in Presque Isle, ME. A full-time 

technician will operate the cultivation. A graduate student will 

focus on laboratory and greenhouse work, data collection, and 

analysis. The generated information will be disseminated to 

stakeholders through field days, Maine potato conferences, 

Extension meetings, and academic conferences.

$80,624.00
86

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Maine Department 

of Agriculture, 

Conservation, and 

Forestry 

$655,134.94

4. Fresh Maine Wild 

Blueberries: Industry, 

Extension, Academic 

Collaboration to Protect 

and Enhance Safety and 

Quality

The University of Maine College of Natural Sciences Forestry and 

Agriculture and Cooperative Extension will partner with Maine wild 

blueberry growers to enhance food safety and quality of fresh 

product by assessing its sanitary quality throughout small scale 

fresh pack processing environments,

developing improved handling techniques to extend fruit shelf life 

and developing educational materials to be disseminated to 

industry members through grower meetings, factsheets and 

webinars.

$38,433.00

Maine Department 

of Agriculture, 

Conservation, and 

Forestry 

$655,134.94

5. New Tools for 

Increasing Apple 

Production Profitability

The University of Maine at Highmoor Farm will test and implement 

strategies for reducing the risk of growing Honeycrisp apples. We 

will test three methods to predict the risk of bitter pit storage 

losses so that growers can determine which orchards can be safely 

cold stored until they can be marketed. We will also test a new 

product, Protone®, for prevention of bitter pit. Apple growers 

involved in the testing and implementation will be directly 

informed of results. Results will be disseminated to apple growers 

through a newsletter, grower meetings and demonstrations with 

individual growers.

$36,355.00

Maine Department 

of Agriculture, 

Conservation, and 

Forestry 

$655,134.94

6. MOFGA’s Maine 

Produce Safety 

Improvement and FSMA 

PSR Certification Project

The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association will 

continue its successful work, funded by the SCBG program, to 

enhance food safety and increase the number of farms able to 

come into compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act 

(FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, and/or a GAP/GHP audit, by providing 

educational trainings that incorporate FDA-approved content and a 

certificate that is needed to comply with FSMA, workshops, 

demonstrations about food safety, one-on one technical assistance, 

and financial resources to Maine farmers.

$87,309.00
87

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Maine Department 

of Agriculture, 

Conservation, and 

Forestry 

$655,134.94

7. Meeting House Herb 

Farm Increasing 

Sustainability of Maine 

Farms with Herbs

Meeting House Herb Farm and Maine Organic Farmer’s and 

Gardeners Association, MOFGA, will work together to educate and 

support business development for over 25 women owned/operated 

Maine farms. The purpose is to increase sustainability of Maine 

farms by adding medicinal herbs to farm crop plans. This will result 

in increased revenue, sustainability and biodiversity on these farms 

as well as increasing the market share of the medicinal herb market 

for US growers.

$86,886.00

Maine Department 

of Agriculture, 

Conservation, and 

Forestry 

$655,134.94

8. Grow Operations for 

the Maine Flower 

Collective (MFC): Pilot a 

New In-Person Wholesale 

Flower Market

The Maine Flower Collective will launch a pilot program to create 

an in-person, wholesale flower market in 2024 to strategically 

provide local flower growers with a dynamic new channel by which 

to sell their Maine-grown floral products to a wider consumer base 

of Maine wholesale buyers, who are eager to preview available 

floral varieties and add further products to their existing MFC preorders.

$83,316.00

Maine Department 

of Agriculture, 

Conservation, and 

Forestry 

$655,134.94

9. DACF Developing a 

Farmers Market Price 

Reporting Tool for Maine 

Specialty Crop Growers

Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry 

(DACF), in collaboration with experienced agricultural service 

providers, will support the development and expansion of a farmers 

market price reporting tool to provide direct-market growers with a 

better understanding of market trends, potential opportunities for 

growth and expansion, and essential insight into enterprise 

profitability.

$10,500.00

Maine Department 

of Agriculture, 

Conservation, and 

Forestry 

$655,134.94 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and postaward activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$52,279.68
88

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Maryland 

Department of 

Agriculture

$457,697.50

1. Optimizing Propagation 

and Drying Techniques for 

Medicinal Plant 

Production

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore proposes a project to 

optimize propagation and drying techniques for herbs and 

medicinal plants to enhance the competitiveness of Maryland herb 

growers and provide them with avenues for profitable production. 

Specific objectives for the project include comparing seed 

propagation and tissue culture methods to identify superior 

techniques that produce high biomass yield; and comparing 

different drying methods to identify the best drying method for 

high quality dry herb production. Clean stock plant material 

produced through tissue culture can be distributed to farmers and 

nurseries to produce high-quality herbs and medicinal plants. 

Additionally, generating information on the use of superior drying 

techniques that are approved by the Maryland Department of 

Health will provide the impetus for the development of a robust 

herbal industry.

$25,000.00

Maryland 

Department of 

Agriculture

$457,697.50 2. GroupGap for Maryland 

Farmers to Sell to Schools

Moon Valley Farm, a certified organic farm and food hub that sells 

to Frederick County Public Schools, will become the group leader 

for Group GAP certification for dozens of area farmers to expand 

our school sales to other counties and teach beginning farmers how 

and why they should prioritize food safety and GAP certification in 

their operations through field days and webinars.

$64,000.00

Maryland 

Department of 

Agriculture

$457,697.50

3. Managing Stubborn Soil 

Borne Diseases in High 

Value Vegetable Crops

University of Maryland Extension will investigate novel approaches 

to managing critical soil borne diseases in high value specialty crops 

including watermelon, tomatoes, and high tunnel vegetables. The 

research project will include replicated and randomized field 

experiments conducted on 24 sites over two years to evaluate and 

develop recommended protocols for commercial steam soil 

sterilization and grafting of watermelon tomatoes to manage soil 

borne diseases. Research results will be disseminated through field 

days, twilight hours, publications, and winter meetings.

$25,000.00
89

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Maryland 

Department of 

Agriculture

$457,697.50

4. Produce Safety 

GAP/GHP Program 

Market Access and FSMA 

Produce Safety Rule 

Compliance

The Maryland Department of Agriculture, Food Quality Assurance 

Program along with the University of Maryland Plant Sciences and 

Landscape Architecture Department, University of Maryland 

Extension and the University of Maryland Agricultural Law 

Education Initiative will partner to provide a coordinated 

educational food safety program that continues to build off lessons 

learned from previous projects. Collaborated work will help to 

continue to assist specialty crop producers in complying with the 

FSMA Produce Safety Rule and gaining/maintaining market access 

through successful completion of GAP audits. Program will 

accomplish these goals by providing formal and informal training, 

webinars, videos, educational materials, certification of compliance 

of food safety plans and practices, food safety technical assistance, 

cost share funds to assist in the implementation of effective food 

safety practices and verifying efficiency of food safety practices 

through inspection and certification of compliance.

$126,000.00

Maryland 

Department of 

Agriculture

$457,697.50

5. Compatibility and Risks 

of Pesticide Tank Mixes 

Used on Maryland's 

Specialty Crops

The University of Maryland will assess the compatibility of pesticide 

tank mixes and evaluate its environmental risk to effectively 

manage pests and diseases with minimal non-target effects. 

Specifically, we will employ integrated approaches to 1) evaluate if 

biological fungicides in tank mixes are compatible with 

conventional fungicides and insecticides, 2) assess the toxicity and 

risk of pesticide mixtures on butterfly pollinators, and 3) share 

findings and measure outcomes (participant knowledge gain and 

intended changes in practice) at extension meetings. The project 

will inform pesticide mixtures for the effective management of 

fungal diseases and insect pests while allowing growers to choose 

the least hazardous options to protect pollinators and 

endangered/threatened species.

$25,000.00
90

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Maryland 

Department of 

Agriculture

$457,697.50

6. Maryland's Best - 

Promoting Maryland 

Specialty Crops to 

Consumers and 

Distributors

Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Marketing Section will 

promote local specialty crops to consumers and distributors 

through advertising, a podcast highlighting specialty crops and the 

farmers who produce them, the website Marylands.Best.net, 

Maryland Public Television, business to business meetings, and 

point of sale.

$148,268.00

Maryland 

Department of 

Agriculture

$457,697.50 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$43,622.13

Massachusetts 

Department of 

Agricultural 

Resources

$459,737.34

1. A Multidimensional 

Program Celebrating the 

Sustainability and 

Nutritional Culture of the 

Massachusetts Cranberry

The Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association (CCCGA) will improve 

public knowledge and awareness on the Massachusetts cranberry 

and communicate the importance and relevance of sustainable 

agriculture. This will be accomplished through the development of 

comparative tasting workshops, educational visuals like a cranberry 

bog cross-section terrarium, the development of brochures 

highlighting sustainable agriculture within the cranberry industry 

and neighbor relations to cranberry bogs, a stand-alone graphic 

display, and through the development of pertinent relationships 

with local businesses and business organizations. Together, these 

unique educational experiences communicate how cranberries 

coexist with the planet through the symbiotic relationship of 

growers, the environment, and society to overall improve general 

knowledge on the cranberry industry.

$68,477.87

Massachusetts 

Department of 

Agricultural 

Resources

$459,737.34

2. Promoting the 

Purchase of Native Plants 

Through the Creation and 

Dissemination of 

Engaging Ecology 

Curriculum

Massachusetts Native Plant Growers will promote the purchase of 

native plants by creating and sharing curriculum about the 

importance of native plants for students in grades k- 8. A website, 

titled “Heal the Field: Teaching Ecology through Native Plants” will 

be created to promote native plants for their educational value. It 

will include links to MA purveyors of native plants and 

downloadable curriculum units about the different ecosystems 

created by native plants.

$59,280.00
91

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Massachusetts 

Department of 

Agricultural 

Resources

$459,737.34

3. Empowering Farmers: 

Harnessing Microbes for 

Improved Soil Health and 

Crop Production

The goal of this project is to increase farmers' understanding of soil 

microbes as a part of a sustainable specialty crop production 

system and help them adopt new tools and practices to support soil 

microbes and soil health. To address this goal, NOFA/Mass will 

provide farmers with (1) the education to help them understand 

the value of soil microbes and utilize best management practices to 

support diverse microbial populations, (2) the technology and tools 

to evaluate soil microbes in support of these sustainable practices, 

and (3) the knowledge to sustainably and effectively amend and 

manage soils to reduce fertilizer and pesticide use. 

 

To accomplish these outcomes in support of the project goal, 

NOFA/Mass will develop education events geared towards urban 

and rural farmers across Massachusetts, provide project farmers 

with novel tools and technology to evaluate soil microbe 

populations, and help farmers sustainably and affordably manage 

and amend their soils to promote soil microbes and soil health.

$79,681.00

Massachusetts 

Department of 

Agricultural 

Resources

$459,737.34

4. School Based Farmers 

Markets: Engaging 

Children and Families in 

the Massachusetts Food 

System 

The Regional Environmental Council's Mobile Market and School 

Gardens program will build children's awareness of and enthusiasm 

for specialty crops while promoting farmers markets and the 

Healthy Incentives Program to parents. We will accomplish this by 

bringing on site “mini markets” to Head Starts and Worcester Public 

Schools where children will have the opportunity to explore new 

foods, “shop” for their families, and bring home educational 

resources on local farmers markets and the Healthy Incentives 

Program. In parallel, we will sustain and expand access points for 

the purchase of specialty crops designed to be more accessible for 

parents, such as the Mobile Market online Pre-Order program.

$75,418.00
92

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Massachusetts 

Department of 

Agricultural 

Resources

$459,737.34

5. Meet the Farmer & 

Nutritionist - Promoting 

Specialty Crops and 

Farmers Market Nutrition 

Incentives to 

Schoolchildren/Families 

Sustainable CAPE will increase child and adult nutrition knowledge 

and families' consumption of specialty crops by developing and

implementing Meet the Farmer curriculum to promote fresh, 

locally-sourced, Barnstable County produce. Children, their families 

and teachers in local schools, plus a regional after-school children's 

community garden, and program participants through community 

organizations, will meet local farmers, educators and nutritionists. 

Specialty crops will be promoted through experiential education 

focused on growing, harvesting, sampling and understanding 

nutritional value.

$72,631.00

Massachusetts 

Department of 

Agricultural 

Resources

$459,737.34

6. Creating Novel 

Extension Resources to 

Support MA Cut Flower 

Growers, and Promote 

Local Flowers

The University of Massachusetts Extension Vegetable Program will 

support and promote cut flower producers in Massachusetts by 

hosting virtual and in-person programs on key flower growing 

topics. Will also create marketing resources to help local flower 

growers promote their products, assemble enterprise budgets for 

one or more key flower species, and establish a cut flower email 

list. This is a first step towards creating Extension resources to 

support this growing and promising local industry.

$66,856.00

Massachusetts 

Department of 

Agricultural 

Resources

$459,737.34 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and postaward activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$36,725.55
93

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Michigan 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Rural Development 

$2,255,304.56 

1. International and 

Domestic Promotion of 

Michigan Specialty Crops

The Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development’s 

(MDARD) International Marketing Program will continue to 

collaborate with the Cherry Marketing Institute, Michigan Bean 

Commission, Michigan Apple Committee, the Michigan Blueberry 

Commission, the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board, the Michigan 

Vegetable Council, and the Michigan Potato Industry Commission 

to promote Michigan specialty crops both domestically and 

internationally. The purpose of this project is to increase 

international and domestic marketing and sales opportunities for 

Michigan specialty crop companies and commodity groups through 

participation in buyers’ missions and trade shows.

$158,395.00

Michigan 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Rural Development

$2,255,304.56

2. Demand for 

Blueberries: 

Understanding 

Consumers’ Preferences 

to Increase Michigan 

Growers’ Market 

Competitiveness 

Faculty at Michigan State University will conduct empirical research 

to understand the factors that affect consumers’ demand for 

blueberries, utilizing national-level longitudinal data from 

consumers and retailers. The findings will be disseminated to the 

industry via a partnership with MBG Marketing, with the goal of 

assisting growers increase their market competitiveness and 

resilience

$97,878.00

Michigan 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Rural Development

$2,255,304.56

3. Decision Support to 

Improve Asparagus Yield, 

Quality, and Industry 

Competitiveness Under 

Weather Extremes

The Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board, in cooperation with 

Michigan State University, seeks to develop decision support tools 

and mitigation strategies to address critical challenges to asparagus 

production, profitability, and industry competitiveness in the face 

of changing and extreme weather conditions. This project will 

develop models to predict asparagus spear emergence and 

understand temperature and soil moisture thresholds for spear 

quality reductions during harvest. We will also pursue researchbased practical recommendations for integrated irrigation and 

nutrient management strategies to limit the negative impacts of 

high temperatures and drought conditions during all phases of 

asparagus production.

$100,000.00
94

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Michigan 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Rural Development

$2,255,304.56

4. Improving Irrigation 

and Fertilizer 

Management in New and 

Established High-Density 

Apple Orchards

The Michigan Tree Fruit Commission plans to improve irrigation and 

fertilizer management in new and established high-density apple 

orchards, ultimately improving apple quality and production and 

increasing the resiliency of apple production to climate change. 

Michigan apple growers have adopted high-density planting 

systems, which utilizes dwarfing trees (small and shallow root 

systems), making irrigation management a necessity for achieving 

maximum tree growth and yield. Our project proposes to: 1) 

Evaluate the performance of multiple sensing technologies in 

monitoring soil moisture levels, tree water stress, canopy 

temperature, and soil electrical conductivity, 2) Determine the 

optimal irrigation scheduling method and nutrient application 

strategy to support tree establishment, shoot growth, stub renewal, 

and fruit quality for high-density apple production, and 3) Promote 

efficient irrigation and fertilizer management to apple growers.

$98,237.00

Michigan 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Rural Development

$2,255,304.56

5. Time for Alternatives to 

Glyphosate: Post- and 

Pre- Herbicide Combos

The Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA) will 

develop science-based environmentally responsible weed control 

practices that foster skilled job creation, sustainable business 

practices, employee wellbeing and health. The goal of this trial is to 

evaluate two timings of the same 10 selective and non-selective 

postemergence liquid herbicides on traditional and non-traditional 

MI nursery crops as alternatives to glyphosate.

$100,000.00
95

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Michigan 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Rural Development 

$2,255,304.56

6. Advancing Etiology, 

Detection, and 

Management of Michigan 

Blueberry Viruses

The Michigan Blueberry commission is requesting funding from the 

MDARD/USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program in collaboration 

with the Small Fruit and Hop Pathology Laboratory at Michigan 

State University. As the Michigan blueberry industry is changing, 

more research on the presence, diagnostics, and management of 

viruses needs to be done to protect the grower’s investments. This 

proposed research will evaluate the current status of Michigan 

viruses and develop new management resources by 1) conducting a 

statewide survey of blueberry viruses, 2) performing sequencing 

analysis of blueberry virus A, 3) evaluating the transmission 

effectiveness of aphid vectors, and 4) communicating findings to 

growers and technology to diagnostic clinics.

$99,000.00

Michigan 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Rural Development

$2,255,304.56

7. A New Leaf Disease and 

a Seedling Root Rot 

Require Solutions for 

Celery Growers

Celery Research, Inc., in partnership with Michigan State University 

and Mary Hausbeck, Ph.D., will conduct the needed activities to 

solve two recently identified celery diseases and will be responsible 

for this project. The overarching goal of this project is the 

development of leaf blight and root rot mitigation strategies and 

extension outreach and programs for Michigan celery growers. 

Outcomes of this project are that growers will gain knowledge 

about: 1) The newly identified leaf blight of celery caused by 

Stemphylium vesicarium and necessary mitigation measures and 2) 

New fungicides including biorational and conventional fungicides to 

lessen Pythium root rot on celery greenhouse transplants for field 

production.

$97,451.00

Michigan 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Rural Development

$2,255,304.56

8. Sustainable Dry Bean 

Production Systems: 

Improving Production for 

an Evolving Market Place

The Michigan Bean Commission (MBC) will work to improve 

environmental and economic sustainability of dry bean production 

in Michigan while reducing the reliance on synthetic crop inputs to 

better meet the demands of a changing marketplace.

$100,000.00
96

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Michigan 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Rural Development

$2,255,304.56

9. Can New Cultivars be 

the Answer to 

Rhizomania, the New 

Table Beet Disease?

The Michigan Vegetable Council, along with Michigan State 

University, seeks funding to investigate a newly reported disease, 

Rhizomania, on Michigan table beets. In 2017, a significant 

percentage of the beets were infected with the beet necrotic 

yellow-vein virus (BNYVV) and Rhizomania disease was confirmed. 

Rhizomania results from a partnership between a long-lived soilborne organism (Polymyxa betae) and BNYVV. Symptoms include 

proliferation of secondary roots and petioles; beets are 

unmarketable. Genetic resistance is a practical control but is not 

currently used as resistant varieties may not have desirable 

horticultural traits. We will assess resistant cultivars for root quality 

and horticultural traits in greenhouse and field trials with grower 

cooperators.

$98,084.00

Michigan 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Rural Development

$2,255,304.56

10. Discovering and 

Targeting Key Buyers for 

Michigan Sweet and Tart 

Cherries 

In this project, the Michigan Cherry Committee (MCC) will partner 

with cherry marketers /processors to exhibit and attend various 

ingredient, foodservice and retail focused tradeshows. Collectively, 

we will promote and highlight the many attributes and year-round 

availability of Michigan-grown processed tart and sweet cherries to 

key decision makers at popular food tradeshows. This project will 

allow the cherry industry to assess various trade shows and identify 

new potential buyers to increase the sale and use of Michigan 

grown cherries and expand the market domestically to improve 

Michigan specialty crop sales.

$125,000.00
97

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Michigan 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Rural Development

$2,255,304.56

11. Influence of Tip/Leaf 

Burn and New Fungicides 

on Onion Stemphylium 

Leaf Blight

The Michigan Onion Committee has partnered with MSU 

researcher, Dr. Mary Hausbeck, to develop new strategies to 

protect the state’s onions from the leaf blighting pathogen, 

Stemphylium vesicarium. Stemphylium leaf blight annually 

threatens the state’s crop, displacing other leaf-spotting pathogens 

that were easier to manage. Early and frequent fungicide sprays are 

necessary to limit disease and preserve yield, but pathogen 

resistance has been noted. Our goal is to improve leaf blight 

control by identifying new products and control programs and 

determine the impact of tip and/or leaf burn on the incidence and 

severity of Stemphylium leaf blight. Outcomes will include new 

tools and strategies to optimize crop protection and yield; 

guidelines for limiting leaf blight when tip and/or leaf burn is 

present will also be developed.

$98,780.00

Michigan 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Rural Development

$2,255,304.56

12. Enhancing the 

Competitiveness of the 

Michigan Hop Industry

The Hop Growers of Michigan (HGM), a not-for-profit growers 

group representing 85% of the Michigan hop acreage, will enhance 

the competitiveness of the Michigan hop industry by developing 

and implementing a targeted promotion/marketing campaign to 

increase the overall annual sales of Michigan grown hops within the 

state and to the greater Great Lakes region (Indiana, Ohio and 

Wisconsin).

$105,549.00

Michigan 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Rural Development

$2,255,304.56

13. Use of Biostimulants 

to Improve Fresh Market 

Blueberry Quality and 

Value

The Michigan State Horticultural Society in collaboration with the 

Berry Crops Physiology Laboratory at Michigan State University will 

utilize biostimulants to improve fresh market blueberry quality and 

value and disseminate results to stakeholders through grower 

meetings and field days. Most varieties grown in Michigan lack 

characteristics that would make them suitable for fresh market 

production, such as fruit size, fruit firmness, and harvest date. The 

use of horticultural interventions to improve these characteristics 

(increasing fruit size and firmness, advancing harvest date) would 

increase the market value for these varieties and revenue for most 

Michigan blueberry growers.

$100,000.00
98

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Michigan 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Rural Development

$2,255,304.56

14. Social Media 

Marketing to Engage 

Target Audience and 

Enhance Competitiveness 

of Michigan Apples

The Michigan Apple Committee is continuing efforts to increase 

consumer brand awareness and apple consumption through online 

engagement with our target audience. This grant project is a top 

priority for the Michigan Apple Committee. MAC proposes to spend 

$125,000 on a consumer brand awareness campaign using social 

media marketing tactics to educate consumers and increase 

demand for Michigan Apples. The project will build engagement 

with consumers to drive a deeper connection to the brand, 

resulting in increased apple movement in the retail marketplace.

$125,000.00

Michigan 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Rural Development

$2,255,304.56

15. Determining Action 

Thresholds and 

Management Strategies 

for Two Root Lesion 

Nematode Pests of 

Michigan Carrot 

Production

The Michigan Carrot Committee and Applied Nematology 

laboratory will determine action thresholds and effective 

management strategies for two species of root lesion nematode 

(Pratylenchus penetrans and P. crenatus) by establishing and 

conducting both experiments in microplot trials at the Michigan 

State University Entomology Farm. The project aims to determine 

at what point these two species cause damage to carrot production 

so growers can make informed decisions on nematode 

management. At the same time, we seek to find chemical or 

biologically based nematicide product(s) that would provide 

farmers with an effective, less hazardous alternative to Vydate for 

root lesion nematode control.

$100,000.00

Michigan 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Rural Development

$2,255,304.56

16. Expanding Michigan 

Wine Demand Across the 

US Utilizing Consumer 

and Industry Wine 

Education

The Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association will lead and execute 

this project in partnership with wineries and AVAs to make this a 

statewide effort directly benefiting the more than 140+ wineries 

and 250+ farms growing 3,375 wine grape acres in Michigan. The 

goal of the project is to build credibility for Michigan wine with 

wine industry professionals and consumers and start to become 

part of the national wine conversation. To accomplish this, the 

project will establish a Michigan Wine Region Guide, an online 101 

Course and a detailed Region Map for the State of Michigan and it’s 

five American Viticulture Areas (Leelanau Peninsula, Old Mission 

Peninsula, Fennville, Lake Michigan Shore, Tip of the Mitt) on an 

internationally recognized platform, Wine Folly.

$125,000.00
99

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Michigan 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Rural Development

$2,255,304.56

17. Advancing Fruit, 

Vegetable and Farm 

Market Grower 

Knowledge and Efficiency 

Through the Great Lakes 

Expo

The Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market Expo will bring 

cutting-edge specialty crop education to Grand Rapids, Michigan 

through industry-leading speakers and innovative technology. 

Additional marketing funds will enable the Great Lakes Expo to 

reach more fruit and vegetable growers. Exposure to new ideas and 

technology will improve on-farm efficiency, profitability and 

sustainability, helping to ensure a vibrant and secure Michigan 

specialty crop industry.

$80,000.00

Michigan 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Rural Development

$2,255,304.56

18. Market and Promote 

the Expansion of Specialty 

Crops to Enhance 

Increased Consumption in 

West 

Michigan

Through a regional marketing campaign, Kids’ Food Basket (KFB) 

will promote, market and generate publicity for the expansion of its 

local specialty crop farm offering food education in West Michigan. 

Funding from MDARD Specialty Crops grant program will support a 

regional marketing and promotion campaign to increase awareness 

of the farm expansion and its specialty crops grown.

$125,000.00

Michigan 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Rural Development

$2,255,304.56

19. Improving 

Establishment of 

Christmas Tree 

Plantations Through 

Research and Education

The Michigan Christmas Tree Association (MCTA) will work in 

collaboration with Michigan State University to establish on-farm 

trials around the state to investigate methods to improve 

establishment of Christmas tree plantations, which is often a 

bottleneck in the Christmas tree production cycle in Michigan. We 

will develop webinars, articles for the MCTA Great Lakes Christmas 

Tree Journal, and presentations for the MCTA winter and summer 

meetings to educate growers on best practices based on our results 

and existing knowledge.

$89,081.00

Michigan 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Rural Development

$2,255,304.56

20. Educating Food 

Insecure and Non-EnglishSpeaking Audiences on 

Michigan Potatoes as a 

Healthy and

Affordable Option

The Michigan Potato Industry Commission (MPIC) will work toward 

providing nutritional education and inspiration on how to best 

utilize Michigan-produced potatoes to food insecure and bilingual 

audiences across Michigan, with a focus on Metro Detroit and high 

Hispanic geographic areas. Our goal is to increase awareness of 

Michigan potatoes as a healthy, nutrient dense, and accessible food 

while also providing education on how to prepare healthy, budget 

friendly recipes, in English and other languages.

$93,795.50
100

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Michigan 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Rural Development

$2,255,304.56 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$130,972.00

Minnesota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,357,506.24

1. On-farm Produce 

Safety Improvement 

Grants and Produce 

Safety Rule Grower 

Training

Minnesota produce growers have a strong interest in strengthening 

on-farm food safety systems, but lack resources. The Minnesota 

Department of Agriculture will help produce growers implement 

on-farm food safety improvements through a mini-grant 

opportunity and help growers understand the FSMA Produce Safety 

Rule by offering grower trainings at a reduced cost.

$125,000.00

Minnesota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,357,506.24

2. Development of a New 

Biocontrol Agent for 

Japanese Beetle in 

Minnesota Wine Grapes, 

Hops, Berries, and Apples

The goal of this project is to establish the native biocontrol, soildwelling pathogen Ovavesicula popilliae at specialty crop farms to 

reduce Japanese beetle damage. Japanese beetle has become more 

problematic within the last decade, particularly in high-value 

specialty crops, such as wine grapes, raspberries, hops, and apples. 

This proposal will support research in grapes, hops, raspberries, and 

apple crops and will assist in the establishment of this pathogen to 

multiple commodity groups to reduce reliance on insecticides, 

support crop yield and quality, and conserve pollinators by 

decreasing insecticide use.

$125,000.00

Minnesota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,357,506.24

3. Statewide Promotion of 

Minnesota Grown 

Specialty Crops

This project will address Minnesota’s specialty crop producers and 

related organizations lack financial resources and human capital to 

take full advantage of marketing opportunities to efficiently 

promote and market their products. By coordinating their 

marketing efforts through the Minnesota Grown Program, these 

producers can reach a large audience of interested consumers and 

convert them into new (and hopefully repeat) customers. 

Minnesota Grown can produce content that is tailored to each 

platform and the people who are best reached there, and drive 

them to a central resource, the online directory, where they can 

find specialty crop producers statewide.

$94,000.00
101

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Minnesota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,357,506.24

4. Jumping Worm 

Management in Container 

Nursery Crops

The University of Minnesota intends to evaluate both chemical and 

thermal treatments for control efficacy of jumping worms in 

production areas, in containers, and with bagged substrates in 

order to provide guidance for growers and the green industry. At 

this time, there are no pesticides labeled for use with jumping 

worms, leaving only the prevention of spread as the main 

management strategy for the green industry. Amynthas spp. And 

Metaphire spp., also known as jumping worms, impact greenspaces 

by rapidly consuming leaf litter and reducing nutrient levels in 

surface soils (Qiu and Turner, 2017), ultimately altering soil texture 

and exacerbating soil erosion.

$125,000.00

Minnesota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,357,506.24

5. Field Conditions & Price 

Reporting for MN 

Specialty Crops in 

Multiple Languages

The Minnesota Farmers’ Market Association will develop a 

reporting system for specialty crops that captures growing 

conditions and supply chain issues across the state year-round, as

well as prices on the numerous specialty crops sold at strategic MN 

farmers’ markets. There is no national or statewide field conditions 

or price reporting for specialty crops like the USDA and Minnesota 

Agriculture Statistics Service (MASS) do for commodity farmers 

biweekly during the growing season in MN.

$124,779.60

Minnesota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,357,506.24

6. Identifying Best 

Management Practices 

for Red Star Rust, Invasive 

Pathogen of Apple & 

Nursery Crops

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) will establish a 

contractual agreement with Regents of the University of Minnesota 

led by researchers Dr. Brandon Miller, Dr. Matt Clark, Dr. James 

Luby (collaborator), and Dr. Bob Blanchette in the Departments of 

Horticulture and Plant Pathology at the University of Minnesota to 

identify best management practices for red star rust in nurseries 

and apple orchards. This project will develop research-based spray 

recommendations for juniper, apple, and crabapple, and will 

evaluate resistance levels on common cultivars of apple and 

crabapple.

$124,710.00
102

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Minnesota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,357,506.24

7. Training Hmong 

Farmers to Access New 

Markets and Increase 

Availability of Locally 

Grown Tree Fruits

The Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA) will implement a 

bilingual, bicultural training and research program to teach Hmong 

farmers how to plant and nurture fruit trees; compare planting, 

fertilizing, and growing techniques and evaluate their impact on 

crop yields; and use best practice harvest and post-harvesting 

techniques. HAFA will train low-income, immigrant and firstgeneration Hmong farmers on best practices for tree fruit 

production and identify farmers who will implement a specialty 

crop growing program over the course of the 27-month project.

$96,578.00

Minnesota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,357,506.24

8. Improving Dry Bean 

Profitability in Minnesota 

by Optimizing Nutrient 

Management

The University of Minnesota will provide more current fertilizer 

guidelines for dry bean production. Initial research on optimal 

fertilizer management was conducted over 20 years ago. Many 

growers are applying rates of nutrients without considering 

potential differences among dry bean classes and there is little data 

in Minnesota on nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium application 

comparing difference classes. While under application of fertilizer 

can impact dry bean yield over application can also be detrimental 

reducing yield and potentially increasing nutrient loss to surface 

and ground water. This project will revise the current dry bean 

fertilizer publication.

$124,533.00

Minnesota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,357,506.24

9. Specialty Crop Value 

Education and Marketing 

Expansion for Rural 

Communities

Sprout MN will increase specialty crop marketing and promotion 

alongside educational programming of specialty crop nutrition 

knowledge for children and adults. Activities will include 

collaboration with longstanding community partnerships (school 

districts, community college, U of M Extension, food cooperatives 

and farmers markets) to market and promote specialty crops via 

targeted marketing of where our food comes from, and who is 

growing it - alongside resources of the value to self and economy of 

the regional food system.

$110,473.84
103

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Minnesota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,357,506.24

10. Assessing Rubus Wild 

Crop Relatives for 

Caneberry Genetic 

Improvement

The University of Minnesota will Collect native (wild) Rubus in 

Minnesota and Wisconsin for use in pre-breeding evaluation. 

Specifically target and assess the genetic diversity of Rubus 

pensilvanicus (syn R. wisconsinensis ̧R. minnesotanus) for 

introgression of cold hardiness and short growing season traits. A 

population genetics study will be conducted on up to 96 R. 

pensilvanicus assessions using genotyping-by-sequencing 

approaches. This information is useful in assessing the diversity of 

plant materials and can be exploited for selecting which assesions 

or populations to use in breeding. We will also assess the ploidy 

(genome size) of assembled germplasm using flow cytometry.

$107,110.00

Minnesota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,357,506.24

11. Harvest of the Month 

for Minnesota’s Youngest 

Eaters

The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) seeks to 

coordinate the adaptation of existing K-12 Harvest of the Month 

(HOTM) resources and the creation of new culturally specific 

resources for early care settings. Easy-to-use, affordable-toimplement HOTM resources will allow early care sites to highlight 

local products and build familiarity for kids, so they can start school 

excited for further opportunities to try local foods. HOTM will 

support further integration of specialty crops in early care meals, 

influencing children’s taste preferences and opening a new 

potential market for specialty crop producers. This project will fill a 

resource gap in the state and support a new group of potential 

customers in sourcing and serving specialty crops.

$60,095.00

Minnesota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,357,507.24 Grant Administration 

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$125,000.00
104

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Mississippi 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Commerce

$429,066.16

1. Evaluation of Weather 

Conditions on Aphid 

Distribution in Mississippi 

Certified Sweet Potato 

Fields 

Mississippi State University will investigate the effects of localized 

weather conditions on aphid distribution in Mississippi certified 

sweet potato fields. Weather conditions have been found to 

have dramatic effects on aphid reproduction and population 

(Johnson 1957, Weisser et al., 1997). Aphids are a concern to 

certified Mississippi sweet potato growers because of their ability 

to 

transmit potyviruses in a nonpersistent manner (Clark et al., 2013). 

Sweet potato plants infected with one or more potyviruses can 

reduce yield up to 44% when compared to clean, non-infected 

plants.

$30,526.00

Mississippi 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Commerce

$429,066.16

2. Queen Banking in 

Mississippi: The Health 

and Reproductive of 

Banked Queens in 

Producer Operations

Mississippi State University in collaboration with queen breeders in 

Mississippi will scientifically assess queen banking practice among 

queen producers to optimize handling and evaluating the health 

status and ovary development of queens under different banking 

regimes. Utilizing established methods in combination with 

advanced diagnostic tools in the upstream level of apiculture 

industry (queen breeding) will help to apply new management 

strategies and keep

stored queens healthy in queen cages even long after queen 

production season. The goal is to increase knowledge and enhance 

market opportunities for MS queen breeders by retaining the 

quality of banked queen and reducing honeybee colony mortality.

$65,442.00

Mississippi 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Commerce

$429,066.16

3. Evaluation of Sweet 

Potato Practices on 

Nutritional Quality During 

Long-Term Storage

Mississippi State University will collaborate with local, conventional 

and organic, sweet potato growers to assess the impact on sweet 

potato nutrient quality during extended storage. This project is to: 

1) determine the impact of long-term storage on select macro and 

micronutrients and 2) compare farm management practices 

(conventional/organic) impact on soil quality, damage 

(quantification of visual damage), root weight loss, and fungal 

decay percentage.

$50,509.30
105

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Mississippi 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Commerce

$429,066.16 4. Honey Production and 

Honeybee Health Seminar

The Mississippi Beekeepers Association will provide two seminars 

over two years to relay current research and best management 

practices of honey bee colonies to enhance and increase 

productivity of honey for sale and distribution throughout the state, 

including effects of honey bee health on honey production, food 

safety practices, marketing, and production efficiencies to increase 

honey sales for all beekeepers whether their target market is a 

farmers market, mid-size retailers, or retail giants.

$14,346.00

Mississippi 

Department of 

Agriculture and

Commerce

$429,066.16

5. Use of Specialty 

Cultivars and Sustainable 

Practices for High Quality 

Sweet Pepper Production

Peppers (Capsicum annuum) of various types are important 

specialty crop for vegetable growers in Mississippi and also of the 

most popular items through local markets including farmer's 

market, on-farm

stands, community supported agriculture, and local restaurants. 

There lies a critical need to evaluate bell pepper and other specialty 

sweet pepper cultivars for successful sweet pepper production in 

Mississippi. The use of sustainable product including various types 

of biostimulants is an innovative approach to enhance plant 

productivity and reduce production input in horticulture.

$33,635.00

Mississippi 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Commerce

$429,066.16

6. Evaluating Leafy Green 

Vegetables and Cultivars 

for Winter Production in 

High Tunnels

Leafy green vegetables are high value specialty crops and an 

essential part of vegetable production in Mississippi, which are in 

high demand at local marketing outlets such as farmers' market, 

road-side sale, on-farm stands, Community Supported Agriculture 

(CSA) programs, and local restaurants. Cool season leafy greens 

have the potential to be produced during the mild winter in 

Mississippi with season extension tools like high tunnels. Winter 

production during the holiday season

from November to February presents a great opportunity for 

growers to receive premium market prices and maximize 

profitability.

$41,008.00
106

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Mississippi 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Commerce

$429,066.16

7. Evaluation of the 

Suitability of Sweet 

Potato Leaves as a Novel 

Agricultural Product in 

Mississippi

The University of Mississippi will determine the effects of leaf 

harvest on sweet potato yield and the overall revenue potential of 

procurement of the entire sweet potato plant. Additionally, taste 

tests with regional chefs to determine palatability of leaves and 

survey farmer's markets to determine the interest in selling sweet 

potato leaves. To accomplish this goal sweet potatoes will be 

planted, and leaves subjected to four levels of harvest.

$9,669.00

Mississippi 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Commerce

$429,066.16

8. Use of Mechanized 

Selective Plucking to 

Improve Harvest 

Efficiency and 

Productivity in Tea 

Production

Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages worldwide, and 

the United States is the second-largest tea importer. Despite the 

increasing interest in tea production in the US in recent years, the 

labor-intensive process of hand-harvesting has made tea 

production economically challenging. To address this issue, 

Mississippi State University will collaborate with tea growers in 

Mississippi to investigate the potential of utilizing mechanized 

selective tea plucking to enhance efficiency, yield, and quality in tea 

production. This project aims to assist tea growers in identifying 

and adopting innovative mechanical harvesting methods, reducing 

labor costs, optimizing tea yield and quality, and enhancing 

production efficiency. Ultimately, the research findings will 

contribute to the development of a more sustainable and efficient 

tea industry, making it more viable for tea growers in the US.

$42,452.00
107

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Mississippi 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Commerce

$429,066.16

9. Containerized Organic 

Production of Turmeric in 

Mississippi

Turmeric is a widely used spice known for its anti-inflammatory, 

antioxidant, and anti-cancer properties. In recent years, the 

demand for turmeric has been increasing rapidly worldwide due to 

its numerous health benefits and culinary uses. While turmeric is 

primarily produced in countries such as India, the climate in 

Mississippi is suitable for growing turmeric. Local Mississippi 

growers are interested in incorporating turmeric into their 

productions to diversify crop profiles to meet increasing consumer 

demands and improve farm incomes. However, there is a lack of 

research-based recommendation on cultivar selection and 

production practices specific to Mississippi. To address the needs of 

local growers, Mississippi State University will conduct research to 

investigate the feasibility of growing turmeric as an alternative crop 

for specialty crop growers in Mississippi.

$36,624.00

Mississippi 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Commerce

$429,066.16

10. Public Relations and 

Marketing Campaign to 

Promote Buying 

Mississippi grown Sweet 

Corn

Farm Families of Mississippi will develop and implement a 

promotional campaign educating consumers on the benefits of 

buying Mississippi grown sweet corn. We will establish a baseline 

figure from the 2022 campaign of consumers who gained 

knowledge of specialty crops through the television advertisement 

Farm Families of Mississippi produces and airs on local television 

stations across the state.

$65,000.00

Mississippi 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Commerce

$429,066.16 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$39,236.90

Missouri 

Department of 

Agriculture

$409,966.54

1. Develop GrowerFriendly Test Kits 

Preventing Grapevine 

Crown Gall Disease

Missouri State University will develop grape grower-friendly test 

kits for reducing significant losses caused by crown gall disease. 

Since crown gall disease cannot be chemically controlled, the most 

effective strategy is to implement preventive measures.

$25,000.00
108

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Missouri 

Department of 

Agriculture

$409,966.54

2. Genetic Study of 

Botrytis Bunch Rot 

Resistance in 'Norton' 

Grape

Missouri State University will focus on the exploration of the 

molecular mechanisms related to Botrytis bunch rot resistance by 

establishing phenotyping protocols, localizing quantitative trait loci 

(QTLs) and disseminating results to growers through annual ShowMe Grape and Wine Conference.

$49,353.00

Missouri 

Department of 

Agriculture

$409,966.54

3. Food Safety Training for 

Safe and Resilient Food 

Systems 

The University of Missouri (MU) Extension will provide food safety 

education and training for beginners, small and medium scale fruit 

and vegetable processors operating in Missouri. We will offer 

continued resources in the form of Applied Food Safety 

Microbiology and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points 

(HACCP) certificates to at least 60 (30/ year: 15 in each category) 

Missouri fruit and vegetable producers and/or processors.

$44,378.00

Missouri 

Department of 

Agriculture

$409,966.54

4. Revitalization of Pecan 

Research and Breeding 

for Missouri

The University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry (UMCA) will 

revitalize pecan research and breeding at HARC to provide the 

Missouri pecan industry with reliable performance data and to 

initiate progress towards the identification and development of 

new well-adapted, high-yielding cultivars with high-quality kernels, 

appropriate cold hardiness, early nut ripening, low alternate 

bearing index, and durable pecan scab resistance.

$47,704.00

Missouri 

Department of 

Agriculture

$409,966.54

5. Farmer Trainings to 

Support Specialty Crop 

Production in the Ozarks

Springfield Community Gardens (SCG) will have 340 participants 

attend 16 workshops on specialty crop production at four farms. 

Workshops will concentrate on biosolarization, specialized tilling 

and soil health (Box Turtle Farms), high tunnel growing, specifically 

ventilation (Urban Roots Farm), flower farming (Gooseberry 

Bridge), and economical season extension (East Stanford Farm).

$49,700.00

Missouri 

Department of 

Agriculture

$409,966.54

6. Comparative 

Performance of 

Commercial and Native 

Hops in Missouri

ArchGen LLC will conduct a randomized field trial utilizing four 

diverse native varietals from the southern range of hop's 

distribution along with three commercially known comparatives. 

Results will be provided to the industry at the Missouri Craft 

Brewers Guild Annual Meeting and Conference.

$36,983.91
109

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Missouri 

Department of 

Agriculture

$409,966.54

7. A Statewide Survey 

Assessing Sweet potato 

Safety Due to Soilborne 

Pathogens

Researchers at the University of Missouri propose to survey 90 

Missouri farms across the state for the presence and severity of 

Fusarium species in the soils. Fusarium is a genus of ascomycete 

fungi, and their numerous species are often detected in plants and 

soils worldwide as pathogens, endophytes, and saprobes. Results 

from this project will be disseminated through growers meeting, 

field days, extension fact sheets and social media.

$41,767.00

Missouri 

Department of 

Agriculture

$409,966.54

8. Muscadine Grapes: A 

Potential New Specialty 

Crop for Missouri

The University of Missouri's Southwest Research, Extension, and 

Education Center at Mt. Vernon will evaluate six of the most coldhardy muscadine cultivars in a southern Missouri location. The goal 

is to determine if the newer cold-hardy cultivars can survive or even 

thrive in the region, potentially setting the stage for development 

of an entirely new specialty crop for southern Missouri.

$28,248.36

Missouri 

Department of 

Agriculture

$409,966.54 9.“Reel” Heartland - The 

Trailhead Farm

“Reel” Heartland - The Trailhead Farm film project will educate and 

inspire viewers to grow blueberries, start a farm of their own, 

promote other regional farms, teach growing techniques and tips 

and about the benefits of eating blueberries. The expected 

outcome will be a valuable resource to develop interest in specialty 

crop farming.

$30,149.00

Missouri 

Department of 

Agriculture

$409,966.54

10. Columbia Farmers 

Market’s Specialty Crop 

Food Insecure 

Educational Marketing 

Campaign

Columbia Farmers Market (CFM) will increase consumption and 

consumer purchasing of specialty crops through increased sales at 

CFM by developing a specialty crop-focused food-insecure 

educational marketing campaign.

$23,360.06

Missouri 

Department of 

Agriculture

$409,966.54 Grant Administration 

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$32,751.59
110

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Montana 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,071,633.94

1. Preserving Pulse Crop 

Acres by Solving Soil 

Erosion Risk

Montana State University is proposing to study soil erosion risk 

after pulse crops. A new harvesting technique may help provide a 

solution. Pulse crop yields increase linearly with cereal stubble 

height, due mainly to increased water use efficiency. We will 

conduct this study near Bozeman and Moccasin, including short (4”) 

and very tall (>16”) replicated strips of contrasting cereal crop 

stubble heights bisected with rolled and unrolled treatments for 

pea, lentil, and chickpea. Five mature pulse crop plants per plot will 

be randomly selected and removed for subsequent measurement 

of: a) length of 5th internode, b) height to bottom pod, c) plant 

height, d) pods per plant, and e) total seed weight. After harvest we 

will measure representative samples of all soil-attached crop 

biomass (pulse crop stems and cereal crop stubble). The following 

spring we will score plots for % cover.

$55,839.00

Montana 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,071,633.94

2. Variety and Seeding 

Date Evaluation of 

Cowpea in Montana

Montana State University (MSU) is proposing to study cowpea 

adaptation as a specialty crop in Montana. This project will examine 

genetic adaptability and the optimal spring seeding window for 

cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] across three contrasting 

Montana rainfall environments during 2024-25. This information 

will provide new knowledge about genetic adaptation and 

agronomic management of a new potential warm-season, droughttolerant pulse crop for Montana farmers.

$123,867.00
111

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Montana 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,071,633.94

3. Control of Soilborne 

Disease Using Beneficial 

Bacteria for Organic Pea 

Growers

Researchers at Montana State University (MSU) propose this 

research to provide an effective and environmental-friendly 

biocontrol approach for the organic pea and lentil growers to 

control soilborne diseases, specifically Aphanomyces root rot 

caused by Aphanomyces euteiches. In this project, our goal is to

find at least 5 bacterial antagonists that are highly effective to 

control the disease under controlled greenhouse conditions. We 

will also evaluate the impact of the bacterial isolates on seed 

germination to exclude the ones that inhibit pea seed germination. 

Further, bacterial genome of the selected top 10 effective isolates 

will be sequenced and analyzed which will provide valuable 

information of how to better use these beneficials to control the 

soilborne disease.

$200,627.00

Montana 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,071,633.94

4. Pea Ascochyta BlightResistant Variety 

Development by Genomic 

Approaches

The Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology, Montana 

State University, proposes using genomic approaches to develop 

Ascochyta blight-resistant pea varieties. From an MDA-SCBGfunded project led by Li Huang, one old variety and six pea mutants 

have been identified to have high levels of resistance to two species 

of Ascochyta blight pathogens. This proposed research will use 

these resistances as a resource for breeding Ascochyta-resistant 

pea varieties. This project will: 1.) identify the locations and 

sequences of the Ascochyta blight resistance genes available; 2.) 

develop molecular markers for the genes; and 3.) combine different

resistance genes into elite cultivars to develop varieties resistant to 

the Ascochyta species prevalent in Montana.

$328,949.00

Montana 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,071,633.94

5. The Wild Bees of 

Montana 3, Research for 

Specialty Crop Pollination 

Security 

Researchers at Montana State University will conduct years 7-8 of 

the 15-year Wild Bees of Montana Project, building on the previous 

SCBGs to continue bee surveys, curation and identification to 

produce new databased collections, taxonomic resources and 

public outreach toward the project goal of a guide to Montana's 

700+ species of native bees and selected associated parasites and 

inquilines.

$386,105.00
112

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Montana 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,071,633.94

6. Exploring Intercropping 

and Essential Oils to 

Control Fusarium Root 

Rot of Pea

Montana State University EARC proposes to conduct field research 

comparing EOs with commercially available seed treatments and 

testing intercropping schemes for control of Fusarium root rot of 

pea. This includes greenhouse research exploring which potential 

intercropping partners may decrease root rot damage while not 

decreasing yield. We will conduct small plot research measuring the 

effects of intercropping and essential oils in inoculated trials. This 

will form the basis for future work integrating these two 

management practices to give more IPM options for both organic 

and conventional farmers.

$142,326.00

Montana 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,071,633.94

7. Expanding Specialty 

Crop Education and 

Marketing Through 

Harvest of the Month

The National Center for Appropriate Technology aims to increase 

the sale of direct-to-consumer specialty crops and educate 

Montanans on specialty crop nutrition, seasonality, preparation, 

preservation, and purchasing using the Harvest of the Month 

(HOM) platform. Objectives of the project include: 1) increase the 

number of specialty crop producers promoted through HOM by 

adding new specialty crops; 2) expand specialty crop sales 

opportunities through farmers markets using the HOM platform;

and 3) education consumers on specialty crop seasonal availability, 

sources, preparation, and preservation.

$60,000.00

Montana 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,071,633.94

8. Managing 

Grasshoppers Damaging 

Pea, Lentil, and Chickpea 

Crops in Montana

Montana State University will conduct research and Extension to 

improve the management of grasshopper pests that economically 

damage pea, dry bean, lentil, and chickpea crop production. The 

outcome will be updated best practice recommendations to reduce 

yield loss based on new research results and consistent with 

Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

$328,857.00
113

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Montana 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,071,633.94

9. Investigating Novel 

Approaches to Improve 

PVY Detection in Dormant 

Tubers

Montana State University (MSU) Potato Lab's project will explore 

sustainable methods for overcoming tuber dormancy in order to 

improve our ability to accurately detect PVY in tubers. Traditional 

strategies for overcoming dormancy often rely on toxic compounds, 

which are not safe or sustainable for the high throughput 

environment of the MSU Potato Lab. For those reasons, the 

purpose of this project will be to explore emerging strategies using 

smoke, hormone applications, and temperature variation.

$83,031.00

Montana 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,071,633.94

10. Characterization of 

the Ecological and 

Epidemiological Factors 

Driving Pathogen Spread 

in Chickpeas

Montana State University Eastern Agriculture Research Center 

proposes to 1) measure the effect of geographic location on 

maturation and survivability of A. rabiei overwintering structures, 

2) determine environmental conditions required for initial spore 

release both in the field and under laboratory conditions, and 3) 

perform a fungicide study comparing traditional spray timings with 

fungicide applications performed at spore release. This project will 

allow us to accurately predict initial spore release and determine if 

this can be used for improved disease control by farmers.

$113,585.00

Montana 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,071,633.94

11. Testing 

Dibutyldithiophosphate 

as a Fertilizer to Improve 

Yield of Pulse Crops

Montana State University will carry out research to test the 

response of pulse crops to varying levels of dibutyldithiophosphate 

(DBDTP) applied at planting and identify an optimal DBDTP 

concentration to boost plant growth and yield. Specifically, 

experiments will be carried out to optimize a seed treatment 

delivering ideal concentrations of DBDTP to improve growth of 

peas, lentils, and chickpeas. Further tests will determine any 

potential interactions between DBDTP and inoculant that may 

positively impact nitrogen fixation for each crop. Potential 

antimicrobial properties of pulses treated with DBDTP and disease 

responses of pulse crops will be examined in another objective. 

Finally, field tests at multiple locations will be carried out to identify 

the optimal DBDTP concentration to improve growth and yield of 

each pulse crop.

$254,174.00
114

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Montana 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,071,633.94

12. Enhancing Innovation 

Service Capability and 

Offering Extrusion 

Training for Specialty 

Crops Stakeholders

The Food Product Development Lab and Extrusion Unit at Montana 

State University propose to upgrade our innovation capacity and 

offer extrusion training to create comprehensive services in product 

development and extrusion processing for specialty crops. With this 

SCBG funding, we anticipate offering at least three specialty crop 

innovation services annually, with each service generating over 

$30K in contracted income. Each year, we anticipate delivering 

extrusion workshops to a minimum of 15 Montana specialty crop 

stakeholders and engaging 15 students in hands-on specialty crop 

innovation.

$373,949.00

Montana 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,071,633.94

13. Evaluating Desiccants 

for Crop Dry Down and 

Weed Seedbank 

Management in Pulses

The Montana State University Southern Agricultural Research 

Center (SARC) proposes a three-year research project aimed at 

integrating preharvest desiccants to manage weed populations and 

reduce weed seedbank pressure in chickpea and lentil crops. 

Through field, lab and greenhouse studies, researchers will evaluate 

the impact of various application timings and herbicides applied 

alone or in a tank-mix on dry-down and seed yield of pulse crops, as 

well as weed seed quantity, viability, and germinability of 

problematic species like kochia and common lambsquarters. The 

project will also explore the use of remote sensing and machine 

learning to assess crop and weed phenology.

$186,353.00
115

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Montana 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,071,633.94

14. Salsa 2.0: High Value 

Vegetable Variety 

Screening and Quality 

Optimization

Montana State University will conduct applied horticultural 

research across two production environments (Bozeman and 

Corvallis, Montana) to screen and identify production practices and 

varieties that optimize vegetable quality of three core salsa 

ingredient crops (tomato, tomatillo, and peppers) in cool climate 

conditions. By examining these core crops across two locations, in 

conjunction with high tunnel and greenhouse evaluations of 

vegetable characteristics, this project will generate results 

concerning optimal variety selection for different regions and 

production situations in Montana addressing concerns of small 

farmers in the state. Additional work identifying non-destructive 

predictive metrics of vegetable chemistry (sugar and acid content in 

tomatillos and pungency in peppers) will improve capacity for 

harvest decision making by isolating ideal quality conditions 

through novel cost saving methods.

$193,028.00

Montana 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,071,633.94 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and postaward activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$235,719.14

Nebraska State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$823,368.53

1. Improvement of 

Nebraska Common Dry 

Bean Cultivars by CRISPRMediated Gene Editing

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), in a contractual 

relationship with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, will 

develop gene-edited dry bean cultivars for quick and targeted 

development of next generation of improved common dry bean 

genotypes able to mitigate adverse effects of diseases, drought and 

other adverse conditions stabilizing and improving productivity and 

availability of this nutritious food crop. The production of geneedited dry bean plants using a Clustered Regularly Interspaced 

Short Palindromic Repeats/ CRISPR Associated System (CRISPR/Cas) 

is a game changer as it will open numerous possibilities to modify 

and improve dry bean varieties.

$55,761.00
116

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Nebraska State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$823,368.53

2. The Benefit of Tillage 

for Improving Soil Applied 

Herbicide Efficacy in 

Nebraska Dry Edible Bean

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), in a contractual 

relationship with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, will 

evaluate the benefit of pre-plant tillage as a means of improving 

control herbicide-resistant pigweeds within Nebraska Dry Edible 

Beans. Results from this project will be disseminated to growers 

through Extension publications, grower meetings, and field days 

with the goal of improving grower adoption of best practices.

$15,651.00

Nebraska State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$823,368.53

3. Evaluation of a POST 

Direct and Wick Wiper 

Herbicide Applicator for 

Control of Herbicide 

Resistant Weeds in 

Nebraska Dry Edible Bean

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), in a contractual 

agreement with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, will 

evaluate the benefit of wick wiper and post-direct herbicide 

applicators as a means of improving control herbicide-resistant 

pigweed within Nebraska dry edible beans. Project results will be 

disseminated to growers through extension publications, grower 

meetings, and field days with the goal of improving grower 

adoption of best practices.

$23,478.00

Nebraska State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$823,368.53

4. Growing Community 

Demand and Knowledge 

of Nebraska Specialty 

Crops Through Local Food 

Showcases 

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), in collaboration with 

local farmers markets and specialty crop producers, will enter into a 

contractual relationship with the Nebraska Departtent of 

Agriculture (NDA) to host Local Food Showcases across the state 

increasing knowledge and consumption of specialty crops through: 

(1) nutrition education through mini workshops on preparing, 

storing, and using specialty crops, (2) exposure to specialty crops 

through tastings prepared by local chefs and (3) educational 

activities on the diversity, seasonality, and accessibility of Nebraska 

grown specialty crops.

$62,977.00

Nebraska State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$823,368.53 5. Potato Cyst Nematode 

2023

This project is designed to maintain Nebraska's Potato Cyst 

Nematode (PCN) pest-free status by the Nebraska Department of 

Agriculture (NDA) conducting comprehensive soil surveying 

throughout Nebraska to confirm the presence or absence of PCN in 

Nebraska.

$97,014.00
117

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Nebraska State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$823,368.53

6. Evaluation of Current 

Fungicides for Inhibiting 

Rhizopus In Vitro

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's (UNL) Panhandle Research and 

Extension Center (PREC), in a contractual relationship with the 

Nebraska Department of Agriculture, will identify those fungicides 

that may or may not effectively manage the sunflower disease, 

Rhizopus head rot. This could be important information for 

producers by knowing and understanding which fungicides would 

inhibit pathogen growth in the lab prior to costly applications in 

field production. Our results from this project could be applicable 

and useful for any sunflower type - confection and/or ornamental 

(floriculture). Resulting findings would then be shared with 

stakeholders at winter grower meetings and summer field days.

$47,000.00

Nebraska State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$823,368.53

7. Evaluation of 

Determinate Tomato 

Varieties for Yield, 

Consumer Preference, 

and Nutritional Quality

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), in a contractual 

agreement with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, will 

evaluate performance of determinate tomato varieties in terms of 

yield, consumer preference, and nutritional quality in order to assist 

Nebraska vegetable producers and home horticulturists in selecting 

effective varieties.

$36,286.00

Nebraska State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$823,368.53

8. Enhancing Yield and 

Quality for Varieties of 

Dry Edible Beans Grown 

in Nebraska

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Panhandle Research and 

Extension Center (PHREC) and Food Science and Technology 

Department (FST), in a contractual relationship with the Nebraska 

Department of Agriculture, will evaluate the effects of applied 

nitrogen on the quality of selected bean varieties grown in 

Nebraska. Dr. Bijesh Maharjan and Carlos Urrea at UNL PHREC and 

Dr. Kaustav Majumder at FST will conduct this study. Knowledge 

gained regarding the effects of nitrogen on bean yield and quality 

by varieties will be shared through various Extension events and 

publications.

$52,684.00
118

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Nebraska State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$823,368.53

9. Developing a Regulated 

Deficit Irrigation 

Technology to Improve 

the Fruit Quality of 

Nebraska Aronia Berry

The University of Nebraska Aronia Berry Research Lab, in a 

contractual relationship with the Nebraska Department of 

Agriculture, will develop a customized regulated deficit irrigation 

(RDI) technology to improve the fruit quality of Nebraska aronia 

berry. By collaborating with Nebraska aronia berry farm (Berries on 

the Hill Aronia Farm), the lab will perform a 3-year experiment to 

optimize RDI protocol for maximizing aronia berry fruit quality with 

less irrigation water and cost.

$79,634.00

Nebraska State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$823,368.53

10. Impact of 

Intercropping Vegetables 

and Cut Flowers on 

Economics and 

Conservation Biological 

Control

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), in a contractual 

relationship with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, will 

evaluate the impact of intercropping of peppers and cut flowers on 

yield and quality of vegetable production, economic value of 

production in terms of land equivalent ratio, and populations of 

pest and beneficial insect species.

$56,849.00

Nebraska State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$823,368.53

11. Evaluating Soil 

Nitrogen Mineralization 

and Greenhouse Gas 

Emissions for Climate 

Smart Dry Bean 

Production

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Panhandle Research and 

Extension Center (UNL PHREC), in a contractual relationship with 

the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, will evaluate the effects of 

applied nitrogen on net soil nitrogen mineralization and 

greenhouse gas emissions to achieve optimized fertilizer nitrogen 

practices for profitable and climate-smart dry edible bean 

production. Dr. Bijesh Maharjan will lead this project that will 

include field and lab components and disseminate results to 

stakeholders through various Extension events and publications.

$68,990.00

Nebraska State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$823,368.53

12. Exploring the 

Feasibility of Vinifera in 

High Tunnel Grape 

Production (Phase II)

The University of Nebraska Viticulture Program, in a contractual 

relationship with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, will 

continue its resolute pursuit of the project aimed at investigating 

the practicability of cultivating cold-sensitive vinifera wine grapes in 

a high tunnel within the austere climatic conditions of Nebraska. 

The project requires meticulous scientific analysis to evaluate the 

feasibility of this approach, taking into account the many factors 

that may affect grapevine physiology, fruit yield, and wine quality 

within a high tunnel.

$80,220.00
119

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Nebraska State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$823,368.53

13. Using Available Soil 

Moisture at Planting to 

Drive Field Pea Planting 

and Inoculation Decisions 

of Field Peas

The University of Nebraska - Lincoln (UNL), in a contractual 

relationship with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, will 

conduct a field experiment to investigate the effect of initial or 

prior soil moisture at field pea seeding on final yield, yield 

components, and physiological response variables. The study will 

simulate various soil moisture levels using irrigation water prior to 

planting. Inoculation of field pea seeds with the right strain of 

rhizobium is important to achieve the desired level of nitrogen 

fixation and contribute to the realization of field pea yield potential. 

We will evaluate how each type of inocula interacts with initial soil 

moisture contents to influence field pea yield, yield components, 

and variables related to field pea physiology. The results from this 

study will allow producers to make an informed decision of 

whether to plant field peas based on the initial soil moisture level 

and inoculate seeds with the inoculant appropriate for a particular 

soil moisture level with the aim of enhancing sustainable utilization 

of the production inputs.

$79,130.00

Nebraska State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$823,368.53 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$65,710.00
120

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Nevada 

Department of 

Agriculture

$267,238.83

1. The Farm2Food 

Accelerator: Energizing 

Growth for Nevada's 

Female Specialty Crop 

Producers

The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture 

(NASDA) Foundation will partner with the Nevada Department of 

Agriculture, Oregon State University Food Innovation Center, and 

Union Kitchen to continue to develop the Farm2Food accelerator 

project to equip female specialty crop producers in Nevada to grow 

their value-added businesses. NASDA Foundation and the project 

team will help Nevada producers expand production of food 

products and enter new regional markets. The team will adapt the 

Farm2Food Accelerator to meet the needs of Nevada producers 

and integrate them into the program. The Farm2Food Accelerator is 

a 15-week program that equips female specialty crop producers 

and food entrepreneurs using specialty crop ingredients to safely 

process their raw production into value-added specialty crop 

products and enter new statewide and regional markets.

$105,214.47

Nevada 

Department of 

Agriculture

$267,238.83 2. Nevada State 

Beekeepers Conference

The Mason Valley Beekeepers (MVB) is organizing the 14th, 15th 

and 16th annual Nevada State Beekeepers Conferences. The 

Nevada State Beekeepers Conference addresses the need for 

quality, research-based education, and information for experienced 

beekeepers as well as people new to the industry. The opportunity 

to gather and learn from nationally renowned researchers, 

scientists and speakers provides a platform to ask in-depth 

questions and explore the best management practices to operate 

healthy hives. Since Nevada beekeepers face an average loss of 

53% (Bee Informed Partnership [BIP] average annual colony loss for 

Nevada 2019/2020) education is critical to the sustainability of 

beekeeping. The caliber of the Nevada State Beekeepers 

Conference directly benefits the registrants and indirectly educates 

the public through advertising on social media, print and broadcast 

media and has the ultimate result of better informed and educated 

citizens.

$79,500.00
121

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Nevada 

Department of 

Agriculture

$267,238.83

3. Expanding 

Consumption and 

Production of 

Pomegranate Cultivars 

Through Marketing and 

Research

The University of Nevada Extension Northeast Clark County 

Pomegranate Cultivars Project proposes to enhance the 

competitiveness of specialty crops by increasing the number of 

cultivars of pomegranates desired by, and available to, the 

consumer. The crimson fruit, native to the Mediterranean basin 

and the Middle East, also thrives in the desert Southwest. 

Pomegranates are widely grown and marketed in Northeast Clark 

County, but the market is dominated by two cultivars: Wonderful 

and Utah Sweet. With the current emphasis on antioxidants and 

the other health benefits of pomegranates, this project is timely. It 

could potentially increase health benefits for the public, and benefit 

both established and new specialty crop producers economically.

$25,283.76

Nevada 

Department of 

Agriculture

$267,238.83

4. Lavender Days 

Workshops in 2024, 2025 

& 2026

The Great Basin Lavender Association will conduct a series of three 

annual workshops and field tours in Mason Valley, Nevada designed 

to provide outreach and quality education to the public regarding 

the many benefits of lavender to include medicinal, culinary, 

environmental, and economic values. Workshops and tours will 

focus on variety selection, cultural practices, harvesting techniques, 

processing strategies and marketing of this increasingly popular and 

environmentally friendly specialty crop. By conducting these 

workshops, we hope to develop a cohesive regional resource to 

promote the effective and economical production of this valuable 

specialty crop.

$37,550.00

Nevada 

Department of 

Agriculture

$267,238.83 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$19,490.20
122

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

New Hampshire 

Department of 

Agriculture, 

Markets and Food

$294,761.60

1. Genetic Enhancement 

of Squash for Powdery 

Mildew Resistance

Researchers at the University of New Hampshire will help NH 

growers combat cucurbit powdery mildew in squash and pumpkins 

through the development and commercialization of new cultivars 

with enhanced genetic resistance to the pathogen. Additionally, 

new tools, DNA markers, will be developed to enhance breeding 

efforts.

$61,868.31

New Hampshire 

Department of 

Agriculture, 

Markets and Food

$294,761.60

2. Pink Lady Beetle 

Husbandry: Piloting a "NH 

Made" Biological Control 

Industry

The University of New Hampshire will provide training and support 

to local stakeholders who wish to produce their own biological 

control agents, Coleomegilla maculata, commonly known as pink 

lady beetle, and will evaluate predator performance of pink lady 

beetles through the year, to ensure that in-house rearing 

techniques are appropriate for wintertime aphid management.

$49,100.00

New Hampshire 

Department of 

Agriculture, 

Markets and Food

$294,761.60

3. Buy New Hampshire 

Specialty Crops: Driving 

Consumers to Specialty 

Crops Through Targeted 

Social Media and Waze 

Advertising Campaign in 

Partnership

The New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food 

will increase sales of all New Hampshire specialty crops through a 

targeted social media campaign (Facebook, Instagram, and 

YouTube Video Ads) and through innovative digital platforms 

directed at tourists and drivers in NH (Waze, Google Discovery Ads 

and YouTube Shorts).

$130,000.00

New Hampshire 

Department of 

Agriculture, 

Markets and Food

$294,761.60 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post--award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$19,277.37

New Jersey 

Department of 

Agriculture

$817,417.05

1. Garden State Wine 

Growers Association 

(Women In WineSupporting the Emerging 

Role of Women in the NJ 

Wine Industry)

The Garden State Wine Growers Association, through its Diversity 

Equity and Inclusion Committee, will empower Women in the NJ 

Wine Industry by: providing educational programs, training and

accessibility into the industry for women specifically; supporting a 

collaborative wine product that showcases the collective talents of 

women in the NJ Wine Industry; creating high-level awareness of 

the role of women in the wine industry.

$40,000.00
123

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

New Jersey 

Department of 

Agriculture

$817,417.05

2. Jersey Fruit 

Cooperative Assn., Inc. 

(Expand Local Market 

Distribution to Increase 

Availability and Access of 

Specialty Crops Grown by 

Family Run F

The Jersey Fruit Cooperative will expand market opportunities for 

its grower-members by developing a direct delivery program to 

service farm markets and small, independent retailers throughout 

New Jersey and into surrounding states. This here to for untapped 

market niche will benefit Jersey Fruit growers and other specialty 

crop producers throughout the state by expanding availability of 

"Jersey Fresh" peaches and blueberries.

$40,000.00

New Jersey 

Department of 

Agriculture

$817,417.05

3. Mercer County 

Community College (To 

Fund the JKC Garden 

Project & the Horticulture 

Programs)

Mercer County Community College will play a pivotal role in 

educating the next generation of urban and underrepresented 

farmers through the implementation of a program that allows 

youth in Trenton the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and 

exposure to vegetable production, food safety, and urban forestry. 

In Trenton, issues like food insecurity and dying shade trees 

continue to be a concern. Mercer County Community College’s 

James Kerney Campus (JKC) sits poised to be an educational hub for 

Trenton for both training and education within the areas of urban 

agriculture. Community based programs within the city along with 

college-based programs, like Upward Bound, will serve as feeder 

programs for the identification of youth to participate in on-campus 

vegetable production along with training, seminars and farm visits 

on topics like food processing, food safety and urban forestry.

$18,998.04
124

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

New Jersey 

Department of 

Agriculture

$817,417.05

4. New Jersey Agricultural 

Society (FarmVoice 

Studios: Telling the 

Stories of NJ’s Specialty 

Crop Farmers)

The NJ Agricultural Society would establish an agreement with the 

NJ Department of Agriculture to lead and execute the project. This 

project will design/launch the NJAS FarmVoice Studios to serve as 

the new, innovative hub for producing and celebrating the stories 

of NJ’s farmers with a focus on the state’s specialty crop farmers. 

Giving voice to the farmer through storytelling is a powerful 

communication tool for changing perceptions of farming and 

engendering deeper understanding and support for NJ’s farming 

community. It is through this medium of storytelling that we will 

engage the public on a deeper level with our farmers through their 

lived stories. The project will develop a communication structure to 

increase specialty crop farmer visibility through compelling new 

content and selected curated content.

$40,000.00

New Jersey 

Department of 

Agriculture

$817,417.05

5. New Jersey Blueberry 

Growers Association 

(“Advertising Jersey Fresh 

Blueberries – 2024”)

As part of a more extensive research and promotion program, The 

New Jersey Blueberry Growers Association seeks Specialty Crop 

Block Grant funding for a project to promote awareness and 

purchase of local, New Jersey grown blueberries in season via a 

digital billboard campaign as part of a larger overall media 

campaign that also includes trade ads, aerial beach banners and 

digital marketing.

$40,000.00
125

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

New Jersey 

Department of 

Agriculture

$817,417.05

6. New Jersey Peach 

Promotion Council 

(NJPPC)(Jersey Fresh 

Peaches Buy Jersey- Buy 

Local Marketing 

Campaign)

The New Jersey Peach Promotion Council will enhance the 

sustainability of the New Jersey peach industry by implementing a 

comprehensive marketing campaign that focuses on the theme Buy 

Jersey-Buy Local. Effective promotional tools will be utilized, 

including social media, press releases, trade and consumer 

advertising, and promotional events. Expert consultants will be 

contracted to be able to implement the most effective campaign. 

Findings from previous marketing campaigns will be used to 

improve the efficiency of campaigns moving forward. The 

marketing campaign will be focused in New Jersey, Philadelphia, PA 

and suburbs, New York City, NY and suburbs and Boston, MA and

suburbs. Additionally, a market survey will be implemented to 

better understand why peach buyers may purchase peaches from 

other states. The findings of the survey will be used to inform the 

industry to develop action plans to be the preferred peach for New 

Jersey and regional wholesalers and retailers.

$40,000.00

New Jersey 

Department of 

Agriculture

$817,417.05

7. Project to Maximize the 

Effectiveness of the 

Jersey Fresh Advertising 

Program in 2024 and 

Beyond

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture seeks Specialty Crop 

Block Grant funding to raise awareness of locally grown specialty 

crops and to drive sales through a multi-faceted marketing 

campaign. The Department seeks to increase the overall 

effectiveness of the marketing of all specialty crops in New Jersey 

through the continuation of the proven successful efforts of the 

Jersey Fresh program. This will be accomplished using outdoor 

advertising (aerial banners, digital billboards and bus sides), print 

ads, radio in English and Spanish, point of sale materials and social 

media and other online promotions.

$399,531.00
126

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

New Jersey 

Department of 

Agriculture

$817,417.05

8. Rowan University - 

Nguyen, Early Detection 

and Mapping of Carolina 

Redroot in Cranberry 

Bogs using AI and 

Autonomous Drones

Rowan University in collaboration with Rutgers Philip E. Marucci 

Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research, and Influential 

Drones will mitigate the spread of Carolina redroot in cranberry 

bogs by developing artificial intelligence (AI) software which allows 

an aerial drone to fly over cranberry bogs to perform early 

detection of the weed and create a map of affected areas. Results 

will be disseminated to stakeholders through demonstrations of the 

developed technology at cranberry grower meetings. The 

technology will also be deployed at cranberry bogs at Rutgers P.E. 

Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research and selected 

cranberry farms in New Jersey to assess its effectiveness.

$39,991.00

New Jersey 

Department of 

Agriculture

$817,417.05

9. Nickel Nutrient to 

Mitigate Blossom End Rot 

Abiotic Stress in Tomato 

and Bell Pepper

The Soil Fertility research group at Rutgers University evaluates 

Nickel (Ni) micronutrient application to mitigate Blossom End Rot 

(BER) in tomato and sweet bell pepper specialty crops. To meet this 

goal, the project outcomes include: 1.) determine the nickel 

requirements for common tomato and bell pepper varieties in NJ; 

2.) disseminate Ni application recommendations to NJ growers; and 

3.) utilize key finding to expand specialty crop research into Ni 

nutrient application for abating abiotic stress.

$39,733.00

New Jersey 

Department of 

Agriculture

$817,417.05

10. Tri-County 

Cooperative Auction 

Market (Specialty Crop - 

Outreach, Advertising, 

and Website 

Development Project)

The Tri-County Cooperative Auction Market will increase our 

customer and grower base to increase sales of specialty crops 

grown in New Jersey through outreach, marketing, and sales 

strategies. The project will have four major components: 1) 

Outreach/sales through events, conferences, and county board of 

agriculture meetings 2) Website re-design 3) Special events at the 

market 4) Advertising and promotion.

$40,000.00
127

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

New Jersey 

Department of 

Agriculture

$817,417.05

11. Urban Agriculture Coop (Improving the 

Aggregation and 

Transportation to Newark 

and expanding to Jersey 

City for Rural and Urban 

Specialty 

Urban Agriculture Cooperative will provide aggregation and 

distribution services on behalf of 20 specialty crop growers (both 

urban and rural) to new markets in Newark and also Jersey City, NJ. 

Over 800 customers will be served specialty crops distributed in the 

form of farms-to-families share boxes to schools and non-profit 

partners, and also wholesale to farmers markets.

$40,000.00

New Jersey 

Department of 

Agriculture

$817,417.05 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and postaward activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$37,406.71

New Mexico 

Department of 

Agriculture

$611,735.91 1. Agri-Nature Center 

Demonstration Kitchen

The Agri-Nature Center will educate farmers, students, and adults 

on food processing and preservation techniques through the 

development of a demonstration kitchen that will provide classes to 

the public.

$27,500.00

New Mexico 

Department of 

Agriculture

$611,735.91

2. VetCorps Veteran 

Farmers Beekeeping and 

Extended Season Crops 

Program

Not Forgotten Outreach, Inc. trains VetCorps members and 

community members to perform the maintenance of honeybee

colonies and hives, in order to collect their honey and other 

products that the hive produces (including beeswax, propolis, 

pollen), while protecting and improving pollinator health. 

Additionally, VetCorps members will be trained to grow and harvest 

extended season crops through hydroponics, hoop houses, and low 

tunnel row crop systems.

$56,691.78

New Mexico 

Department of 

Agriculture

$611,735.91

3. Phase 2: Increasing 

Access and Expanding 

Opportunities for the 

Success of New MexicoGrown Specialty Cut 

Flowers

In Phase 2, the New Mexico Flower Collective will expand the 

network of cut flower producers, increase sales opportunities, and 

improve distribution throughout the state. It will increase support 

for New Mexico's cut flower farmers and buyers through farmer 

education, aggregation and distribution channels, and promotion of 

local farmers and flowers across the state.

$139,724.00
128

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

New Mexico 

Department of 

Agriculture

$611,735.91

4. New Mexico LandLink: 

Enhancing New Mexico's 

Specialty Crop Industry 

with Land Access, 

Technical Training, and 

Digital Marketplace 

Development 

New Mexico LandLink is a project of the NMSU Department of 

Extension Economics and a coordinated effort of NMSU county 

Extension agents and specialists to increase the supply of specialty 

crops across the state and increase market access for consumers. 

The NM LandLink project is designed to address three of the most 

critical challenges for NM's specialty crop industry: access to 

agricultural lands, education and technical assistance for producers, 

and the digital infrastructure that connects specialty crop supply to 

meet market demand. The land access component will provide 

specialty crop producer with the technical assistance needed to 

successfully access and obtain the agricultural land needed for their 

operation. Building upon the first component, NM LandLink will 

organize five, in-person, NMSU specialists led, Specialty Crop 

Master Class series across the state to provide producers with the 

education and training for their specific operation needs. The third 

component will be to create Path-to-Plate, an online local food 

marketplace that will allow New Mexico specialty crop producers to 

seamlessly connect with buyers across the state.

$223,128.35

New Mexico 

Department of 

Agriculture

$611,735.91

5. Improving Access to 

Specialty Crops in Early 

Childhood on the Navajo 

Nation

The BEN Initiative will collaborate with other indigenous farmers to 

build an agricultural cooperative that provides education about and 

access to locally grown, specialty and traditional Navajo produce 

and value-added products.

$114,482.30

New Mexico 

Department of 

Agriculture

$611,735.91 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$48,828.38
129

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

New York State 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Markets

$1,281,067.02

1. Understanding the 

Potential and Feasibility 

of Using Supplemental UV 

Light for Apple Disease

Management

Cornell University will conduct research to develop a better 

understanding of how to effectively use supplemental germicidal 

light (UV-C) to reduce reliance on multi-site fungicides (copper, 

captan, and mancozeb) and antibiotics while managing fungal and 

bacterial diseases in young, high-density orchards and not 

compromising the productivity of apples or placing additional 

financial or labor burden on the grower.

$99,960.00

New York State 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Markets

$1,281,067.02

2. Seed Treatment 

Packages That Protect 

Bulb Onions From EarlySeason Pests and 

Diseases

Cornell University will identify the most effective combination of 

insecticides and fungicides to protect the onion crop against earlyseason maggot infestations and seedling diseases and disseminate 

this information to growers.

$99,993.00

New York State 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Markets

$1,281,067.02

3. Determining Efficient 

and Effective Inoculation 

Methods for Arbuscular 

Mycorrhizal Fungi in NY 

Vineyards

Cornell University will research how to best inoculate grapevines 

with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to improve nutrient and 

water acquisition. Growers are interested in potentially adopting 

AMF inoculation but have many questions about how to best apply 

these products. The goal of this project is to have 15 growers report 

an intent to adopt a specific inoculation practice.

$100,000.00

New York State 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Markets

$1,281,067.02

4. Defining Maturity and 

Storage Conditions for 

Emerging Apple Varieties

Cornell University will conduct research over a two-year period to 

define appropriate maturity indices and storability of the emerging 

apple varieties Ambrosia, Pink Lady, EverCrisp and Wild Twist. The 

outcomes will define the optimum harvest dates and storage 

conditions that will result in high quality fruit that will result on 

consumer satisfaction. Conclusions will be shared with growers and 

storage operators in order to maximize the commercial success of 

these emerging varieties grown under NYS conditions.

$50,661.00
130

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

New York State 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Markets

$1,281,067.02

5. Development of Sugar 

Kelp Gametophyte 

Cultures to Promote Kelp 

Aquaculture in New York 

State

While climate change threatens the sustainability of kelp farming in 

NY, Stony Brook University will develop gametophyte kelp cultures 

to overcome this obstacle. Yields of kelp will be measured during 

the growing season and quantified in terms of biomass, length, 

carbon, and nitrogen. Approaches will be iteratively refined via an 

adaptive management approach over the course of the project. 

Results and successful approaches will be socialized to 

aquaculturists and organization promoting aquaculture in NY such 

as New York Sea Grant, NYSDEC, and Lazy Point kelp farmers using 

workshops and regular project committee meetings.

$82,619.00

New York State 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Markets

$1,281,067.02

6. Evaluation of Apple 

Cuticle Amendments for 

Mitigation of Scarf Skin 

and Late-Season Russet

Cornell University will field test several potential field mitigation 

sprays on NY1(SnapDragon) that have been shown to impact fruit 

cuticle function in other apple cultivars. Using time series 

collections throughout the growing season from multiple grower 

cooperators, growth rate metrics, color, fruit nutrient levels and 

carbon isotopes will be measured, as well as, incidence of late 

season russet and scarf skin to determine any beneficial impacts of 

sprays on fruit quality and russet suppression.

$92,960.00

New York State 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Markets

$1,281,067.02

7. Trac Software Upgrade 

into Trac Cloud for 

Instantaneous Application 

Records and Reports

Cornell University will upgrade Trac Software into Trac Cloud and 

develop a spray card app to sync crop input data directly from 

phone to spray records. We will combine the six fruit Trac Software 

types into one modular Trac Cloud. The modular format will pave 

the way for data sharing between emerging and existing digital 

agriculture technologies. Trac Cloud, will further enhance recordkeeping, traceability, producer-to-market cooperation, pesticide 

safety, food security, and market access. We will deliver Trac Cloud 

with a robust database, an easy-to-use interface, and supporting 

materials.

$75,622.00
131

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

New York State 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Markets

$1,281,067.02

8. Amplifying the Power 

of Natural UV Light to 

Combat Grape Downy 

Mildew 

The Light and Health Research Center at the Icahn School of 

Medicine at Mount Sinai will conduct a field study in a vineyard in 

Claverack, NY to demonstrate that titanium dioxide (TiO2), used in 

the presence of sunlight, will reduce the severity of grapevine 

downy mildew better than conventional fungicide treatments. 

Study results will be shared with stakeholders and government 

regulators to increase the use of TiO2 as an alternative to current 

fungicide treatments.

$98,185.00

New York State 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Markets

$1,281,067.02 9. GAP Reimbursement 

Program

New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYS AGM) 

will continue work that previous SCBG Good Agricultural Practices 

(GAP) projects successfully implemented. The project will promote 

the GAP audit as the best way to prepare for new regulatory 

programs and standards to be implemented under the Food Safety 

Modernization Act (FSMA). We will continue to focus support for 

first time and potentially subsequent GAP audits as New York GAP 

program data indicates that a significant number of farms continue 

participation with GAP audits after having their initial audit. The 

program will offer producers up to a $2000 reimbursement 

incentive to obtain a GAP audit, the cost of training, GAP-required 

water test, and cost of consultancy to prepare a farm food safety 

plan (consultants for new applicants only.

$70,000.00

New York State 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Markets

$1,281,067.02

10. Marketing and 

Promotion of New York's 

Specialty Crops

New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets will 

promote New York's specialty crops at trade shows across the 

country, increasing sales of specialty crops and broadening New 

York specialty crop producers' sales avenues nationally and via 

export.

$208,330.35
132

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

New York State 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Markets

$1,281,067.02

11. Improving 

Understanding of 

Postharvest Water 

Management, Sanitation, 

and Traceability to 

Improve On-Farm Food 

Safety 

Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) personnel, based at Cornell 

University, will develop and deliver workshops specifically for NY 

growers focused on postharvest water management, sanitation, 

and traceability.

$200,000.00

New York State 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Markets

$1,281,067.02 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$98,183.23

North Carolina 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$1,261,978.67

1. Developing Polygenic 

RSWV Resistance in 

Tomatoes

The NC State University will incorporate polygenic tomato spotted 

wilt resistance into fresh-market tomato cultivars mitigating the 

damage caused by the tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) and 

resistant breaking variants of the virus (RB-TSWV) in North Carolina. 

The resistant-breaking variants of the virus not controlled by the 

Sw-5b gene have become prevalent in some regions, including 

tomato production areas, and the use of TSWV-resistant tomato 

cultivars is the most effective management strategy. We will utilize 

conventional breeding approaches expedited with marker-assisted 

selection to develop and release new TSWV-resistant tomato lines 

and cultivars. An integrated genome-wide approach will be utilized 

to map the resistant gene/s in a newly identified resistance source 

(TSW-07). The results will be shared with NC tomato growers and 

stakeholders through tomato field days and extension conferences.

$185,134.10
133

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

North Carolina 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$1,261,978.67

2. Management of 

Sweetpotato Southern 

Blight

North Carolina (NC) is the number one producer of sweetpotato in 

the United States (US), contributing over 50% of the total 

production at a value of more than $478 million. Several diseases 

affect the yield and quality of sweetpotatoes in North Carolina and 

control options for many of them are limited. North Carolina State 

University will improve management of Southern Blight in 

sweepotatoes by evaluating registered and unregistered fungicides 

for efficacy in the field, determining the fungicide residue levels of 

products to ensure they are compatible with export market 

requirements, and disseminating research results to stakeholders 

through web-based tools and presentations at grower meetings.

$106,729.00

North Carolina 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$1,261,978.67 3. Quantifying Risk of 

Colletotrichum on Apple

The fruit pathology lab at North Carolina State University will 

improve recommendations for management of Glomerella leaf spot 

and bitter rot on apple. A reassessment is needed to evaluate any 

population shifts of Colletotrichum spp. to compare how apple 

variety and management practices influence species diversity and 

fungicide sensitivity for an orchard and to understand the life cycle 

of species present with the current climate. A risk-based model will 

be developed based on survey data on Glomerella leaf spot and 

bitter rot infection frequencies in relation to cultural and chemical 

control practices, cultivar and tree age, climatic factors, and 

Colletotrichum species present. The overall goal of this research is 

to provide apple grower stakeholders new recommendations for 

chemical management and findings will be communicated through 

grower meetings and extension publications.

$110,796.00
134

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

North Carolina 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$1,261,978.67

4. Optimizing Truffle 

Orchard Evaluation for 

Growers

Truffles are the fruiting bodies of a fungus that only grow in 

association with roots of certain tree species and are a unique 

specialty crop. Because truffles typically are not produced until at 

least 7 years after establishment, it is recommended that producers 

evaluate samples of roots to ensure their trees continue to be 

colonized by the truffle species of interest. Currently, samples are 

sent to a lab for evaluation, which is expensive for growers. NC 

State University aims to reduce input costs for truffle producers to 

evaluate colonization of their own trees by combining two 

strategies: teach growers to select roots for evaluation as some 

mycorrhizae can be excluded based on morphology using dissecting 

microscopes; and validate the use of FTA cards for growers to 

selectively sample their roots for lab confirmation of the truffle 

species present.

$156,505.90

North Carolina 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$1,261,978.67

5. Increasing 

Competitiveness for 

Historically Underserved 

Farmers 

The Carolina Farm Stewardship Association will assist historically 

underserved specialty crop producers in overcoming challenges 

transitioning from direct-to-consumer (DTC) markets to wholesale 

and institutional buyers and food hubs. We will conduct five 

workshops for 75 specialty crop producers on food safety and postharvest handling, product specification, and strategies for 

increasing their competitiveness in new non-DTC markets; conduct 

five 5-part webinar series on Navigating the GAP audit to 100 

specialty crop producers; provide direct technical assistance to 25 

specialty crop producers in developing and implementing a food 

safety plan and GAP certification ; and provide direct technical 

assistance to 15 specialty crop producers interested in expanding 

into new wholesale and intermediate markets. This will result in 90 

specialty crop producers gaining technical knowledge about 

producing specialty crops, 15 will report producing more specialty 

crops, 225 will gain food safety knowledge, 275 will implement 

practices to mitigate food safety risks, 25 will establish or revise a 

food safety plan, and 25 will purchase or upgrade food safety 

equipment.

$135,003.82
135

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

North Carolina 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$1,261,979.67

6. Development of 

Viticulture Extension 

Resources

North Carolina State University will support the state’s grape and 

wine industry by developing a comprehensive viticulture outreach 

and education program. The NC grape and wine industry had an 

economic impact of $6.8 billion on the state in 2022, contributing 

to more than 25,000 NC jobs directly, and more than 45,000 jobs 

across NC. Despite those impacts, this fast-growing industry lacks 

appropriate educational resources tailored to NC. For this purpose, 

we propose to develop the following tools for growers: 1) 

Comprehensive and detailed online viticulture education resources. 

2) On-demand viticulture classes for NC growers and extension 

agents. 3) In-person training and viticulture practice 

demonstrations. This project will lead to improved grape growing 

practices, and to a more educated workforce in industry and 

cooperative extension, enhancing the footprint of NC for grape and 

wine production.

$135,003.82

North Carolina 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$1,261,978.67 7. Rapid Development of 

Resistant Fraser Fir

The North Carolina State University’s Whitehill Lab Christmas Tree 

Genetics (CTG) Program, in collaboration Tri-Hishtil LLC, will pioneer 

novel grafting approaches to produce desperately needed 

Phytophthora root rot (PRR) resistant rootstock. Our goal is to 

immediately provide short-term solutions to the two biggest 

challenges impacting NC Christmas tree growers, PRR disease and 

deer browse. We propose five major project objectives: 1) 

Generate vectors for use in Fraser fir SE transformation 

experiments; 2) Generate Fraser fir SE lines that carry the 

Trichoderma cellulase and/or (+)-limonene synthase gene; 3) 

Develop high-throughput grafting protocols for Fraser fir SE 

seedlings in conjunction with industry partners; 4) Evaluate 

Phytophthora spp. resistance and characterize aromatic profiles of 

transgenic Fraser fir; and 5) Synthesize and disseminate results and 

materials to NC Christmas tree stakeholders through Extension 

activities. We expect project deliverables to accelerate production 

and distribution of disease resistant Fraser fir to Christmas tree 

growers.

$199,996.20
136

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

North Carolina 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$1,261,978.67 8. Expansion of NC Potato 

Markets 2024-2025

he North Carolina Potato Association (NCPA) will continue to build 

market opportunities for its members/growers in this project 

through potato marketing/promotions. We are seeking marketing 

funds to promote NC potatoes at annual meetings, through media, 

and website to corporate potato buyers/decision makers in the US 

and Canada, and to consumers and students. By continuing our 

marketing efforts, we will enhance competitiveness of our potatoes 

with storage crop potatoes and enhance consumer education of 

potato nutrition. Additional information for school students and 

consumers will be added to the www.ncpotatoes.org site for 

educational purposes. Through this grant funding we aim to 

increase buyer awareness and increase consumer awareness; 

increase the volume of NC potatoes moved into the markets; and 

increase amount of consumer consumption.

$44,123.72

North Carolina 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$1,261,978.67

9. Boosting Microgreen 

Production via Science 

Driven Approaches

The North Carolina A&T State University will enhance the microbial 

quality and evaluate the sensory profiles of microgreens by 

studying the impacts of growth substrates and light sources on 

microgreens’ microbiota, metabolomic profiles, and flavor profiles. 

Microgreens have gained increasing popularity among small 

produce farms and new growers. Fresh microgreens are highly 

perishable, and some species have distinct and less appealing 

flavors. We will: 1) explore the impacts of different growth 

substrates and light sources on microgreens’ microbiota and 

spoilage quality; 2) Investigate how the growth substrates and light 

composition impact flavor and metabolomic profile of microgreens; 

and 3) develop educational materials for growers on best 

microgreen production practices for yielding improved shelf-life 

and flavor profiles.

$124,960.00
137

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

North Carolina 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$1,261,978.67

10. Understanding 

Natural Grass Sod 

Purchasing Decisions

NC Sod Producers will gain an understanding of younger consumer 

attitudes toward natural grass and when and where younger 

consumers are gathering information that would inform a purchase 

decision, and then ultimately create an online home to support 

consumers in the decision-making process. With the insights and 

website that would be generated, this project will ensure that NC 

sod producers can effectively invest promotional resources to be 

top of mind with NC consumers.

$58,063.41

North Carolina 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$1,261,978.67 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$45,045.12

North Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,358,290.40

1. Invasive Horticulture 

Pest Trapping and 

Outreach Project

The North Dakota Department of Agriculture (NDDA) will document 

the presence or absence of specific pests that affect trees and 

shrubs of North Dakota. The main pests that will be monitored for 

are Japanese beetle, emerald ash borer, and exotic wood 

borer/bark beetles.

$135,565.80

North Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,358,290.40 2. Diagnostics of Nosema 

Infection in Honeybees

Apiary inspection programs from the North Dakota Department of 

Agriculture, South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural 

Resources, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, 

Montana Department of Agriculture, Maine Department of 

Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and Vermont Agency of 

Agriculture, Food and Markets will collect information on hive 

health from a total of 1200 colonies (over 2 years) and look for 

correlations of hive health, Nosema spore counts, and molecular 

results.

$151,008.80
138

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

North Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,358,290.40

3. Developing a 

Comprehensive Molecular 

Diagnostic Panel and 

Sampling Techniques to 

Quantify Root Pathogens 

in Pulse Crop Hosts and 

the Environment

The National Agricultural Genotyping Center (NAGC) and North 

Dakota State University Williston Research Extension Center 

(WREC) will create a comprehensive molecular panel and optimize 

field collection methods to quantify pathogens causing root rot 

disease in pulse crops.

$321,804.00

North Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,358,290.40

4. Increase the Availability 

of a Diagnostic Panel to 

Survey for Herbicide 

Resistance in Kochia 

Populations

The National Agricultural Genotyping Center (NAGC) will build a 

diagnostic panel to determine the herbicide resistance (HR) 

potential of kochia in North Dakota. This project will: 1) provide 

wider availability of genetic tests to rapidly screen for HR in 

research programs and grower fields, and 2) deliver the first state 

map of HR genotypes in kochia collected for an upcoming sampling 

program.

$271,945.00

North Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,358,290.40

5. Utilize Messaging and 

Marketing to Increase 

Awareness and Sales of 

North Dakota-grown 

Potatoes

The Northland Potato Growers Association (NPGA) will coordinate 

plans and efforts to promote the potato growers and specialty crop 

potato industry. This grant will utilize a common identity, 

marketing, communications, and education plan to showcase, 

promote and increase sales of North Dakota (ND) grown potatoes 

across the US and international countries.

$150,000.00

North Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,358,290.40

6. Facilitating 

International Growth for 

ND Specialty Crop 

Producers and Processors

The North Dakota Trade Office (NDTO) seeks to increase the market 

share of ND specialty crops by strategically expanding opportunities 

and partnerships internationally.

$382,321.00

North Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,358,290.40

7. Mitigating Potato Seed 

Decay and Associated 

Economic Losses Using 

Enhanced Suberization 

Strategy

Potato Research Program of USDA-ARS, Fargo, North Dakota will 

establish an agreement with the North Dakota State Department of 

Agriculture to advance research strategies for mitigating potato 

tuber seed decay and associated crop production losses.

$118,000.00
139

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

North Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,358,290.40

8. MetiGROWshe 

Educational Garden and 

Orchard at Camp 

Metigoshe

The MetiGROWshe Garden and Orchard at Camp Metigoshe will 

educate participants, staff, and volunteers on the production of and 

nutritional value of vegetable, herb, and fruit crops through 

interactive learning sessions.

$53,532.24

North Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,358,290.40

9. Pursuit and 

Development of a 

Durable rust-resistant 

Confectionary Sunflower

North Dakota State University plant pathologists and breeders 

located in North Dakota will pursue the development of durable 

rust resistance in confection sunflower hybrids by identifying, 

mapping, and incorporating potential gene(s) conferring adult plant 

resistance into a confectionary sunflower hybrid.

$180,859.00

North Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,358,290.40

10. Toward a 

Comprehensive 

Understanding of Pulse 

Proteins and their 

Fractions as Affected by 

Simple Food

Processing 

North Dakota State University will address the critical needs of 

pulse proteins to be utilized as “Alt protein” in the food industry, 

which can directly help increase the market of pulse production in 

North Dakota (ND). The overall objective of this study is to 

comprehensively understand how the structural, functional 

properties, flavor profile of isolated individual pulse protein 

fractions (globulin, legumin, vicilin and albumin) are affected by a 

number of moderate and simple processing conditions by (e.g., 

thermal treatment, pH shift, ultrasound, high pressure treatment).

$170,123.00

North Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,358,290.40

11. Towards Visualizing 

Improvements in 

Management of the Early 

Die Complex

Plant pathologists from North Dakota State University will improve 

outcomes from the early die disease complex for growers. 

Specifically, we will work directly with growers and an industry 

partner to validate the use of imaging for detection of potato early 

die disease.

$142,975.00

North Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,358,290.40

12. Integrated Root Rot 

Management in Field 

Peas with Crop Rotation, 

Planting Date, and Seed 

Treatment

In this project, the North Dakota State University Carrington and 

Williston Research Extension Centers seek to evaluate the 

integrated use of crop rotation, planting date, and fungicide seed 

treatment for management of field pea root rot.

$97,502.00
140

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

North Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,358,290.40

13. Post-Harvesting 

Processing and Quality 

Effects on Value-Added 

Cold-Hardy Berry and 

Stone Fruits

North Dakota State University (NDSU) will lead and execute the 

project to increase consumption and access to cold-hardy berries 

and stone fruits. NDSU's Northern Crops Institute (NCI) will identify 

fresh and frozen harvest and post-harvest conditions' that impacts 

their optimization for processing and fruit qualities- acidity, 

phenolic profile, colorimetric, and sensory characteristics of North 

Dakota indigenous or introduced cold-hardy berry and stone fruits 

of value-added commercial use or interest.

$121,520.00

North Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,358,290.40

14. Determining 

Interactions of Nematode 

and Fungal Pathogens for 

Control of Potato Early 

Die Disease Complex

The Department of Plant Pathology at North Dakota State 

University will determine the effects of co-inoculation of the rootlesion nematode species Pratylenchus scribneri and fungal 

pathogen Verticillium dahliae on disease symptoms of potato early 

die and growth and yield of selected potato cultivars, and

determine the nematode and fungal interactions by comparing the 

effects of co-infection of nematode and fungal pathogens to the 

infection of nematode or fungal pathogen alone in outdoor 

microplot field experiments.

$139,600.00

North Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,358,290.40

15. Development of Dry 

Bean-based Bakery 

Products from Stone 

Milled Flours

The Northern Crop Institute, tasked with growing markets for crops 

in the northern plains, will develop stone milling process and 

formulate new bakery products using the most important dry bean 

classes in North Dakota, promoting dry beans market both 

nationally and internationally.

$22,330.00

North Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,358,290.40

16. Building a Better 

Inoculant and Inoculation 

Decision Framework for 

North Dakota Pulse Crops

In this project, North Dakota State University researchers will 

generate data on which inoculant formulation result in the highest 

yield when considering field history of pulse production. Their work 

will lead to a better decision framework for farmers when it comes 

to choosing inoculant products for their operation and even take 

the first steps to developing new and improved versions that 

overcome the rhizobium competition problem.

$189,903.00
141

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

North Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,358,290.40

17. Development of Pilot 

Milling Operations and 

Product Application for 

Lentils 

The Northern Crops Institute will promote the purchase of lentils in 

global markets by developing low-cost stone milling operations and 

utilization of lentil flour in foods important to the world's most 

significant lentil customers.

$20,912.00

North Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,358,290.40 18. Lentil Root Rot 

Prediction and Mitigation

The North Dakota State University Williston Research Extension 

Center will compare one-, two-, three-, and four-year intervals in 

between lentil crops to determine the effect of these rotation 

lengths on root rot disease severity and yield in a no-till, dryland 

cropping system. Intercropping lentils with canola will be evaluated 

for suppression of root rot in lentils in a short rotation. Finally, a soil 

root rot potential seedling bioassay will be evaluated for its 

usefulness in predicting field root rot severity.

$36,930.00

North Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,358,290.40

19. Breeding by Design to 

Develop the Next 

Generation ultra-high 

Protein Pea Varieties

The North Dakota State University Pulse Crops Breeding Team, in 

collaboration with NDSU geneticist, agronomist, and food scientists, 

will aim to develop the next generation, ultra-high protein pea 

cultivars for sustainable protein production with a minimal carbon 

footprint.

$272,228.00

North Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,358,290.40

20. Evaluating Woody 

Plant Species for Clonal 

Propagation Methods

The North Dakota State University Woody Plant Improvement 

Program will evaluate suitable propagation methods for five 

different woody plant species including: Acer trifloum (threeflower 

maple), Alnus hirsuta, Manchurian alder, Cercis canadensis (Eastern 

redbud), Prunus triloba `Multiplex' (double flowering plum) and 

Tilia cordata (littleleaf linden). This project will focus on best 

management practices for developing propagation methods 

utilizing plant tissue culture (micropropagation).

$59,482.00
142

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

North Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,358,290.40

21. Evaluating 

Hydrangeas for the North 

Dakota Nursery and 

Landscaping Industry

The North Dakota State University proposes to evaluate six 

different species/hybrids and multiple new cultivars of hydrangea 

including: Hydrangea anomala (climbing hydrangea), Hydrangea 

arborescens (smooth hydrangea), H. macrophylla (bigleaf 

hydrangea), H. paniculata (panicle hydrangea), H. serrata (mountain 

hydrangea) and hydrangea hybrids. These new cultivars will be 

compared to the industry standards for adaptation and usability in 

North Dakota.

$67,112.00

North Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$3,358,290.40 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$241,767.87

Commonwealth of 

the Northern 

Mariana Islands 

Department of 

Lands and Natural 

Resources

$244,569.99 1. Food Safety Training

The Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands Division of 

Agriculture will team up with Public Health Bureau of 

Environmental Health and train local farmers to become certified 

food handlers. The importance of this project is to ensure that all of 

our local farmers complied with the food handler requirements of 

the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Island and ensure 

that safety is being practiced when handling or processing food. 

Training will be conducted by officials from Bureau of 

Environmental Health with the expectation of certifying if not all 

but most of the local farmers and their employees who are selling 

specialty crops around the island.

$65,000.00
143

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Commonwealth of 

the Northern 

Mariana Islands 

Department of 

Lands and Natural 

Resources

$244,569.99 2. Farmers Market Pilot 

Education Program

Kagaman and Farm Producer Association (KAFPA) will collaborate 

with Division of Agriculture to conduct field trainings to promote 

local produce and educate consumers on the process of producing 

of locally grown crops or processed food products. The trainings 

will be based more on a farm to table concept, where farmers will 

showcase the farm plot and their produce, also process it takes to 

grow the produce and even provided a recipe for participants to 

taste so that they can get the whole experience of how food is 

being produced from farm and straight to the table and into their 

mouth.

$65,000.00

Commonwealth of 

the Northern 

Mariana Islands 

Department of

Lands and Natural 

Resources

$244,569.99 3. Introduction of 

Aquaponic Systems

Division of Agriculture will collaborate with local farmers who are 

interested in aquaponic system method of farming and assisted 

them in installing an aquaponic system for growing lettuce, and the 

system will be used as display and inspiration for others to mimic 

and adapt. The project will be used to determine variety of lettuce 

that grows best as well as challenges that goes along with 

maintaining an aquaponic system. After the end of the project, 

results will be printed on brochures and distributed to schools and 

communities for educational purposes.

$80,000.00

Commonwealth of 

the Northern 

Mariana Islands 

Department of 

Lands and Natural 

Resources

$244,569.99 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and postaward activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$34,560.90
144

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Ohio Department of 

Agriculture $604,523.95

1. Expanding Raspberry 

Production Options for 

Acreage Expansion, LongTerm Sustainability, Risk 

Mitigation, and Season 

Extension

The Ohio State University will help Ohio growers boost raspberry 

production by developing innovative production methods, creating 

comprehensive training curriculum for raspberry growers, and 

delivering multifaceted grower outreach through webinars, social 

media, grower meetings, field days and farm visits. The purpose of 

the project is to develop a sustainable production protocol to grow 

raspberries from the “recycled” long cane raspberry bushes after 

they have finished fruiting, test the viability of production system in 

the greenhouse, and improve the production skills of growers for 

acreage expansion. The deliverables of the project include a 

"grower friendly" production protocol of raspberry system utilizing 

the long cane bushes, a fact sheet on greenhouse production, a 

comprehensive training curriculum for growers, and eight grower 

training programs in various forms across Ohio.

$98,000.00

Ohio Department of 

Agriculture $604,523.95

2. Demonstrating the 

Benefits of Companion 

Planting Using Specialty 

Crop Cultivation with 

"FarmBot” Tech

Center for Innovative Food Technology (CIFT), partnering with Sofia 

Quintero Arts and Cultural Center (SQACC), will demonstrate the 

use of a FarmBot in raised beds as related to tomato production. 

This will allow companion planting of basil and carrots thereby 

impacting yields, pesticides, and labor needs. SQACC will install and 

operate the FarmBot on their three acres Urban Farm grounds in an 

area deemed as a food desert due to the poor availability of food to 

its community's low-income residents. Beneficiaries of this initiative 

include individuals exposed to the technique, student volunteers 

interested in the industry, other urban/community operations, 

small scale specialty crop growers, local extension agents, an 

assortment of organizations prominent in the area, and social 

media influencers exploring food system advancements.

$26,350.00
145

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Ohio Department of 

Agriculture $604,523.95

3. Battery Powered 

Future: Electric 

Innovations in Fruit Crop 

Settings

In recent years, battery powered solutions to horticultural 

challenges have become increasingly accessible, opportune as the 

price and availability of labor has become a primary constraint for 

many operations. Adoption of these technologies in the Ohio fruit 

crop sector has been notably absent. A team of The Ohio State 

University (OSU) researchers and extension personnel will 

implement a program of trials and outreach aimed to reduce the 

information, familiarity, and skill barriers constraining the adoption 

of battery powered technology in specialty fruit crop settings. Our 

project will conduct a series of trials evaluating the efficacy and 

economics of battery powered horticultural tools. The OSU team 

will leverage its extension resources to create a portfolio of outputs 

including a video series, a horticultural technology field day at 

Ashtabula Agricultural Research Station, and an Ohio-based support 

and networking group for operators of emerging technologies in 

specialty crop settings.

$97,923.00

Ohio Department of 

Agriculture $604,523.95

4. On-farm Cultivation of 

Goldenseal, a High Value 

Ohio Specialty Crop

Rural Action and United Plant Savers will conduct research into 

multiple cultivation methods for the commercially valuable forest 

crop goldenseal, Hydrastis canadensis. Goldenseal is a high-value 

specialty crop; the root portion of the plant wholesales for $60/dry 

pound and retails for over $400/dry pound. Project leaders will 

compare goldenseal grown from seed, from rootlet (or rhizome), 

and from fibrous roots, and grow the plants out in three 

environments. The objective of the study is to provide farmers and 

members of the herbal products industry with guidance on best 

propagation practices that will support the sustainability of the 

goldenseal supply chain. Findings from the project will be shared 

through four hands-on workshops, presentations at the 2024 and 

2025 OEFFA conference, and a publication in the Journal of 

Medicinal Plant Conservation.

$99,996.91
146

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Ohio Department of 

Agriculture $604,523.95

5. Intercepting Invaders: 

Keeping Spotted 

Lanternfly out of Ohio 

Grapes

Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) is a new invasive insect recently detected 

in four counties and model forecasting estimates rapid expansion of 

this pest across Ohio. SLF has a particular affinity for grapes, and 

high infestations can lead to complete crop loss without timely 

management. Grape production supports a diverse retail market in 

Ohio that includes wineries, commercial sales, and associated 

'agritainment' businesses. The Ohio State University will partner 

with wineries and vineyards statewide to 1) Monitor vineyards for 

SLF infestations using eDNA, in person scouting and circle traps, 2) 

identify variables that may predispose vineyards to SLF infestations 

and 3) develop extension resources that outline best practices for 

managing SLF in grape. We will increase the monitoring of SLF at 

OH vineyards, boost specialty crop grower awareness and 

knowledge of SLF and improve preparedness toward managing SLF 

populations in all of Ohio's vulnerable specialty crops.

$74,744.00

Ohio Department of 

Agriculture $604,523.95

6. Next Generation 

Advances in Seed Health 

Fortifying Ohio Specialty 

Crop Resilience

This project will build a platform for specialty crop seed health 

testing and pathogen diagnostics for Ohio producers. This goal will 

be achieved through the combined expertise of three research and 

Extension teams at The Ohio State University. Seed-borne 

pathogens are a major limitation to specialty crop production, from 

vegetables to ornamentals. Producers may not know if their seed is 

certified as clean, which can lead to complete crop losses before 

transplanting. We propose to expand the capacity of our diagnostic 

platform by establishing a seed health program. This project will 

define methodology for pathogen seed testing and microbiomebased seed health of major specialty crops. This will increase access 

to seed testing for Ohio producers and create new training 

opportunities for future plant health professionals in Ohio and 

nationally. This project will establish a standard and novel cultureindependent protocols for detection of bacterial seedborne 

pathogens and core seed health.

$98,000.00
147

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Ohio Department of 

Agriculture $604,523.95 7. Wholesale for All Scales

FairShare CSA Coalition will coordinate peer-to-peer training on 

vegetable crop production, training and guidance on wholesale 

packaging standards and practices, food safety requirements, and 

host farm and facility tours for diversified vegetable growers 

seeking to sell to wholesale outlets. Many small to mid-scale 

diversified vegetable growers do not have the knowledge or skills 

necessary to modify their operations to participate in a wholesale 

marketplace. This project sets out to address this by creating a daylong workshops to introduce growers to market opportunities 

through targeted presentations, peer-to-peer production skills 

training and development, current food safety requirements, 

standards and practices of packaging for specific wholesale outlets 

and guidance on how to meet them. By introducing growers to 

these opportunities, providing them with knowledge, and 

highlighting successful examples we set out to increase the number 

of small to mid-scale farms participating in these markets.

$44,049.00

Ohio Department of 

Agriculture $604,523.95 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$63,567.66

Oklahoma 

Department of 

Agriculture, Food, 

and Forestry

$545,237.77 1. Tapping Value from 

Oklahoma Maples

Scientists at Oklahoma State University propose to document 

quality, devise and demonstrate procedures to streamline 

processing and assist in development of a new maple syrup 

industry in Oklahoma. Our project seeks to provide critical syrup 

quality specifications and market comparisons, as well as 

processing improvements, needed to unlock value contained in 

millions of unutilized Oklahoma maples and by doing so bring about 

a new Oklahoma maple syrup specialty crop industry.

$96,899.00

Oklahoma 

Department of 

Agriculture, Food, 

and Forestry

$545,237.77

2. Investigating Goji Berry 

and Seaberry as 

Ornamental and Edible 

Crops for the Oklahoma

Researchers at Oklahoma State University will determine if test 

species will prove aesthetically acceptable (ornamental) but also 

yield fruit for fresh and/or dried consumption and/or for other 

commercial uses.

$96,971.00
148

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Oklahoma 

Department of 

Agriculture, Food, 

and Forestry

$545,237.77

3. Improving Soil Health in 

Pecan Orchards Leading 

to Increased Profitability

Noble Research Institute, LLC will demonstrate soil-centric 

management of pecan orchards that improve the overall soil health 

and ecosystem services, leading to increased profitability. Multiple 

orchards across Oklahoma will be monitored for soil, tree, and 

orchard health. Results will be disseminated to stakeholders 

through grower meetings and a free, publicly available scorecard 

for tracking progress of soil-centric management.

$85,000.00

Oklahoma 

Department of 

Agriculture, Food, 

and Forestry

$545,237.77

4. Evaluating the Portable 

Sequencer Minion to 

Detect Viruses of 

Solanaceous Crops

Oklahoma State University will explore the use of a portable DNA 

sequencer called MinION to detect multiple viruses that infect 

Solanaceae plants, which include widely grown crops like tomatoes 

and peppers. This will help growers make informed decisions to 

manage their crops effectively, leading to improved yields.

$72,000.00

Oklahoma 

Department of 

Agriculture, Food, 

and Forestry

$545,237.77 5. Oklahoma Specialty 

Crop Card Games

Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom will create six educational card 

games with the main focus on Oklahoma Specialty Crops, while 

covering other core academic standards. The purpose of this 

project is to provide meaningful and relevant materials for 

professional development for Oklahoma educators.

$58,500.00

Oklahoma 

Department of 

Agriculture, Food, 

and Forestry

$545,237.77 6. Oklahoma Local Ag 

Summit

The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry 

(ODAFF) will undertake a project to assist members of the specialty 

crop supply chain incorporate innovative and sustainable growing 

practices, learn new marketing techniques, and connect with 

consumers more effectively.

$91,117.11

Oklahoma 

Department of 

Agriculture, Food, 

and Forestry

$545,237.77 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$43,500.00
149

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Oregon Department 

of Agriculture $1,936,304.00

1. Boosting Oregon 

Specialty Crops with 

Grocery Partnerships and 

Trade Shows

The Good Food Foundation (GFF) project will connect small and 

midsized Oregon specialty crop businesses with national buyers 

through strategic trade show access and training and enhance 

customer sales with in-store displays and sampling demos. 

Together, these programs will elevate national awareness of 

Oregon’s unique specialty crop industry and strengthen sales for 

value-added food producers and the farmers growing their 

ingredients.

$134,978.00

Oregon Department 

of Agriculture $1,936,304.00

2. Horticulture Education 

and Workforce 

Development in Oregon 

Correctional Facilities 

Growing Gardens will partner with the Department of Corrections, 

dedicated volunteers, local food leaders, potential employers, 

community partners, and local universities to implement workforce 

development programming and job connections for incarcerated 

youth and adults. Program participants learn diverse horticultural 

skills through a 4-class series with curriculum developed in 

partnership with OSU Extension and Chemeketa Community 

College. The curriculum includes learning to grow and manage

specialty crops in prison gardens and greenhouses and is 

accompanied by post-release assistance in joining the labor pool 

through partnerships with Oregon Nursery Association and many 

smaller horticultural businesses and organizations.

$155,235.00

Oregon Department 

of Agriculture $1,936,304.00

3. Oregon Craft Cideries 

Exploring and Developing 

Market Access in Japan

The Northwest Cider Association (NWCA) project aims to address 

international market development and access issues that will 

benefit up to 80 Oregon cideries. The objectives of this project are 

to increase Oregon cidermakers’ understanding of trade barriers 

and/or regulatory constraints to selling cider in the Japanese 

market; to gain market information and product exposure through 

an outbound trade mission to Japan that includes buyer and media 

meetings as well showcasing Oregon cider at the 2024 Japan Cider 

Cup awards festival in Tokyo and taproom takeovers in Osaka; and 

media/public relations activities to improve buyer and consumer 

awareness of Oregon cider as a premium product in Japan and 

Oregon.

$175,800.00
150

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Oregon Department 

of Agriculture $1,936,304.00 4. Specialty Crops Through the Seasons

Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) will collaborate with 

Oregon teachers to increase knowledge of specialty crops in 

kindergarten through high school classrooms across the state by 

developing and distributing standards-aligned curriculum and 

supplies. Throughout this project, Oregon AITC will provide 70 

classrooms monthly with an engaging science, technology, 

engineering and math (STEM) lesson related to a seasonal Oregon 

specialty crop. Grant resources will provide participating teachers 

with all the supplies and background information necessary to bring 

Oregon specialty crops to their classroom and engage students with 

interesting lessons on some of Oregon’s most important crops.

$128,049.00

Oregon Department 

of Agriculture $1,936,304.00

5. Articulating Caneberry 

Sensory Characteristics 

for Product Development: 

The Flavor Wheel

The Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission coordinating 

with the OSU Food Innovation Center will investigate the sensory 

characteristics of caneberry varieties, working towards the creation 

of standardized lexicons that are compatible with the practices and 

language used by professionals in culinary product creation. Mutual 

understanding of the complex nature of the caneberry flavor profile 

through a common terminology will open communication between 

product developers, marketers and consumers.

$144,866.00

Oregon Department 

of Agriculture $1,936,304.00

6. Develop A Centralized 

Seed Labeling Regulatory 

Database

The Oregon Seed Association (OSA) will develop a database of state 

and federal seed labeling requirements that will improve efficiency 

and transparency, facilitate trade, and reduce the risk of 

noncompliance. The database will house information on all turftype grasses and vegetable seeds produced in Oregon.

$114,750.00
151

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Oregon Department 

of Agriculture $1,936,304.00

7. DeepSeed: A 

Computer-Vision Network 

for Onsite, Real-Time 

Seed Analysis

Oregon State University Seed Services will develop a Computer 

Vision based tool to receive seed sample images, label each seed, 

send results to a seed analyst for verification and electronically 

report back to the turf grass seed conditioner at first semiautomatically and then leading to real time processing. Project 

objectives include plans to build an inexpensive imaging system to 

capture and label tens of thousands of seed images for training of a 

Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) for both pure seed and weed 

seeds; develop a computer vision enabled user-friendly web tool 

that processes images for classification; have seed lab researchers 

review classification and generate reports; develop turf grass seed 

grower and seed laboratory partnerships to test early prototypes; 

and share results of the final product and demonstrations at 

industry conferences and meetings.

$175,267.00

Oregon Department 

of Agriculture $1,936,304.00

8. Cost of Regulatory 

Compliance and Its 

Impact on Market 

Outcomes

Oregon State University will gather farm-level cost of regulatory 

compliance data and develop an analysis of the evolving regulatory 

environment facing agricultural producers in the state. This will be 

used to evaluate the economic impacts of these regulatory 

pressures on profitability and market outcomes. The end goal of 

the project is to provide data and guidance for nut and tree fruit 

growers with respect to their long-term planning and investment 

decisions. The project team will achieve this through assessments 

of compliance costs based on analysis of regulations, data, and 

interviews with growers. This data will be used to develop an 

economic model that takes into account consumer price sensitivity 

and competition from producers in other regions.

$120,541.00
152

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Oregon Department 

of Agriculture $1,936,304.00

9. Microencapsulated 

Essential Oils As Potato 

Sprout Inhibitors in 

Storage

Oregon State University (OSU) will develop new products for sprout 

inhibition or suppression in potato. This is a continuation of our 

research on sprout inhibitors or growth suppressants in potato. In 

this proposed project, OSU aims to microencapsulate the previously 

identified whole oils, blends, and fractions in various materials and 

sizes and evaluate the release rate of the essential oils at storage 

temperatures. These new products will become alternatives to the 

currently used chemical Chlorpropham (CIPC), which was banned in 

the European Union, presenting challenges for U.S. potato exports.

$166,106.00

Oregon Department 

of Agriculture $1,936,304.00

10. Cover Cropping and 

Reduced-Tillage Systems 

for Onion in Eastern 

Oregon

The Oregon State University will identify the adaptability and 

compatibility of various cover crops and tillage practices for onion 

and evaluate their impact on soil fertility, nutrient uptake, weed 

and pest control, water quality, crop yield, and economics. The 

project outcome will be the identification of beneficial cover crops 

and integration within a conservation tillage system in the onion 

rotation to increase soil health, reduce pest pressure, and enhance 

economic returns for Eastern Oregon onion growers.

$174,373.00

Oregon Department 

of Agriculture $1,936,304.00

11. Multidisciplinary 

Investigation of Plant 

Probiotic Effects on 

Strawberry Plant Soil

The Department of Food Science and Technology at Oregon State 

University will grow strawberries supplemented with a combination 

of mycorrhizae that consists of beneficial fungi at a local strawberry 

farm to evaluate the effects on the soil and strawberry quality. The 

proposed research project activities include identification of the 

most effective mycorrhizae for strawberry plant soil; effects of 

mycorrhizae on mycobiome (the overall fungi population) in 

strawberry plant soil; analysis of metabolites and macronutrients in 

strawberry plant soil; and evaluation of strawberry quality 

(sweetness, sourness, color, volatile compounds, etc.) grown with 

mycorrhizae supplementation. Upon successful completion of the 

proposed research, the researchers will be able to delineate the 

interaction between mycorrhizae and mycobiome in soil as well as 

effects of mycorrhizae on strawberry quality.

$174,996.00
153

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Oregon Department 

of Agriculture $1,936,304.00

12. Oregon Productive 

Partnerships (OPP): 

Nurturing the Local Food 

System 

Willamette Farm and Food Coalition will develop multiple 

partnerships in support of Specialty Crop producers throughout 

Lane County Oregon to increase access to and consumption of 

locally grown food by both individual consumers and institutions, 

particularly school districts. This will facilitate ease of access into, 

and sustainable competition, within the national edible, specialty 

crop market.

$110,984.00

Oregon Department 

of Agriculture $1,936,304.00 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$153,586.55

Pennsylvania 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,028,940.13

1. PA Preferred Culinary 

Connection with Focus on 

Promoting Specialty Crop

Strategic Contracting, Inc. will plan and coordinate the 2024 

Pennsylvania (PA) Preferred Culinary Connection at the PA Farm 

Show, allowing local farmers and food suppliers to showcase their 

specialty crops to local consumers. The project will connect 

consumers with specialty crops through inviting their 

representatives to directly participate in stage demonstrations, 

promote their products and distribute product samples and 

literature to the patrons, by which expanding their availability and 

access.

$70,780.00

Pennsylvania 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,028,940.13

2. Development of 

Biocontrol Techniques to 

Control Mushroom Flies 

on Mushroom Farms

The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) Mushroom Fly 

research team will establish a biocontrol management system to 

control mushroom sciarid (Lycoriella ingenua) and phorid 

(Megaselia halterata) fly populations using novel natural enemies 

and to train PA growers in a proper implementation technique. This 

project will establish protocols for nematode use on commercial 

mushroom farms. Ntomopathogenic nematodes (EN) application 

training will be implemented for growers in both Spanish and 

English, focusing on underrepresented minorities, including women 

and Latinx workers. The EN management system will be integrated 

into the ongoing IPM program and disseminated through training 

courses.

$70,749.76
154

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Pennsylvania 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,028,940.13

3. Monitoring Viral 

Threats for PA Tree Fruit 

Nurseries 

The Pennsylvania State University will establish a reliable protocol 

to quickly screen budwood and rootstocks of Pome and Prunus for 

common viruses, viroids, and phytoplasmas. We propose to use a 

new method called MonsterPlex to precisely identify the most 

common viruses, viroids, and phytoplasmas found in Pome and 

Prunus tissues. This will aid in the early detection of issues and 

prevent the introduction of pathogens, especially phytoplasmas. 

Results will be disseminated to stakeholders through grower 

meetings and Extension publications.

$98,756.00

Pennsylvania 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,028,940.13

4. Advancing the 

Sustainability of Indoor 

Urban Agricultural 

Systems 

Penn State University will improve the Water-Energy-FoodNutrition security components of Indoor Urban Agricultural systems 

developing Precision Agriculture solutions aimed at improving 

resource use efficiency, crop yield and quality and will transfer the 

knowledge and solutions developed to PA urban farmers and 

industry stakeholders. Using leafy greens as test crop, our 

interdisciplinary team will focus on 1) evaluating the efficiency of 

alternative indoor soilless growing systems and LED artificial 

lighting recipes to produce high quality leafy greens examining the 

impact on water, energy, and nutrient use efficiency, crop yield, 

and nutritional quality; 2) developing sensor-based internet of 

things (IoT) and imaging technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) 

solutions for improving the efficiency and sustainability of indoor 

urban agricultural systems; 3) assessing and improving the 

microbial quality and safety of water and produce in indoor urban 

agricultural systems; and 4) disseminating research-based 

knowledge on sustainable indoor urban vegetable production 

systems and their implementation and efficient management 

through a series of Extension and outreach activities targeting 

urban farmers and industry stakeholders.

$97,760.70
155

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Pennsylvania 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,028,940.13

5. Developing Plasma 

Agriculture Solutions to 

Improve Vegetable Yield 

and Quality

Penn State University will develop, and test new Plasma Agriculture 

solutions aimed at improving vegetable yield and quality 

performances and will transfer the knowledge and solutions 

developed to PA specialty crop growers and industry stakeholders. 

Using microgreens as test crop, our interdisciplinary team will focus 

on 1) optimizing devices to generate non-thermal plasma (NTP) and 

plasma activated water (PAW) and characterize PAW properties; 2) 

evaluating the effects of NTP and PAW on seed germination, 

physiology and microgreens yield and nutritional quality; 3) 

evaluating the efficacy of NTP and PAW as food safety treatment on 

seeds and microgreens for control of food borne pathogens; and 4) 

disseminating and transferring research-based knowledge and 

Plasma Agriculture solutions to the vegetable industry through a 

series of Extension and outreach activities.

$74,518.88

Pennsylvania 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,028,940.13

6. Novel Fire Blight 

Biopesticide Field 

Validation 

Penn State University will validate the efficacy of a novel and 

experimental biopesticide active ingredient used for the mitigation 

of fire blight in apple trees over the course of three growing 

seasons from 2024 – 2026 in multiple locations and communicate 

the results to stakeholders at grower meetings.

$63,447.00

Pennsylvania 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,028,940.13

7. Weed Management 

Strategies for Organic 

High-Density Apple 

Orchards

Rodale Institute aims to identify effective alternatives to chemical 

herbicides for weed management in organic high-density apple 

orchards in Pennsylvania. This project will evaluate the viability and 

horticultural effects of different organic-certified weed 

management strategies on weed community composition and 

suppression, measures of soil and tree health, and fruit quality. The 

project team will compare applications of organic bark chip mulch, 

a novel thermal weed control technique using hot foam and water, 

and a combination of the two treatments. The results of this study 

will be disseminated through field days, in-person workshops, 

online seminars, and regional conferences.

$127,207.80
156

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Pennsylvania 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,028,940.13

8. Evaluate Potato 

Varieties for Their 

Tolerance to Heat Stress 

in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Cooperative Potato Growers, Inc. will work with 

Sterman Masser, Inc. and Penn State University Potato Research

Team to assess potato varieties for their tolerance to heat stress in 

Pennsylvania. We will collect varieties that are commonly grown in 

Pennsylvania and new varieties that may have potential resistance 

to heat stress and evaluate them for their tolerance to heat stress 

in field trials at different locations in Pennsylvania. We will identify 

a few varieties with relative resistance to heat stress and have good 

qualities for either fresh or processing markets. We will also 

identify varieties that are susceptible to heat stress. We will 

recommend varieties that performed best under heat stress to 

Pennsylvania potato growers at meetings, presentations, field 

meetings, and printed research report.

$98,000.00

Pennsylvania 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,028,940.13

9. Educating Mushroom 

Farmers: Assisting Inputs 

Costs and Sustainable ESG 

Reporting

The American Mushroom Institute will educate mushroom farms on 

how to assess the pricing and costs of their inputs that will allow for 

better cost projections and improved sustainability practices 

related to procurement. Objectives of this project include: 1) 

develop a data model of inputs market prices/costs for supplies and 

expenses; 2) develop explanatory and predictive econometric 

models for major inputs to allow farms to conduct periodic financial 

projections; and 3) analyze the implications of changes in input 

markets on mushroom sustainability, and environmental, social and 

governance (ESG).

$84,915.00

Pennsylvania 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,028,940.13

10. 2024 PA Veggies 

Promotion and Farmer 

Support

The Pennsylvania Vegetables Marketing and Research Program 

(PVMRP/PA Veggies), will drive consumer demand for specialty 

Pennsylvania vegetables and support Pennsylvania farmers in their 

marketing efforts by implementing a comprehensive digital 

marketing plan. This plan, will promote Pennsylvania specialty crops 

during peak growing season, encompasses digital advertising, social 

media, email marketing, blogging, and graphic design.

$89,635.00
157

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Pennsylvania 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,028,940.13

11. Planet Bee Apiculture 

Training Program: The 

Sustainable Honey Path

Planet Bee Foundation is inviting prospective beekeepers to the 

Apiculture Training Program: Sustainable Honey Path, an 

apprenticeship that provides a pathway to knowledge, tools and 

guidance in apiculture and honey production from local beekeepers 

and honey producers with certificates and awards upon levels of 

completion. This program will connect existing and prospective 

partners in schools and communities to the beekeeping and honey 

production industry.

$63,467.04

Pennsylvania 

Department of 

Agriculture

$1,028,940.13 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$86,255.89

Departamento de 

Agricultura de 

Puerto Rico

$486,123.56

1. International Events for 

the Capacity Building of 

Specialty Crops Producers

The Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture (PRDA) will provide 

additional opportunities to specialty crop producers for 

participation in promotion activities within the Unites States and 

other Countries. This project efforts are directed to new beginning 

farmers, and farmers with potential to expand, gaining market 

share for specialty crop local products within Puerto Rico’s own 

market as well as the international market.

$107,751.00

Departamento de 

Agricultura de 

Puerto Rico

$486,123.56

2. Promote the 

Development of the 

Agricultural Sector in the 

Local Market

The Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture (PRDA) will direct efforts 

to increase the presence and participation of beginning farmers 

and/or producers, as well as for other local specialty crop products 

within the Puerto Rico market (local events).

$102,000.00

Departamento de 

Agricultura de 

Puerto Rico

$486,123.56

3. Capacity Building in 

Food Security for Farmers 

in Puerto Rico

FIDA and the Department of Agriculture will provide tools to 

farmers so that they can improve their crops and products, as well 

as improve their management and handling skills. The planned 

educational activities will include training courses in areas such as: 

PSA, Next Level, management in packing houses, management of 

wildlife and congestion according to the FSMA Law, Safety, 

Transability, Mentoring for Farm Workers, Plans of Safety and 

Recall Plans.

$163,231.50
158

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Departamento de 

Agricultura de 

Puerto Rico

$486,123.56 4. Capacity Building in 

Coffee Cup Quality

The Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture (PRDA) is interested on 

improving the quality of the coffee grown on the island appealing 

specialize resources in this industry as Q-Graders. The course will be 

focused on training and impacting as many farmers as possible. Our 

goal is also to produce high quality coffee, reduce inputs, natural 

resources, which results in an increase in the income of the 

roasters.

$22,140.00

Departamento de 

Agricultura de 

Puerto Rico

$486,123.56 5. Farming the Future 

with AGROEDU Program

The general objective of this project is to promote agriculture in 

schools in Puerto Rico to promote food education and interest in 

the agricultural sector with the development of practical skills in 

students.

$54,000.00

Departamento de 

Agricultura de 

Puerto Rico

$486,123.56 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$35,644.90

Rhode Island 

Division of 

Agriculture

$270,666.42 1. Improving the Viability 

of RI Specialty Crop Farms

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management - 

Division of Agriculture (RIDEM) will support RI Farmers through this 

project with the goal of improving farm viability. We will provide 

access to RIGAP certification and Agricultural water quality testing, 

Produce safety farm kits all with the purpose of promoting food 

safety on farm. In addition, we will support RI beekeepers through 

increased access to the RI apiary health inspections. RIDEM will 

contract with local auditors/ inspectors to carry out some of the 

project activities. By providing farms access to these programs RI 

producers will have increased market opportunities therefor 

increasing the availability of RI specialty Crops to consumers.

$58,577.15

Rhode Island 

Division of 

Agriculture

$270,666.42 2. Establishing RI Grown 

Week 

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management - 

Division of Agriculture (RIDEM) will facilitate the development of RI 

Grown week - which will highlight the specialty crop products of the 

state. This marketing initiative will strengthen branding efforts and 

brand recognition throughout the state, while giving a statewide 

platform for locally produced specialty crops.

$41,723.35
159

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Rhode Island 

Division of 

Agriculture

$270,666.42

3. Scaling Equitable 

Growth: Technical 

Assistance for Small and 

Beginning Rhode Island 

Specialty Crop Producers

The Rhode Island Food Policy Council (RIFPC) has been working 

toward a more equitable, accessible, economically vibrant, and 

environmentally sustainable food system in Rhode Island for over 

10 years. The issue this project seeks to address is that small, 

beginning, and historically underserved communities of specialty 

crop producers have not received the amount of specialized 

technical support that would benefit the launch, growth, resilience, 

and success of their agricultural enterprises. This project builds on 

the success of our currently funded SCBGP project by integrating 

early learnings from that project. In particular, combining into a 

single, larger cohort and using funds for one-on-one assistance 

between meetings will better support small and beginning farm 

businesses in starting and growing their businesses and creating 

and maintaining jobs.

$33,896.00

Rhode Island 

Division of 

Agriculture

$270,666.42

4. Community Education 

at the Farmers Market: 

Highlighting Specialty 

Crops throughout Rhode 

Island

Farm Fresh Rhode Island’s Community Education team will partner 

with farmers market operators across Rhode Island to promote 

specialty crops through monthly promotions including hands on 

educational events and tours, utilizing Harvest of the Month and 

Community Roots marketing campaigns to increase knowledge, 

access, and purchasing of Rhode Island grown specialty crops.

$39,850.23

Rhode Island 

Division of 

Agriculture

$270,666.42

5. Evaluating HeatTolerant Broccoli Varieties 

for Rhode Island 

Vegetable Farmers

The University of Rhode Island will conduct research on heattolerant broccoli varieties suitable for the Northeast region. The 

data generated from two years of variety trials will inform farmers 

of optimal varieties for local production systems. Research results 

will be shared with the Rhode Island vegetable farming community 

through a combination of Cooperative Extension events, such as 

field days, and freely-available publications.

$37,883.97
160

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Rhode Island 

Division of 

Agriculture

$270,666.42

6. Increasing Consumer 

Access to, Consumption 

and Purchasing of 

Specialty Crops by 

Expanding Coverage of 

AARI Pop-up Farmer’s 

Markets

The African Alliance of RI (AARI) will increase access to and 

consumption of specialty crops by expanding its summer farmers 

markets in underserved low-food access communities of 

Providence, RI and at a park in nearby Johnston, RI.

$37,000.00

Rhode Island 

Division of 

Agriculture

$270,666.42 Grants Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and postaward activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$21,646.85

South Carolina 

Department of 

Agriculture

$601,424.84

1. Evaluating and 

Promoting Wine Grape 

Varieties Suitable for 

South Carolina

Clemson University will evaluate horticultural performance of new 

wine grape hybrids (proven to be resistant to Pierce's disease, the 

main limiting factor to bunch grape production in the southeastern 

U.S.), and develop management practices and provide 

recommendations specific

for our conditions in South Carolina to farmers through grower 

meetings, regional conferences, field days, factsheets and online 

platforms such as the South Carolina Grower blog.

$39,148.00

South Carolina 

Department of 

Agriculture

$601,424.84

2. Improving Detection of 

Xylella Fastidiosa to 

Protect Diversified Fruit 

Farms in South Carolina

Clemson University will improve detection of the devastating 

bacterial pathogen Xylella fastidiosa and determine the risk of Xf 

moving between small fruit crops on diversified fruit farms via 

insect vectors. This project will develop a diagnostic assay that can 

be used at the Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic on samples 

submitted from stakeholders across South Carolina to aid in early 

decision making, as well as develop risk assessments and 

recommendations to prevent

spread of Xf for specific combinations of fruit crops, which will be 

useful to farms growing multiple fruit commodities.

$48,800.00
161

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

South Carolina 

Department of 

Agriculture

$601,424.84

3. Substantial Reduction 

of Captan Pesticide in 

Peach Spray Programs

Clemson University will substantially reduce the number of 

conventional fungicide applications needed to produce high quality 

peaches by strategic use of biologicals and disseminating results to 

stakeholders through grower meetings and farm visits.

$50,000.00

South Carolina 

Department of 

Agriculture

$601,424.84

4. Building Wholesale 

Readiness Amongst South 

Carolina Specialty Crop 

Farms

The South Carolina Specialty Crop Growers Association is seeking to 

host a workshop preparing small, socially disadvantaged, or 

beginning specialty crop farmers for the demands and 

requirements for selling to a wholesale market. The workshop will 

cover a variety of wholesale market topics including, but not limited 

to, Pricing, Branding, Contracts and Communication, Risk 

Management, Certification Requirements, Food Safety, Packaging 

and Quality. The workshop will consist of presentations from 

various agricultural organizations such as the South Carolina 

Department of Agriculture, Clemson Extension, Carolina Farm 

Stewardship Association, along with speakers from food 

distributors and food hubs.

$6,050.00

South Carolina 

Department of 

Agriculture

$601,424.84

5. Investigating the Role 

of Fungicides in Tank Mix 

on Managing Bacterial 

Spot of Peach

Fungicides and bactericides are routinely mixed together for 

disease management throughout the growing season in South 

Carolina peach orchards. However, the effect of fungicides on 

bacterial pathogens is unclear. Bacterial spot is a major disease that 

causes the South Carolina peach industry millions of dollars in 

annual losses. The Wang's lab at Clemson University conducted a 

preliminary study which found that some fungicides can inhibit the 

growth of bacterial spot pathogen in the lab and in greenhouse. 

Thus, Clemson University proposes to further evaluate these 

fungicides and their combination with bactericides in different 

dosages in both Geenhouse and field for bacterial spot 

management.

$49,300.00
162

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

South Carolina 

Department of 

Agriculture

$601,424.84

6. Systems Approach to 

Manage the Fusarium 

Wilt in Cucurbits

Fusarium wilt [FW; caused by fungi - Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. 

Niveum (FON)] is one of the most destructive diseases of 

watermelon that causes substantial yield losses each year. Current 

management practices for FW in watermelon are either expensive 

(grafting: 4-5 times more expensive) or lack the ability to contain 

the disease due

to fungal resistance to fungicides, and adaptation to resistant 

varieties. Here, Clemson University will work on evaluating an 

environmentally friendly systems approach using cover crop 

mixtures and beneficial microorganisms to manage the FW in 

watermelon crop. Further, cover crop mixtures will be evaluated for 

their environment benefits and their ability to increase the 

abundance of beneficial soil microorganisms that can promote 

watermelon growth and decrease the FW severity

$45,541.00

South Carolina 

Department of 

Agriculture

$601,424.84

7. Evaluation of Low-input 

Pecan Cultivars in the 

Coastal Plain of South 

Carolina 

Clemson University will evaluate the feasibility and profitability of 

growing newer low-input pecan cultivars in the Sandhills region of 

South Carolina by establishing a research trial comparing

yield and pest and disease susceptibility of low-input cultivars to 

older standard cultivars. Results will be disseminated to 

stakeholders though grower meetings and field days.

$11,537.00

South Carolina 

Department of 

Agriculture

$601,424.84

8. Securing the Future by 

Preserving the Past: 

Developing a Strategic 

Stewardship Plan for 

South

Carolina's Heirloom 

Vegetable Seed

Clemson University will identify best practices for germplasm 

collection management and will engage stakeholders in the 

development of a strategic plan to steward South Carolina's 

heirloom vegetable seed for future breeding efforts and 

distribution to the public.

$36,002.00
163

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

South Carolina 

Department of 

Agriculture

$601,424.84

9. Increasing the 

Marketability of Specialty 

Crops Through Direct 

Market Displays

The South Carolina Specialty Crop Growers Association is seeking to 

host a workshop that will teach specialty crop producers how 

improving the quality of displays at direct markets can increase 

sales. The workshop will consist of presentations from various 

agricultural

organizations such as the South Carolina Department of Agriculture, 

Clemson Extension, and Carolina Farm Stewardship Association. 

Topics that will be covered include Types of Direct Markets and 

How to Choose Them, Food Safety and Quality, Branding and 

Pricing, the Certified SC Program, and How to Draw Attention to 

Displays.

$7,550.00

South Carolina 

Department of 

Agriculture

$601,424.84

10. Building Specialty 

Crop Branding and 

Marketability Through 

Value-Added Packaging

The South Carolina Specialty Crop Growers Association is seeking 

funding to improve and continue its Value-Added Packaging Cost 

share program form small and mid-sized specialty crop growers. 

This project will enable more growers to increase their share of 

South Carolina's specialty crop industry while complying with 

market outlet packaging requirements. Additionally, it will allow 

specialty crop growers to improve the branding and marketability 

of their crops and seek more sustainable packaging options.

$20,000.00

South Carolina 

Department of 

Agriculture

$601,424.84

11. Increasing Specialty 

Crop Production and 

Distribution through Data

Visualization 

Freshlist aims to enhance the competitiveness of South Carolina's 

specialty crop industry by developing a centralized, digital platform 

for the South Carolina Food Hub Network (SCFHN) to collect and 

share data on specialty crop sales and availability across the 

network. This will allow food hubs to access and visualize real-time 

data on the current and projected supply of specialty crops from 

over 125 SC farmers, enabling them to optimize production, 

distribution, and marketing of specialty crops statewide.

$60,795.00
164

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

South Carolina 

Department of 

Agriculture

$601,424.84

12. Effective Fungicides to 

Manage Phomopsis Fruit 

Rot on Eggplant in South 

Carolina 

Clemson University will improve management of Phomopsis fruit 

rot and reduce postharvest losses by testing a variety of different 

fungicides on two types of eggplant, globe and Japanese, and 

calculate if any treatments increase net returns for the crop. The 

most serious fruit rot disease on eggplant in South Carolina is 

Phomopsis fruit rot, caused by the fungus Phomopsis vexans. It is 

found in late summer and fall and also develops in postharvest 

storage. This project will determine which fungicides reduce 

phomopsis fruit rot on eggplant by testing fungicides with 8 

different active ingredients currently registered on eggplant.

$29,641.06

South Carolina 

Department of 

Agriculture

$601,424.84

13. Chickpea (Cicer 

arietinum L.) Breeding for 

Emerging High Protein 

Plant-Based Hummus 

Production in SC

Clemson University (CU) will develop short-season winter hardy 

chickpea cultivars (Cicer arietinum L) adapted to the SC. Chickpea is 

a brand-new legume crop to SC; current cultivars in Western 

Canada and the Pacific Northwest are unsuitable for SC winter 

conditions. These cultivars are best for mid-western regions and did 

not fit for SC winters.

$65,220.00

South Carolina 

Department of 

Agriculture

$601,424.84

14. South Carolina State 

Farmers Markets 

Specialty Crop Consumer 

Awareness Initiative

The three state farmers markets in Columbia, Florence and 

Greenville, operated by the South Carolina Department of 

Agriculture will educate consumers through the promotion of SC 

grown specialty crops. A Specialty Crop Event will be held during 

the summer months in 2024 and 2025 at each market, which will 

promote specialty crops through tasting events, canning 

demonstrations and distribution of recipe cards & educational 

materials. Social media will also be used to promote the specialty 

crops in season and direct consumers on where to purchase them.

$30,100.00

South Carolina 

Department of 

Agriculture

$601,424.84

15. Expanding FoodShare 

Greenville's Capacity to 

Support SC Farms and 

Low-Income Consumers

Mill Village Ministries' FoodShare Greenville Program provides 

affordable fresh produce to low-income residents in Greenville, SC. 

Through this project, FoodShare Greenville will expand its capacity 

to include SC-grown specialty crops in FoodShare boxes by 

increasing the number of SC farms from which produce is procured. 

The program will maintain its strong base of consumers and its 

focus on nutrition and cooking education.

$41,716.00
165

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

South Carolina 

Department of 

Agriculture

$601,424.84 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$14,434.67

South Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$378,919.97 1. Enhancing Accessibility 

of Dakota

Dakota Fresh LLC, a farmer-owned collective representing 12 

producer-members, aims to increase marketing of their current 

retail options and develop a Farm Share program that would 

increase the accessibility and ease of purchasing locally grown 

specialty crops. The development of the Farm Share option would 

allow retail customers to sign up at the beginning of the season to 

receive weekly produce boxes featuring multiple producers' items, 

similar to a CSA share, but with a wider range of specialty crops 

available. Dakota Fresh managers will coordinate with producers to 

plan crop production, recruit new producers to fulfill customer 

needs, develop relationships with community partners to serve as 

drop-off locations, hire professional services to help market and 

launch this program to the public, and evaluate and troubleshoot 

ongoing logistics. The project will also focus on educating all 

customers about storage, preparation and nutritional value of 

specialty crops.

$71,616.98

South Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$378,919.97

2. Expanding Availability 

and Consumption to 

Pulses Through the 

Development of New 

Products

South Dakota State University will complete project objectives 

related to expanding availability, access and safety of pulse 

specialty crops through new product development. The proposed 

activity will target lentil and chickpea utilization in the development 

of non-traditional food products associated with these pulses. 

Furthermore, food safety related activities will be conducted on the 

raw seeds to establish if the microflora present on the raw material 

enters the final product. The end goal of this project is to expand 

availability of pulses by developing new products that are more 

readily adaptable to consumer diets and need minimal preparation.

$62,204.00
166

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

South Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$378,919.97 3. South Dakota Cucurbit 

Foliar Disease Survey

South Dakota State University (SDSU) will improve cucurbit disease 

management by carrying out a three-year cucurbit foliar disease 

survey, visiting 40 farms from the east to west sides of the state, to 

identify the economically important diseases throughout, identify 

their causal pathogens to species, document major fungicide 

resistances to fungal pathogens species isolates, and disseminate 

findings to growers and scientists, with suggestions for 

management, through SDSU Specialty Crop Field Days and a peerreviewed scientific publication.

$75,425.00

South Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$378,919.97

4. South Dakota Honey 

Production Education and 

Curriculum Development

The Edmunds Central School District projects aims to dramatically 

impact the exposure to and consumption of locally-produced honey 

by developing a curriculum for Prek-12 students that is based 

entirely on the South Dakota honey production and pollinator 

industry. This proposal will utilize the relationship built with Adee 

Honey and our experience with their operation through our site 

visits in the FY21 specialty crops grant to train a minimum of 66 

teachers in 50 of South Dakota's 148 school districts.

$72,579.06

South Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$378,919.97

5. Strengthening of 

Specialty Crop Wholesale 

Marketing Ecosystem via 

Focused Buyer 

Development by 

Wholesale Customer 

Relationship Specialist

The South Dakota Mines and Technology will work with the Black 

Hills Farmers Market (BHFM) to train Wholesale Customer 

Relationship Specialist (WCRS) with developing a group of local 

long-term buyers for its newly formed wholesale market. The 

project team will assist WCRS to specialize in identification of Rapid 

City wholesale buyers who have procurement, bidding, and supplier 

requirements in-line with those of that can be met by small-tomedium sized farming businesses. Multi-year purchase agreements 

will be used to increase farmers knowledge, experience, and 

revenue stream to sustain feasibility of undertaking fiscal 

investments needed to cover cost associated with food safety 

certification and liability coverage. To accomplish this, the WCRS 

will promote BHFM as an intermediary player between wholesale 

buyers and sellers by offering a platform for aggregation of 

produce, advancing use of collaborative e-marketing systems, and 

forming recurrent buyer-seller purchase relationships.

$40,000.00
167

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

South Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$378,919.97

6. The Fungi Frontier: 

Advancing Sustainable 

Agriculture through 

Mushroom Production 

and Soil Building in South 

Dakota

Black Hills Mushrooms, LLC (BHM) aims to increase specialty crop 

production and distribution of mushrooms in South Dakota by 

increasing technical knowledge of growers through outreach on 1) 

soil benefits of using Spent Mushroom Substrate (SMS) in 

mushroom production; 2) utilizing cover crops (brassica and oats) 

to aid mushroom production; 3) cultivating specialty crop whole 

mushroom varieties (Pleurotus ostreatus, Pholiota adiposa, 

Stropharia rugosoannulata, Agaricus subrufescens, SMS) suitable 

for South Dakota; and 4) targeting Urban agriculture growers; 

however rural producers will also be a focus as sustainable 

mushroom production can be a beneficial crop for them, too.

$23,567.69

South Dakota 

Department of 

Agriculture

$378,919.97 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post- award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$33,230.67

Tennessee 

Department of 

Agriculture

$497,591.97

1. Crockett County 

Specialty Crops and Food 

Science Project

The Crockett County FFA Chapter is building a general store and a 

hydroponic greenhouse at Crockett County High School. The 

general store will house products from our students' SAEs 

(Supervised Agricultural Experience), that will be available to the 

public for purchase. This store will provide our students with a way 

to display all of their hard work. Our hydroponic greenhouse will 

provide a way for the students that do not come from an 

agricultural background, to start and maintain a SAE. Being able to 

grow specialty crops in our chapter is going to give us a diverse 

learning environment to offer to our students. Being able to offer 

these fruits and vegetables to our community will allow us to offer 

a “Buy Local” option in Alamo, Tennessee.

$31,602.00
168

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Tennessee 

Department of 

Agriculture

$497,591.97

2. Specialty Crop Training 

Center, Demonstration 

Farm, and Community 

Outreach Center

Cul2vate grows and delivers nutritional food to combat food 

insecurity locally by providing nutritious specialty crops to 

underserved communities. We work in collaboration with other 

organizations to provide education to employees and the 

community regarding nutrition, food safety, Good Agricultural 

Practices, and implementation of urban agriculture projects. All 

food is grown by chronically underemployed individuals hired by 

Cul2vate and trained on site in agriculture and job readiness skills, 

preparing them for job placement. Prior graduates are now working 

to assist/educate current students as well as other local farms and 

organizations in adopting Specialty Crop practices that comply with 

Federal Food Safety Standards.

$17,600.00 

Tennessee 

Department of 

Agriculture

$497,591.97

3. Growing Year-Round: 

Providing State-Wide 

Educational and 

Marketing Toolkits for 

Cool-season Specialty 

Crops at Winter Farmers 

Markets in Tennessee

Grow Oak Ridge will create four education/marketing toolkits 

highlighting four types of cool-season specialty crops (greens, 

mushrooms, herbs & flowers, and root vegetables). Once complete, 

these toolkits will be donated to the Tennessee Association of 

Farmers Markets for inclusion on the association’s website for free 

downloads by other winter farmers markets, so those markets can 

easily promote winter specialty crops and help raise farmer income.

$47,152.00
169

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Tennessee 

Department of 

Agriculture

$497,591.97

4. Evaluating Near 

Infrared Radiation and 

Ultraviolet-C on 

Salanova® Lettuce 

Postharvest Shelf Life 

Extension

A collaborative research group at Middle Tennessee State 

University (MTSU) will evaluate the potential of using short-term 

near-infrared (NIR) and Ultraviolet-C (UVC) radiation to suppress 

mold and bacterial growth of fresh-cut Salanova® lettuces and 

extend shelf life. Upon completion of the project, the research 

team will provide the results of the feasibility and effectiveness of 

using short-term NIR and UVC radiation for extending the fresh-cut 

Salanova® lettuce storage life. The team proposes to design a 

treatment regime by posing and answering the following questions: 

1) what is the optimal light intensity and duration for controlling 

fungi and/or bacterial outbreaks while minimizing the browning 

ratio? 2) How can different cultivars of Salanova® lettuces respond 

differently to short-term NIR and UVC radiation? 3) How can lowcost NIR-UVC integrated pathogen/bacteria control equipment be 

custom-designed and integrated into commercial post-processing 

pipeline? We will rely on the existing MTSU Small Farming project, 

consisting of seven caterpillar tunnel production of leafy-green 

vegetables, including four different Salanova® lettuce varieties, 

Green Butter, Red butter, Red Gem, and Red Oakleaf. A range of 

intensity and duration of NIR and UVC light will be applied to 

process the lettuce to obtain the dose dependent effects.

$49,984.00

Tennessee 

Department of 

Agriculture

$497,591.97

5. Finding the Right 

Grapes: Testing the 

Success of Growing New 

Varieties in Tennessee’s 

Climate 

Mountain Valley Vineyards (MVV) will determine the economic 

feasibility and success of growing new grape varieties in Tennessee 

by contracting with an established vineyard to plant, manage, and 

ultimately harvest the test varieties. Results will be disseminated 

via a detailed written report on the growing of new/emerging grape 

varieties for all stakeholders to consider in partnership with the 

University of Tennessee. The goal will be to select 2 grape varieties 

and plant 2 acres of each selected.

$69,982.70
170

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Tennessee 

Department of 

Agriculture

$497,591.97

6. Munford High School 

Farm Fresh Center 

Hydroponic Facility

Munford FFA is collaborating with the Tennessee Department of 

Agriculture to establish a Farm Fresh Center at Munford High 

School in the Tipton County School System. The Farm Fresh Center 

will house state of the art hydroponic production systems to train 

students to raise fruit and vegetables using controlled environment 

agriculture practices. This new specialty crop production facility will 

be known as The Farm Fresh Center and will serve three purposes: 

educating community members of innovative methods of raising 

food on limited land area, providing a Buy Local, Buy Fresh option in 

Munford, TN, and delivering healthy produce to local food pantries. 

Growing methods and techniques will be shared with local farmers, 

producers and master gardeners through workshops and meetings 

with the intent to increase local fresh produce production in the 

Tipton County Area. Produce raised in the Farm Fresh Center will be 

sold to generate income to sustain the facility; veterans will be 

encouraged to volunteer as an opportunity to heal from PTSD.

$50,000.00

Tennessee 

Department of 

Agriculture

$497,591.97

7. Expanding Markets and 

Providing a Learning 

Foundation for Future 

Generation of Specialty 

Crop Growers

Nourish Knoxville will promote the consumption of specialty crops 

by expanding our successful children’s educational program, 

Nourish Kids, to new and underserved East Tennessee farmers’ 

markets. The program will fund Nourish Kids Clubs at six farmers’ 

markets in East Tennessee, providing children ages 2-12 with the 

opportunity to try new specialty crops, to participate in educational 

activities about specialty crops, and to receive $5 each in Produce 

Bucks to spend on select specialty crops at farmers’ markets, which 

builds revenue for specialty crop farmers. All our partner farmers’ 

markets are producer-only, meaning that all Produce Bucks spent 

will go directly to local farmers. Participating children will also 

receive recipe cards to take home featuring specialty crops, 

encouraging more consumption of specialty crops at home.

$49,999.92
171

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Tennessee 

Department of 

Agriculture

$497,591.97

8. Pick TN Conference 

Attendee Scholarships, AV 

Costs and Speakers

The Pick TN Conference is an annual conference provided to expand 

revenue for TN agriculture by providing educational workshops for 

farmers across the state. It is made up of 8 statewide members 

associations: TN Fruit and Vegetable Association, TN Agritourism 

Association, TN Farm Winegrowers Alliance, TN Organic Growers 

Association, TN Farmers Market Association, TN Farm Veteran 

Coalition, TN Beekeepers Association, TN Flower Growers 

Association, TN Christmas Tree Growers Association. Partners 

include TN Department of Agriculture, University of TN Extension, 

University of TN Center for Profitable Agriculture, and TN State 

University Extension. This project will help producers who need 

funding to attend the conference through scholarships, to bring in 

expert speakers from all over the nation to improve the educational 

aspects of the conference, and to provide funding for conference 

costs such as AV.

$66,000.00

Tennessee 

Department of 

Agriculture

$497,591.97

9. Expanding Markets and 

Providing a Learning 

Foundation for Future 

Generation of Specialty 

Crop Growers

This project will fund a series of educational workshops, field days, 

networking sessions and awareness raising events to be completed 

in partnership by the Tennessee Local Food Summit and the 

Southeast Tennessee Young Farmers (SeTNYF), a chapter of the 

National Young Farmers Coalition. This will impact a great number 

of Specialty Crop producers, feature innovative research and tools 

for Specialty Crop growers, provide a learning foundation for future 

generations of Specialty Crop growers, and will expand markets for 

new and existing Specialty Crop growers.

$14,357.89
172

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Tennessee 

Department of 

Agriculture

$497,591.97

10. A Coordinated Effort 

to Understand the 

Dynamics of Vascular 

Streak Dieback in Redbud 

Production

Tennessee State University (TSU) Otis L. Floyd Nursery Research 

Center (TSUNRC) in McMinnville, TN, and Tennessee Department of 

Agriculture (TDA) plant pathologists and plant inspectors will work 

with nursery growers in the region to understand the nature of 

Vascular streak dieback (VSD), a novel threat to the woody 

ornamental industry. This study will have 4 outcomes: 1) 

Determining the density and seasonal variability of airborne 

Rhizoctonia theobromae (RT) spores as well as other targeted 

fungal pathogens that pose threats to redbud production and 

identifying the relationship between the spore loads and the VSD 

progression; 2) Identification of the environmental factors that 

favor the VSD development; 3) Screening the redbud species and 

cultivars to identify their tolerance/susceptibility to VSD; and 4) 

Organization of workshops to educate growers regarding the 

findings and development of extension publications and factsheets 

to reach out to a broader audience regarding VSD.

$50,000.00

Tennessee 

Department of 

Agriculture

$497,591.97

11. Equipping Cut Flower 

Growers to Expand their 

Markets in Tennessee

The University of Tennessee will equip current and potential cut 

flowers growers in Tennessee to open new businesses and expand 

current operations by providing training and information based on 

Tennessee-specific studies that will help producers select, grow, 

and market cut flower crops that meet the needs of local markets. 

This project will be based on new and regionally specific consumer 

research to determine demand and marketability as well as 

production and cultivar trials to help growers make the best 

production decisions. It will provide training and resources 

including enterprise budgets, marketing strategies, and researchbased production information to support Tennessee cut flower 

growers.

$50,000.00
173

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Texas Department 

of Agriculture $1,446,654.71

1. Collecting Data to 

Educate Texas Produce 

Farms on the Produce 

Safety Rule and 

Maintaining Produce 

Safety Standards

Texas Department of Agriculture’s (TDA) has developed a long-term 

educational program and provides resources for producers. TDA 

will collect data and evaluate the need for training throughout the 

State and contracts with other state educational facilities to provide 

outreach. Outreach activities promote self-assessment of at-risk 

activities, encourage proactive compliance in advance of regulatory 

action, and provide updated education and information regarding 

the Produce Safety Rule.

$276,698.16

Texas Department 

of Agriculture $1,446,654.71

2. Boosting Organic Leafy 

Green Production Using 

Summer-Adapted Cover 

Crops in Texas

Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension experts are organizing 

field trials by precisely choosing summer-adapted legume cover 

crops varieties with specific root architecture that would (1) 

reshuffle the soil structure, (2) ensure enrichment of microbial 

communities, and (3) mobilize and retain nutrients (especially 

nitrogen) in the available zone for the succeeding leafy greens in 

organic systems. We will evaluate the efficacy of summer-adapted 

varieties of cowpea, tepary beans (Southern natives), and sun hemp 

by assessing their impact on soil health through physicochemical 

properties and microbiome diversity. The potential impact on 

nutrient retention and availability will be valued based on the 

productivity of winter-grown kale and spinach varieties. The 

project's outcome demonstrating the most efficient pairs of cover 

crop-leafy green varieties would promote its rapid adoption by the 

regional vegetable industry.

$154,156.00
174

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Texas Department 

of Agriculture $1,446,654.71

3. Maximizing Irrigation 

Use Efficiency in Texas 

Vineyards as a Means to 

Conserve Water While 

Ensuring Grapevine 

Resiliency Under High 

Stress Environ

Researchers with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will 

partner with the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association, Texas 

Hill Country Wineries, Texas Artisan Vineyards Cooperative (High 

Plains), Cross Timber Wine and Vineyard Association, North Texas 

Winery Association, Rustic Spur Vineyards, Kerrville Hills Vineyard 

and Winery, and Hidden Hangar Vineyard and Winery in evaluating 

wine grape resiliency amidst an unpredictable climate and a

dwindling precious resource, water. Working together, these 

cooperating organizations intend to establish three research trials 

across three distinct grape growing regions of Texas with the 

ultimate goal of developing practical and economically feasible 

research-based tools for grape growers to implement in their 

respective vineyards, appropriate for their distinct region that will 

promote water use efficiency and thus water conservation while 

ensuring vines are resilient and better able to cope with the 

perennial threat of vine stressors such as drought.

$88,612.00

Texas Department 

of Agriculture $1,446,654.71

4. Revitalizing Figs as a 

High-Value Fruit Crop for 

Small Farmers in Texas

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension will continue partnering with 

Stephen F. Austin State University, Stonehouse Figs, and 

Gundermann Acres to reinvigorate the fresh fig industry in Texas 

through completion of two strategic field studies: 1) conduct a 

multi-site trial to identify fig varieties with the greatest yield 

potential in response to severe freeze; 2) establish a multi-site trial 

to evaluate the over 100 fig varieties available for the Texas fresh 

fruit industry and nursery industry. A consumer preference study 

will also be conducted to identify the most marketable varieties for 

commercial production in Texas and develop Fig Variety 

Recommendation Guide. Results will be showcased through the 

first-ever Texas Fig Field Day, Texas Fig Variety Recommendation 

Guide, a new factsheet, demonstration videos, social media posts, 

and conference presentations.

$16,920.87
175

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Texas Department 

of Agriculture $1,446,654.71

5. Texas Grown 

Identification, Promotion, 

and Education

The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) aims to create online 

resources that benefit specialty crop producers and further educate 

the public on the accessibility of locally grown products throughout 

the state. These resources will also highlight other TDA programs 

with a direct impact of specialty crop production, including but not 

limited to GO TEXAN, Agriculture Consumer Protection, Farm Fresh 

Network, and Produce Safety. To better present these resources in 

a way that is usable for specialty crop producers, TDA will create a 

specialty crop website that houses and displays information relating 

to funding opportunities for producers, a producer directory for 

potential buyers, and educational material for the public to further 

promote the Texas specialty crop industry.

$204,310.74

Texas Department 

of Agriculture $1,446,654.71

6. Testing Wetting Agents 

for Soil Drag and Bootie 

Swabs and Validating 

Them in Varied 

Agricultural Soils

The Texas International Produce Association, collaborating with the 

Center for Produce Safety, will partner with University of Illinois at 

Urbana-Champaign to optimize the swab method used for 

agricultural soil sampling. This project will identify the optimal 

wetting agent for drag and bootie swabs used in different 

agricultural soils for specialty crop production. The research team 

will test increasingly practical wetting agents and compare them 

with reference methods. Evaporated milk will serve as a reference 

for the optimization of wetting agents, and soil composite grabs as 

a reference for the validation of aggregation. In addition, this 

project will validate the best wetting agent by testing in different 

soils created by various stages of ground preparation for different 

commodities, using bacterial recovery and diversity as metrics. 

Success will mean a cost-effective testing method that provides 

field-level analysis of soil-borne risks.

$149,967.00
176

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Texas Department 

of Agriculture $1,446,654.71

7. Hands-On Cooking and 

Nutrition Education with 

Texas Specialty Crops for 

El Paso Families

Common Threads (CT) will increase nutrition knowledge, 

consumption, and preparation of Texas specialty crops among 

underserved communities by expanding family and youth nutrition 

and culinary education programs at El Paso schools and community 

sites. Programs implemented will include Small Bites, a hands-on 

nutrition education curriculum for youth; Family Cooking Classes 

focused on preparing specialty crops; and Caregiver Workshops 

focused on shopping and meal planning around specialty crops. Our 

project goal is to equip students and their families with the skills 

and knowledge necessary to recognize, choose, and prepare 

healthy meals centered around locally and regionally grown 

specialty crops, empowering them as agents of change for healthier 

families, schools, and communities.

$100,312.40

Texas Department 

of Agriculture $1,446,654.71

8. Developing Pineapple 

Guava as a New Low-Fruit 

and Ornamental Crop for 

Texas

Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) will partner with Texas 

A&M AgriLife Extension to continue developing pineapple guava 

into a new commercial crop for the Texas specialty fruit crop and 

nursery industry. A unique attribute of this project is the acquisition 

of new varieties from contacts previously made by Dave Creech and 

Tim Hartmann in this country and in New Zealand. This will be 

accomplished through, 1) collecting yield/fruit data from extensive 

trialing of over 40 varieties at two sites to identify best-performing 

material; 2) completion of study to developing more efficient 

propagation techniques to make these varieties commercially 

available; 3) comprehensive consumer preference study to identify 

most marketable varieties; 4) promotion of this new and exciting 

crop through a variety guide, field day, conferences, and social 

media. Continuation of this project will lead to a complete and 

comprehensive understanding of how to select, propagate, and 

produce elite varieties and how to market a new high-value 

commodity for the Texas fruit and nursery industries.

$31,935.25
177

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Texas Department 

of Agriculture $1,446,654.71 9. Texas Specialty Crops Promotional Podcast

Tarleton State University will work with industry organizations and 

participants to develop a podcast promoting Texas Specialty Crops. 

Through the podcast and accompanying website and YouTube 

channel, this project will bring to life the uniqueness, history, 

regionality, and even events that celebrate Texas specialty crops. 

The monthly podcast will bring specialty crops and specialty crop 

growers to life for a diverse audience including consumers, 

community members, local and state leaders, and even members of 

the broader food system (i.e. processors, wholesalers, retailers, 

exporters, and importers). A related website will also be developed 

to host the podcasts, provide images and video content to 

supplement the podcasts, and provide industry information and 

materials (brochures, recipes, etc.) for listeners and interested 

parties.

$100,000.00

Texas Department 

of Agriculture $1,446,654.71 10. Vine to Wine: Education and Promotion

To enhance consumer awareness on Texas wine, the Texas 

Department of Agriculture will conduct a marketing and public 

outreach campaign that will target consumers and raise awareness 

of grape growers and wineries in Texas. This campaign will focus on 

the grape growing process and the various factors that take place 

before these grapes can be used for wine production.

$141,822.14

Texas Department 

of Agriculture $1,446,654.71 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$176,317.19

U.S. Virgin Islands 

Department of 

Agriculture

$244,645.77

1. Building Youth Capacity 

for Sustainable Food 

Security Through 

S.T.E.A.M. Integration

The Virgin Islands Women in Agriculture Association, (VIWIAA), an 

affiliate of the National Women in Agriculture Association (NWIAA), 

will increase child and adult knowledge of specialty crop, 

production, consumption, and nutritional value. Project highlights 

include Agriculture Literacy Week activities, interdisciplinary lesson 

plans development, and creation of a nutrition/coloring/recipe 

book for distribution.

$59,149.86
178

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

U.S. Virgin Islands 

Department of 

Agriculture

$244,645.77

2. On-Farm Intercropping 

Sweetpotatoes with 

Jicama to Control Weevils

The University of the Virgin Islands School of Agriculture's 

Agricultural Experiment Station will work with local low-income, 

minority farmers and back yard gardeners to conduct on-farm 

sweetpotato trials with intercropped jicama. Three growers will 

supply land and water for the study in two growing seasons. The 

project will provide planting material (virus-free Sweetpotato 

cutting and Jicama seedlings), drip irrigation, fertilizer, weevil traps, 

and assist with harvest. Data will be collected on the weevil 

population over time and weevil damage at harvest. By working onfarm with growers and intercropping Sweetpotato with Jicama, the 

project will develop a natural control of weevil damage and 

increase marketable Sweetpotato yield in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

$50,000.00

U.S. Virgin Islands 

Department of 

Agriculture

$244,645.77

3. Improving Cucurbit 

Production in Protected 

Structures in the U.S. 

Virgin Islands

University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) will improve the production 

potential of cucurbits (cucumbers and watermelon) in the Virgin 

Islands by introducing non-pollinator dependent lines that are 

optimized for both indoor and open field environments.

$74,463.00

U.S. Virgin Islands 

Department of 

Agriculture

$244,645.77 4. Propagation of Java 

Plum (Syzygium cumini)

The University of the Virgin Islands will work with small acreage 

disadvantaged farmers of the U.S. Virgin Islands to provide onlocation training of air-layering techniques of Java plum (Syzgium 

cummingi). The project will collect seeds of Java plum and 

investigate different pre-germinative seed treatments along with 

vegetative propagation to develop nursery protocols for planting 

stock. From the various germinated seedlings, the project will 

produce viable plantlets to be provided to participating farmers and 

develop a fact sheet for the general public.

$50,000.00

U.S. Virgin Islands

Department of 

Agriculture

$244,645.77 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$11,027.00
179

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Utah Department 

of Agriculture and 

Food

$386,242.69 

1. Isolation and Utilization 

of Frankia from Nodules 

of Two Native Plants for 

Sustainable Nursery 

Production.

Utah State University will establish an agreement or contractual 

relationship with the State Department of Agriculture and Food to 

lead and execute a project to isolate and utilize Frankia isolates 

from the nodules of Ceanothus velutinus (snowbrush) and 

Shepherdia × utahensis ‘Torrey’ (hybrid buffaloberry) for 

sustainable nursery production. The results from this project will be 

disseminated to nursery growers and landscape professionals 

through field days, workshops, and/or educational materials.

$88,191.54

Utah Department 

of Agriculture and 

Food

$386,242.69 

2. Maximizing Sustainable 

Green Industry 

Production Using 

Alternative Water Sources

Utah State University will establish an agreement with the State 

Department of Agriculture and Food to lead and execute the 

project to collaborate with at least 20 nursery and greenhouse 

producers to monitor the quality of alternative water (e.g., 

groundwater and/or secondary water) and implement the best 

water management practices for sustainable nursery and 

greenhouse production.

$86,893.12

Utah Department 

of Agriculture and 

Food

$386,242.69 

3. Urban Edible Perennial 

Demonstration Garden & 

Educational Programming 

Development at Wasatch 

Community Gardens’ 

Campus & Farms

Wasatch Community Gardens (WCG) will continue to establish 

edible perennial specialty crops as living demonstration and 

educational features at its urban Campus and farm locations with 

the purpose of showcasing varieties that are attractive in landscape 

designs, can thrive in Salt Lake County’s dry climate, and are 

interesting and fun to consume for people of all ages. Alongside 

selecting and maintaining the edible perennials at the Campus and 

farm, WCG staff will develop public-facing educational 

opportunities through existing programming such as hands-on 

workshops and virtual resources for growers in our community to 

access. WCG staff will also develop and participate in internal 

training opportunities to further their knowledge around edible 

perennial specialty crops and, in turn, share their expertise with the 

broader community. The anticipated outcome of this project is for a 

greater number of Utah growers and consumers to be empowered 

to successfully identify, cultivate, and consume their own edible 

perennial specialty crops.

$46,830.00
180

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Utah Department 

of Agriculture and 

Food

$386,242.69 

4. Utah Tree Fruit 

Growers- Consumer 

Education and Awareness 

of Utah Grown Tree Fruits

Mountainland Apples, Inc., along with approximately 15 "Utah Tree 

Fruit Growers" will work very closely with the UDAF/Utahs Own to 

develop educational and marketing programs to increase the 

consumer awareness and benefits of buying "Utah Grown Tree 

Fruits". The purpose for this project is to promote the sales and 

consumption of tree fruit, grown, packed, and sold by Utah tree 

fruit growers at several different locations - this can include farmers 

markets, roadside fruit stands, grower owned stores, and all 

traditional retail grocery stores, local and national.

$46,000.00

Utah Department 

of Agriculture and 

Food

$386,242.69 

5. Wine Grape Irrigation 

Water Requirements in 

Utah

Utah State University researchers will quantify wine grape irrigation 

requirements in production vineyards in Washington and Box Elder 

Counties, Utah. The researchers will measure irrigation, 

precipitation, and soil moisture in five production vineyards 

throughout the growing seasons of 2024 and 2025. The researchers 

will estimate vineyard transpiration and soil water evaporation 

using a water balance approach and satellite imagery. Weather 

data will be collected at the vineyards to identify the role of local 

climate on vineyard irrigation water requirements. The researchers 

will produce Extension outreach fact sheets, workshops, and field 

days to disseminate the results to current and prospective growers. 

With this information, growers, potential growers, and state 

agencies will know how much water is necessary for wine grape

production and producers will have information to make 

scientifically based irrigation decisions.

$87,135.48

Utah Department 

of Agriculture and 

Food

$386,242.69 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$30,873.92
181

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Vermont Agency of 

Agriculture $320,341.18 1. The Farmer's Share Podcast

The Farmer’s Share podcast, a production of University of Vermont 

(UVM) Extension Agricultural Engineering, will provide self-directed, 

just-in-time, peer-to-peer educational opportunities for over 400 

farmers related to sustainable practices in growing specialty crops. 

We will do this by producing 20 podcast episodes as a result of 

interviewing 20 Vermont growers (peer educators). The Farmer’s 

Share is “a behind the scenes podcast where we visit with farmers 

and learn what it takes to be a sustainable produce grower across 

people, profits and our planet.”

$29,930.00

Vermont Agency of 

Agriculture $320,341.18

2. Establishing a Point of 

Origin Comparison 

Database for Vermont 

Honey 

The Vermont Beekeepers Association will build a pollen profile 

found in Vermont honey samples. Samples will be collected from 

around the state, pollen will be DNA analyzed for species, and a 

computerized database will be created for comparison purposes. 

This database will be established to identify honey points of origin 

so that a future quality assurance and marketing program may be 

developed for tested and certified Vermont honey. The program 

will help consumers be more confident in the food they consume 

by certifying pure, authentic Vermont honey.

$8,961.00

Vermont Agency of 

Agriculture $320,341.18

3. Research Validation for 

Alternative Viticulture 

Systems in Vermont

The University of Vermont Fruit Program will conduct on-farm 

research on alternative management strategies that reduce or 

eliminate synthetic pesticide inputs in vineyards by evaluating 

disease control efficacy, crop yield and quality, and economic 

return. Data collected will include:

practices used by growers and in the experimental vineyards; 

weather conditions; grower satisfaction withdisease management; 

disease incidence on fruit and foliage, and crop yield.

$39,998.00
182

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Vermont Agency of 

Agriculture $320,341.18

4. The Use of Drones to 

Detect and Control 

Common Tree Pests in 

Vermont

Randolph Technical Career Center, a school in the Orange 

Southwest School District, will collaborate with the University of 

Vermont and the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department to utilize 

drones for the identification and reduction of common tree pests 

including balsam woolly adelgid, gypsy moth and other destructive 

pests. The goal is to reduce the use of pesticide through targeted 

application with informed knowledge in the Christmas tree, fruit 

tree, and maple industries. The data and information learned will 

be shared publicly with Vermont farmers and specialty producers. 

Drones will be used for mapping, pest detection, and precise 

pesticide distribution. Data will be collected to determine efficacy, 

cost effectiveness, and environmental impact of this pest detection 

and reduction method.

$49,450.00

Vermont Agency of 

Agriculture $320,341.18

5. Increasing Market 

Access and Building 

Efficiency and Viability of 

Distribution/Freight 

Options

The project from Myers Produce will increase the sale and 

distribution of specialty crops for 116+ producers by directly 

increasing the volume of crops purchased from VT growers; 

increasing the number of specialty crop growers selling to the New 

York and Boston markets; and growing the number and scope of 

market access points for Vermont specialty crop producers. It will 

also provide educational opportunities to other food distributors 

and wholesale buyers to increase efficiencies for specialty crop 

producers across the country.

$47,000.00

Vermont Agency of 

Agriculture $320,341.18

6. The Changing 

Landscape of Allium Pest 

Management on Vermont 

Diversified Vegetable 

Farms

The University of Vermont will conduct an applied research and 

education project exploring the changing suite of allium pests 

(allium leaf miner, leek moth, onion thrips) in Vermont by 

conducting a scouting and monitoring program of allium pests in 

Vermont, on-farm trials exploring interactions between common 

management practices and the suite of onion pests affecting 

Vermont growers and updating the recently acquired Leek Moth 

Information Center for the United States website. This proposed 

project is especially relevant for Vermont growers interested in 

organic and/or ecologically responsible practices, particularly smallholder farmers.

$39,024.00
183

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Vermont Agency of 

Agriculture $320,341.18

7. Connecting Restaurants 

and Specialty Crop 

Producers: Increasing 

Sales and Enhancing 

Marketing Opportunities

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) will 

support specialty crop producers in establishing or expanding sales 

to restaurant accounts. VAAFM will do this by developing a number 

of resources for key market channel stakeholders, including 

specialty crop producers, restaurants and distributors. Resources 

will include case studies highlighting successful relationships 

between restaurants and specialty crop producers, and toolkits to 

help producers and restaurants reduce market channel barriers and 

better market their local purchases/sales. VAAFM, with the help of 

a contractor, will also facilitate networking and meet-up events to 

help stakeholders across the market sector connect with each other 

and communicate their business needs and product information. 

Events will include opportunities for key restaurant staff to visit 

specialty crop producer farms, and for specialty crop producers to 

visit restaurants. These exchanges will include both in-person and 

virtual formats.

$80,137.55

Vermont Agency of 

Agriculture $320,341.18 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and postaward activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$25,608.74
184

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Virginia 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$552,005.24 1. Validating In-Field 

Water

Virginia Tech will validate in-field water treatments to enhance 

produce safety for specialty crop farms. These findings will directly 

support Virginia specialty crop farms by generating data on the 

efficacy of in-field water treatments, and how farms can monitor, 

verify and validate their use as a mitigation strategy to control 

contamination risks. Results will be communicated to stakeholders 

through extension activities at grower meetings, fact 

sheets/presentations, and Virginia-hosted Produce Safety Alliance 

Grower Trainings. Food safety programs, including Good 

Agricultural Practices and the Food Safety Modernization Act 

Produce Safety Rule address water usage on-farm with a 

combination of risk assessments, standards, or metrics. The 

ultimate outcome is generation of in-field water treatment data, 

which will allow growers to reduce contamination from water 

usage on-farm.

$74,801.26

Virginia 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$552,005.24

2. Use of Drone-Spray for 

Weed Management in 

Specialty Crops 

(Tomatoes and Broccoli)

The weed science team at Eastern Shore AREC, Virginia Polytechnic 

Institute and State University will evaluate the potential economic 

benefits of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)/drones. Current use of 

UAS/ aerial drones for pest management is mainly limited to pest 

mapping and classification only. With the availability UAS carrying 

20-25 L of pesticides/payload, UAS have the potential to modernize 

agricultural fields due to lower costs, greater coverage capacity, 

and flexibility compared to AI-based agricultural robots and 

tractors. Previous research on soybean and corn showed that these 

technologies can provide higher efficacy of the herbicides that are 

applied, saving money and herbicide. These technologies have not 

been tested for specialty crops, and operational conditions of 

drones may change based on canopy size, crop morphology, and 

herbicide label.

$74,958.59
185

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Virginia 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$552,005.24

3. Increasing 

Sustainability and 

Competitiveness of 

Virginia's Floriculture 

Industry by Improving 

Efficiency and Reducing 

Distribution Costs

The River City Flower Exchange Cooperative will continue to 

increase public awareness of and enhance the competitiveness of 

Virginia's floriculture industry through increasing access to 

sustainably grown flowers by developing an efficient and costeffective delivery and outpost model. RCFE has demonstrated 

success in the Richmond area for locally grown flowers and there is 

demand in the Tidewater, Northern and Central Virginia areas for 

RCFE's locally grown flowers.

$75,000.00

Virginia 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$552,005.24

4. Increase Yield in 

Greenhouse Soilless 

Strawberry Using Growth 

Promoting Bacteria

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR), in 

partnership with Virginia Cooperative Extension, industry leaders, 

and growers, will contribute to increasing greenhouse soilless 

strawberry yield by utilizing growth promoting bacteria. IALR will 

specifically use beneficial bacterial endophytes, which live inside 

plants and help plants grow better, tolerate stress conditions, and 

fight diseases. We will use different strawberry cultivars and 

promising bacterial endophytes in our CEA facility to decipher 

which cultivar x endophyte combinations give better yield. This 

research outcome would help growers increase profits in 

hydroponically grown strawberry by using growth promoting 

bacteria. We will disseminate our results by organizing grower tours 

to the institute and using Virginia Tech extension specialists.

$41,257.67
186

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Virginia 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$552,005.24

5. Virginia Specific 

Disease Management 

Strategies to Protect 

Young Sweet Corn 

Seedlings 

Fresh-picked sweet corn is a quintessential summer treat, but seed 

rot and seedling blight threaten production. Stand reductions over 

50% and stunted plants with low vigor are common in affected 

sweet corn, especially in the popular super sweet type hybrids and 

early plantings. Seed treatment with combinations of different 

fungicides are the most cost-effective means to manage these 

pathogens. The composition of pathogens affecting Virginia sweet 

corn is expected to differ from other sweet corn production 

regions. The objectives of this Virginia Polytechnic Institute and 

State University project are to identify fungicide seed treatments 

that are most beneficial for Virginia growers and to determine 

which soilborne pathogen species are most common in Virginia 

soils. Virginia specific disease management recommendations for 

protecting sweet corn seedlings will be disseminated to growers 

using written and oral Extension outreach methods.

$74,177.13

Virginia 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$552,005.24

6. Next-Generation 

Biofungicides for 

Application in Controlled 

Environment Agriculture

A team of researchers at Virginia Tech will develop and evaluate the 

use of biofungicides for the control of common diseases of food 

crops produced in controlled environment agriculture which is 

limited in the number of pesticides that can be utilized. This goal 

will be fulfilled by developing and evaluating RNAi-based 

biofungicides targeting grey mold in strawberry production and 

downy mildew in spinach production and then disseminating 

results to stakeholders through publications and presentations.

$74,975.37
187

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Virginia 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$552,005.24

7. Preserving Apples in 

the Face of Frost: 

Evaluating the Efficacy of 

Cryoprotectants

Spring frost represents a formidable abiotic stressor that poses a 

significant economic threat to fruit production worldwide. The 

annual cost of spring frost and freeze damage reaches millions of 

dollars, and climate change is projected to exacerbate the situation. 

Agrochemical companies have developed cryoprotectants that are 

believed to help prevent frost damage by increasing solute 

concentration and lowering the freezing point of intracellular fluids. 

There is limited scientific evidence on their effectiveness in fruit 

crops, particularly apple trees in the Mid-Atlantic region. Virginia 

Tech will investigate the impact of cryoprotectants on apple trees in 

the Mid-Atlantic region to advance the development of more 

practical and cost-effective strategies for reducing the adverse 

effects of spring frosts on apple production. The deployment of 

frost protectants is expected to augment the cold tolerance of 

buds, providing significant benefits to horticulture industry 

stakeholders.

$69,731.24

Virginia 

Department of 

Agriculture and 

Consumer Services

$552,005.24 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$79,831.28

Washington State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$4,846,024.74

1. Washington Craft Cider 

Market Development 

Kickoff via National Cider 

Conference

The Northwest Cider Association (NWCA) will establish an 

agreement with Washington State Department of Agriculture to 

execute this project to address domestic market issues that will 

benefit up to 80 Washington cideries. Key activities include 

audience specific marketing/PR and education for influencers, 

buyers, distributors and consumers. NWCA will collaborate with the 

American Cider Association to complete project activities. This 

project seeks to improve gatekeeper, influencer, and buyers’ 

awareness, preferences for and purchase of Washington craft cider 

in order to increase consumers’ access and ability to purchase.

$249,800.52
188

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Washington State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$4,846,024.74 2. IFPA Trade Show

The Washington State Potato Commission (WSPC) will coordinate a 

WA Grown Pavilion for members of Washington’s specialty crop 

industry to exhibit at two consecutive Global Produce & Floral 

Shows (GPFS) Expos: Anaheim, CA in 2023 and Atlanta, GA in 2024. 

In order to help Washington specialty crop businesses continue to 

grow their footprint in other markets, both foreign and domestic, 

WSPC will coordinate booth space for multiple companies and 

organizations and will provide space to hold meetings with 

potential buyers and have a local Washington Chef to demonstrate 

what can be done with our specialty crops, drawing a crowd to the 

booth. The objective of this project is to grow Washington State’s 

presence at GPFS during the Expo and continue to grow the number 

of companies able to participate, with an outcome of increased 

sales for participating companies.

$150,000.00

Washington State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$4,846,024.74

3. International Bio 

Pesticide Residue 

Compliance in Key 

Markets

Bryant Christie Inc. (BCI) seeks to conduct research on the rules and 

regulations of biopesticides in eight key export markets: Australia, 

Canada, China, the EU, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and the UK. BCI will 

conduct extensive desk research and in-country interviews with 

foreign regulatory officials and experts to produce a definitive guide 

for Washington State specialty crop growers and exporters. This 

guide will contain a detailed analysis of the regulatory processes in 

the selected markets. It will be made available at no cost to 

Washington growers and presented by BCI to interested 

Washington specialty crop stakeholders.

$134,011.00

Washington State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$4,846,024.74

4. Initiating Washington 

Blueberry Exports to 

Thailand and Indonesia

The Washington Blueberry Commission (WBC) project will conduct 

retail, foodservice, and culinary promotions in Thailand and 

Indonesia for fresh, frozen, and dried blueberries. The Commission

intends to use SCBGP funds to conduct a market visit to both 

countries to meet with importers, wholesalers, retailers and food 

manufacturers, and to coordinate seasonal promotions that 

hopefully encourage increased orders and sales. Promotions would 

be arranged through a contractor and include point of sale 

materials, advertising, and retail/foodservice demos and sampling.

$175,000.00
189

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Washington State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$4,846,024.74

5. WA State and the 

Netherlands: Accelerating 

Innovative Technology 

Adoption through 

Orchard of the Future 

Collaboration 

The Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission (WTFRC), with 

significant support from project partners, will lead and execute this 

project to accelerate the development and adoption of innovative 

technologies that benefit Washington State’s tree fruit industry. 

WTFRC is one of twenty-five Washington State and Dutch partners 

working together as part of the “Orchard of the Future” 

collaboration. To meet the project’s objectives and outcomes, 

“Orchard of the Future” partners will share information and 

collaborate with one another on past and current projects, develop 

and collaborate on new projects, demonstrate innovative 

technologies, and provide ongoing outreach and education to 

Washington tree fruit producers about the innovative technologies 

and solutions developed. Lastly, we will develop training materials 

to enable farmers to understand how to interact with their own 

smart farm data.

$175,000.00

Washington State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$4,846,024.74

6. ViruStop: Development 

of Virus Resistant Potato 

Through Topical 

Application of Bio-Based 

and Eco-Friendly RNA 

Vaccines

Washington State University's proposed research will contribute to 

the development of materials and methods to generate resistance 

to potato virus Y (PVY), one of the most important pathogens of 

potato in WA State and the region. Outcomes could lead to 

reduction in input costs including insecticides for vector control, 

and cost of production with a subsequent increase in profit and will 

directly contribute to environmental stewardship and increased 

sustainability. WSU intends to build on a proof of concept and 

develop bioformulations that trigger innate plant resistance to PVY 

infection and to optimize topical application-based delivery 

technology for effective and efficient use of the bioformulations.

$208,851.00
190

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Washington State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$4,846,024.74

7. Application of Cellulose 

Nanofibers for Managing 

Potato Diseases

Washington State University will expand the utility of cellulose 

nanofibers (CNFs) as protectants against potato diseases thereby 

providing a new avenue for sustainable management of plant 

diseases. This project will conduct in vitro, greenhouse, and field 

studies to test the efficacy of different CNFs against several potato 

diseases and their impact on potato yield and quality. In addition, 

management recommendations will be developed for CNF 

application. Expected outcome from this project is that CNFs will 

alleviate potato diseases without inducing plant defense responses, 

which often results in fitness penalties such as growth retardation 

and yield loss.

$249,507.00

Washington State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$4,846,024.74

8. Leafhopper Phenology 

Model Development to 

Improve Cherry X-Disease 

Management

Washington State University will document population dynamics of 

leafhopper vectors of the incurable and destructive cherry Xdisease. The researchers will use these data to create phenology 

models that predict when different generations of different species 

are present according to a degree-day scale. These models will 

allow cherry orchardists to time management actions effectively, 

saving money, reducing pesticide use, and reducing X-disease.

$249,813.00

Washington State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$4,846,024.74

9. Improving Blossom 

Blight Management 

Through Determining InOrchard Bacterial 

Population Dynamics and 

Structure Variations

Washington State University aims to improve fire blight blossom 

blight management by determining in-orchard pathogen population 

dynamics and population structure variations. The project will 

determine in-field population dynamics on different stages of apple 

flowers from multiple cultivars at different times of day and night; 

to study the effect of population structure variations on population 

dynamics; and to improve the prediction of fire blight blossom 

blight and management under cooler temperatures and dry 

conditions. Findings will aid in understanding the population 

dynamics on stigma, how pathogen structure variations will affect 

the population dynamics, and improve disease prediction model 

and thus blossom blight disease management to benefit growers.

$249,838.00
191

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Washington State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$4,846,024.74

10. Synergistic 

Antimicrobial Activity of 

Food-Grade Compounds 

in Wax Coatings on Fruits 

During Wax Drying

The Center for Produce Safety will partner with University of 

California, Davis, to enhance the safety of citrus and apples with 

antimicrobial wax coatings applied during postharvest treatment. 

The overall aim of this research is to reduce cross-contamination 

risks from wax formulations and improve the safety of coated fruits 

by reducing the bacterial load on the fruit surface. This project will 

use a synergistic approach to enhance inactivation of bacteria, 

based on the combined effect of selected generally recognized as 

safe (GRAS) antimicrobial compounds added to commercial wax 

coatings along with mild heat-assisted drying of the wax 

formulations. The project outcomes will include identification of at 

least two food-grade compounds and/or extracts that can be 

blended with commercial wax formulations to achieve 3-log 

reductions of pathogens in the wax coatings and on the fresh fruit 

surfaces.

$250,000.00

Washington State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$4,846,024.74

11. Superheated Steam in 

Eliminating Listeria 

Monocytogenes Biofilm in 

Wooden and Plastic Fruit 

Storage Bins

Washington State University will systematically evaluate the 

efficacy of sanitizer treatments against Listeria on fruit bins and to 

investigate the effectiveness of superheated steam under industryrelevant conditions in reducing Listeria harborage. The project 

objectives are to 1) evaluate and optimize the efficacy of the 

selected sanitizers against Listeria biofilm on both wooden and 

plastic fruit bin surfaces; and 2) assess the efficacy of superheated 

steam against Listeria biofilm on fruit bin surfaces. The project will 

provide the industry with new and effective sanitization strategies 

to enhance control over Listeria cross-contamination and improve 

the design of sanitation programs.

$250,000.00
192

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Washington State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$4,846,024.74

12. Establishing and 

Increasing the 

Competitiveness of 

Hazelnut Production in 

Washington

To support the competitiveness of Washington hazelnut 

production, an interdisciplinary Washington State University (WSU) 

team, in collaboration with industry sectors, will conduct this 

project to: a) characterize economic value associated with orchard 

establishment, b) identify best management practices including 

pest and pathogen threats, and c) develop a reference whole 

genome sequence to support genetic improvement applications 

including identification of markers associated with economically 

valuable traits and facilitate pedigree-based analyses. The costs 

associated with orchard establishment will be assessed and an 

enterprise budget will be created that includes modeling of 

different scenarios faced by Washington growers. Monitoring for 

pest and pathogen threats at multiple sites distributed across the 

state will be conducted at least four times annually and these 

results will be used to develop management strategies for hazelnut 

growth in arid regions of Washington. By the conclusion of the 

project, a reference genome sequence will also be generated for 

two hazelnut cultivars central to U.S. germplasm.

$249,750.00

Washington State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$4,846,024.74

13. Feasibility Study: 

Supporting Communities 

of Color to Access and 

Produce Culturally 

Relevant Crops in SW 

Washington

The Haki Farmers Collective seeks to conduct a feasibility study to 

establish the viability and prosperity of marginalized BIPOC farmers 

in the production of specialty crops that are culturally relevant for 

SW markets. Study will: 1) identity gaps, barriers, and potential 

markets for BIPOC farmer's production with market viability; and 2) 

design and implement a crop trial to understand cultivation and 

crop germination length.

$49,430.00

Washington State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$4,846,024.74

14. Enhancing Labor 

Management Skills in 

Washington’s Agricultural 

Industry

The Washington State Tree Fruit Association (WSTFA) in 

collaboration with Washington State Department of Agriculture’s 

Technical Services and Education Program (TSEP) and Washington 

State University (WSU) created the Agricultural Leadership Program 

(ALP), a comprehensive leadership program developed to enhance 

leadership skills of farm owners, supervisors, and managers. This 

project will expand ALP to the entire agricultural industry due to 

high interest expressed by other commodity groups in the state.

$250,000.00
193

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Washington State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$4,846,024.74

15. Specialty Crop 

Education and Career 

Focus Through Agriculture 

Education

The Washington Future Farmers of America (FFA) seeks to expand 

on its inter-curricular education pertaining to specialty crop 

through career development event program offerings. The 

Washington FFA seeks funds to run and expand on these program 

offerings for youth agriculture education students with the goal of 

career interest and entry into specialty crops. Because of the 

biological diversity of Washington State and our over 300 unique 

crops grown, this is the perfect region to be marketing and 

recruiting for the specialty crop industry.

$201,525.87

Washington State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$4,846,024.74

16. Managing Soil 

Moisture and Soil Physical 

Health for Annual 

Specialty Crops in 

Northwestern 

Washington

The project team at Washington State University will conduct 

research at the nexus of soil health, soil moisture, and irrigation 

management for fresh-market potatoes, and increase farmer 

familiarity with the practical application of improved irrigation 

scheduling strategies through individual outreach, farmer 

participatory research, recorded videos, workshop presentations, 

and WSU Extension publications.

$249,416.00

Washington State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$4,846,024.74

17. Enzyme-Oriented 

Detoxification of Multiple 

Toxic Pesticides Exposed

to Honeybees

Washington State University will protect honeybees from pesticide 

poisonings by developing a detoxifying agent composed of multiple 

detoxification enzymes to reduce both regional and national 

widespread bee colony losses attributed to pesticide exposure. The 

project proposes a muti-enzyme (e.g., phosphotriesterase, 

carboxylesterase, aldehyde-oxidase) pharmaceutical treatment for 

honeybees that could prevent field realistic poisonings caused by 

various insecticides. Using this new technique, the beekeepers will 

have lower colony losses and provide more and healthier colonies 

to specialty crop growers who depend on honeybee pollination for 

their successful crop production.

$249,976.00
194

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Washington State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$4,846,024.74

18. Non-Destructive 

Sorting at Harvest to 

Improve Pear Cold Chain 

Outcome

Researchers at Washington State University propose to adapt the 

sorting protocol to pears, which could potentially be implemented 

in any sorting system. The project will determine benefits of this 

sorting protocol to fruit finish including reduced sunburn, sunscald, 

and superficial scald, as well as uniformity of response of fruit to 

postharvest conditions and treatments, including 1-MCP and 

ripening treatments. Researchers expect that sorted groups of fruit 

at harvest will have a more predictable outcome from postharvest 

treatments and cold-chain management, reducing cold chain losses 

and improving eating quality.

$247,275.00

Washington State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$4,846,024.74

19. Assessment of Pear 

Cultivars Sustainability in 

Washington State 

Growing Conditions

Washington State University researchers, in collaboration with 

WTFRC, propose to utilize one existing ad-hoc orchard established 

in 2019 with 20 pear cultivars to explore the possibility to increase 

the number of pear cultivars grown in Washington State (WA). A 

second experimental 'Bartlett' orchard planted in 2018, contiguous 

to the first, will be utilized to expand the pear collection by topworking the canopy with new cultivars selected from the National 

Clonal Germplasm Repository located in Corvallis (OR, USA). During 

this project, the productive and qualitative characteristics of the 20 

cultivars will be assessed, and the implementation of the number of 

varieties under evaluation will be pursued up to a potential total 

number of 50. Demonstration visits to the orchards combined with 

recommendations based on the robust data collected will enable 

Washington pear growers to make informed decisions on 

expanding the pear varieties offered to the consumers.

$161,089.00
195

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Washington State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$4,846,024.74

20. Beyond Honeybees: 

Building Towards Resilient 

Pollination for Blueberry

This proposal, led by Washington State University in collaboration 

with Washington blueberry producers, will generate knowledge on 

implementing more resilient pollination systems for blueberry 

farms that incorporate information on honeybees, wild bees, and 

landscape context. Specifically, we will accomplish three 

complementary objectives: (1) measure how variability in wild bee 

communities and honeybee density across landscapes affects 

pollination of early- and late-flowering blueberry cultivars, (2) 

estimate the economic benefits of wild bees on pollination across 

variable landscapes, and (3) implement digital tools while 

enhancing current extension efforts to aid growers in making datadriven pollination decisions.

$191,229.00

Washington State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$4,846,024.74

21. Adapting a 

Carbohydrate-Based 

Fruitlet Thinning Model 

for WA State Apple 

Production

Washington State University, led by Dr. Lee Kalcsits, proposes to 

bring a carbohydrate thinning model to WA apple growers to 

improve thinning precision that will increase fruit quality and 

decrease manual thinning costs. The project has three objectives: 

1.) test the current carbohydrate thinning model under Washington 

State conditions using historical WSU AgWeatherNet (AWN) data; 

2.) test and adjust submodels that account for differences in an 

irrigated, semi-arid climate like WA; and 3.) make the model 

available to WA state growers via AWN portal and develop training 

material and in-person workshops that improve the integration of 

this model into their thinning decisions. A refined model validated 

in Washington State would benefit the entire state apple industry 

as growers need to maximize the number of fruit meeting target 

size and color categories, two traits that are heavily influenced by 

crop load.

$249,783.00

Washington State 

Department of 

Agriculture

$4,846,024.74 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and postaward activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$386,101.40
196

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

West Virginia 

Department of 

Agriculture

$299,757.33 1. Farm to You MOBILE 

Access Expansion Project

The Eastern Area Health Education Center (EAHEC) will strengthen a 

new, innovative distribution system for specialty crops in the 

Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia while increasing access and 

consumption of specialty crops to support patient health at 9 local 

health clinics.

$72,685.00

West Virginia 

Department of 

Agriculture

$299,757.33 2. FARMacy WV: 

Prescriptions for Produce

The West Virginia Farmers Market Association through its Healthy 

Food Initiatives continues to support FARMacy WV: Prescriptions 

for Produce which is designed to provide access to fresh locally 

grown WV specialty crops as well as cooking skills and nutrition 

education to patients with chronic disease, health disparities, and 

nutrition insecurities. This project will fund Community Champions 

who will provide on-site supervision and act as a liaison between 

clinics and farmers. Funding will be used for marketing strategies to 

promote and recruit farmers and growers of specialty crops, as well 

as patients and providers to participate.

$59,890.00

West Virginia 

Department of 

Agriculture

$299,757.33

3. Using Freeze Dried 

Products to Access Farm 

to School & Year Round 

Retail Market

Sunset Berry Farm, in partnership with local farms, will freeze dry 

strawberries, peaches, blueberries and tomatoes to test market 

viability within the region and statewide including schools for the 

farm to school programs and the general public.

$74,825.00

West Virginia 

Department of 

Agriculture

$299,757.33

4. Increasing West 

Virginia Honey Sales 

through Efficient 

Extraction and Bottling

The West Virginia Military Authority will develop a honey extraction 

and bottling location at its Patriot Apple site in Muddlety, WV with 

the overall goal of increasing the amount of locally produced honey 

that is efficiently and consistently packaged for sale throughout the 

state and region. Through education and outreach to West Virginia 

beekeepers, particularly those beekeepers that are veterans or 

military family members, these individuals will be able to utilize this 

centralized processing and bottling equipment to reduce processing 

costs on the farm and to expand market opportunities for local 

honey.

$49,535.00
197

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

West Virginia 

Department of 

Agriculture

$299,757.33

5. Continuation of the 

West Virginia FieldWatch 

Program

The West Virginia Department of Agriculture will mitigate 

accidental pesticide exposure to specialty crops by increasing 

communications between pesticide applicators, beekeepers, and 

specialty crop stakeholders by continuing to provide free online 

membership to FieldWatch, a secure online mapping tool.

$9,203.00

West Virginia 

Department of 

Agriculture

$299,757.33 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$33,469.43

Wisconsin 

Department of 

Agriculture, Trade 

and Consumer 

Protection

$1,337,607.22

1. Gays Mills Apple 

Orchard Corridor 

Marketing Project

Driftless Development INC will develop and implement marketing 

strategies and promotional campaign that leads to increased 

knowledge, consumption and sales of apples grown in the apple 

orchard corridor in Gays Mills. An analysis of these efforts will 

inform future marketing efforts and provide valuable education for 

apple growers/farmers that leads to improved specialty crop 

production and revenue for the growers/farmers.

$99,330.00

Wisconsin 

Department of 

Agriculture, Trade 

and Consumer 

Protection

$1,337,607.22 2. YMCA Camp St. Croix 

Maple Sugaring Project

The YMCA Camp St. Croix will educate 4,000 participants (youth 

and adults) about the unique industry of maple syrup production 

through immersion with the process and tasting, with the purpose 

of sustaining the occupation and consumerism of the products.

$12,417.00

Wisconsin 

Department of 

Agriculture, Trade 

and Consumer 

Protection

$1,337,607.22 3. Supporting Honeyberry 

Production in Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension will establish 

replicated honeyberry trials at three locations to provide cultivar 

performance data and production information to existing and 

aspiring growers of this emerging fresh fruit in Wisconsin.

$71,739.00
198

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Wisconsin 

Department of 

Agriculture, Trade 

and Consumer 

Protection

$1,337,607.22

4. Increasing Production, 

Awareness and Demand 

of Year-Round Locally 

Grown Leafy Greens in 

Milwaukee 

Hundred Acre is a new indoor hydroponic farm located in Century 

City business park on the north side of Milwaukee growing and 

harvesting leafy greens year round. In order to further educate the 

public on the health benefits and environmental advantages of 

consuming hydroponically-grown leafy greens , we will leverage our 

partnerships with community-based educators and local 

distributors to increase training and technical assistance to entrylevel adult farmers and provide opportunities for youth to explore 

specialty crop production as a career through hands on education 

and food safety training. Hundred Acre will work with high school 

students to train them on the farm. The students will take the 

information and harvested crops from their educational experience 

back to the school and share the newly acquired knowledge with 

their peers.

$100,000.00

Wisconsin 

Department of 

Agriculture, Trade 

and Consumer 

Protection

$1,337,607.22

5. Preventing Premature 

Defoliation in Wisconsin 

Ginseng to Preserve 

Yields 

The Ginseng Board of Wisconsin seeks to partner with Michigan 

State University to conduct research and grower extension to 

prevent premature yellowing and defoliation that growers are 

observing in their gardens through increased knowledge and 

development of targeted cultural and integrated disease 

management strategies and grower involvement through 

workshops, field days, and communications opportunities.

$98,506.00

Wisconsin 

Department of 

Agriculture, Trade 

and Consumer 

Protection

$1,337,607.22

6. Reducing Groundwater 

Contamination Risks with 

In-Season Cover Crop 

Interseedings in Potato 

and Sweet Corn

The University of Wisconsin will develop agronomically practical 

and economically feasible groundwater contamination mitigation 

strategies that can be readily adopted by potato and processing 

vegetable growers on highly leachable coarse-textured soils by 

investigating continuous living cover crop interseedings in 

replicated studies and sharing results with growers and processors 

via field tours, grower meetings and videos featured on the IPM 

YouTube channel.

$99,664.00
199

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Wisconsin 

Department of 

Agriculture, Trade 

and Consumer 

Protection

$1,337,607.22

7. Attract-and-Kill or Kill 

Alone to Manage 

Japanese Beetle in 

Vineyards

The University of Wisconsin will compare perimeter Attract-and-Kill 

and Kill alone as edge-row sprays for reducing Japanese beetle 

populations and foliar injury and provide new management 

recommendations to Wisconsin grape growers for managing 

Japanese beetle in commercial vineyards.

$66,770.00

Wisconsin 

Department of 

Agriculture, Trade 

and Consumer 

Protection

$1,337,607.22

8. Collard Variety 

Selection and Breeding 

for Urban and Peri-Urban 

Production in the Upper 

Midwest 

REAP Food Group of Madison, WI along with partners at University 

of Wisconsin-Madison and the collaborative Heirloom Collard 

Project will provide urban farmers, seed growers, and other directto-consumer growers recommendations for unique heirloom 

collard varieties. Farmers will trial collard varieties and collect data 

on varieties best suited for Midwest urban and peri-urban farm 

growing. In addition, seed growers will select new varieties for 

northern climates through seed saving and overwintering varieties. 

We will also connect with local culinary professionals to highlight 

the diversity in taste of heirloom collards.

$99,518.87

Wisconsin 

Department of 

Agriculture, Trade 

and Consumer 

Protection

$1,337,607.22

9. Advanced Level Crop 

Detection and Sensor 

System to Reduce 

Chemicals and Water 

Usage in Spray 

Applications of Specialty 

Crops

Spraycision will decrease the chemical and water usage in spray 

applications of specialty crops by developing a LiDAR based sensor 

system that only sprays to the plant canopy based on leaf density 

and avoids non-target areas such as gaps between the trees to 

provide sustainable and eco-friendly solution for orchard growers 

and nursery owners. The project will be done through the 

collaborations with the extension specialists of the University of 

Wisconsin-Madison Department of Horticulture and Plant 

Pathology.

$33,590.00

Wisconsin 

Department of 

Agriculture, Trade 

and Consumer 

Protection

$1,337,607.22

10. Growing Wisconsin; 

Food, Specialty Crops and 

Agricultural Tourism 

Development; Galvanizing 

Wisconsin as America’s 

Agricultural Tourism 

Destination 

The Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association (WATA) in 

collaboration with specialty crop producers will increase the 

demand for and sales of agriculture specialty crops and agricultural 

tourism experiences; through a targeted “Wisconsin, America’s 

Agricultural Tourism Destination” campaign promoting the state’s 

agriculture heritage and diversity while building on the reputation 

of specialty crops quality and versatility enjoyed by consumers 

experience on-farm agricultural tourism experiences.

$99,851.00
200

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Wisconsin 

Department of 

Agriculture, Trade 

and Consumer 

Protection

$1,337,607.22

11. Hop Production and 

Processing Operations 

and Expansion effecting 

Eastern Wisconsin and 

Neighboring Counties

Miles Acres LLC will complete this project which will directly 

support hop growing operations in the state of Wisconsin, which is 

not meeting its quota, due to a lack of grower interest and 

labor/equipment shortage. This project will help provide 

educational opportunities and internships with the utilization of 

hops specific processing equipment. This will aid in the promotion 

of Wisconsin grown hops and continue to grow an industry that 

Wisconsin once dominated. The proposal of funding for equipment 

will give other beginning hop growers in the area the ability to have 

access to harvesting, processing, and packing equipment that is 

rare, expensive, and hard to come by in our state. Providing funds 

for processing equipment will allow hop farmers to have the ability 

to share a hops harvester by transporting it from each specific farm 

location and gives the ability for each hop farm to harvest their 

hops on site in a timely and efficient manner.

$70,200.00

Wisconsin 

Department of 

Agriculture, Trade 

and Consumer 

Protection

$1,337,607.22

12. Supporting Beginning 

Elderberry Farmers in 

Southwest Wisconsin: 

Accessing Local Markets 

and Increasing Consumer 

Education on Elder 

Berries, Flower

Sheryl Scott of Good Thunder Farm will coordinate a group of 

diverse, beginning farmers in Southwest Wisconsin to work 

together to support efforts to grow elderberry and expand local 

markets. Project outcomes include 1) create a directory of local 

elderberry growers and value-added producers; 2) research specific 

price points and local direct markets for elderberry products; 3) 

provide input into hub development; and 4) educate consumers 

and herbalists in our local area on our native American elderberry 

and “farm to kitchen to table” elderberry products.

$26,220.00
201

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Wisconsin 

Department of 

Agriculture, Trade 

and Consumer 

Protection

$1,337,607.22

13. Ask the Honeybees: 

How do Local and 

Landscape Conditions 

Affect Pollen Quality?

The Gratton Lab in the Department of Entomology at the University 

of Wisconsin-Madison will improve our understanding of how 

management and habitat features at the farm-level and aspects of 

the surrounding landscape affect the quality of pollen collected by 

honey bees by assessing pesticide load, flower diversity, and 

protein and lipid content across three pollinator-dependent crops 

(apple, cranberry, and pumpkin), and we will share results with 

stakeholders through printed material in association newsletters 

and outreach presentations to offer management 

recommendations for improving the farm experience for bees.

$99,435.00

Wisconsin 

Department of 

Agriculture, Trade 

and Consumer 

Protection

$1,337,607.22

14. Supporting Specialty 

Crop Farmers via the 

Farm Fresh Atlas 

Statewide Expansion

REAP Food Group, Inc. a Wisconsin-based nonprofit, aims to expand 

the Farm Fresh Atlas, an annual print and internet guide to 

sustainable family farms, farmers’ markets, grocers, and 

restaurants, by consolidating its five regional guides into a singular, 

statewide publication to provide better marketing services to 

farmers and businesses supporting local farms as well as expanding 

our database of local farms.

$98,994.00

Wisconsin 

Department of 

Agriculture, Trade 

and Consumer 

Protection

$1,337,607.22 15. From Seed to Feed 

with Fruitz 2 Art

Fruitz 2 Art will provide comprehensive education and practical 

skills courses in nutritional facts about fruits and vegetables, 

culinary arts, agricultural practices, community collaboration, and 

business literacy within these industries.

$50,000.00

Wisconsin 

Department of 

Agriculture, Trade 

and Consumer 

Protection

$1,337,607.22 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$106,632.49
202

Organization 

Amount 

Funded to 

Organization 

Project Title Description Project Budget

Wyoming 

Department of 

Agriculture

$338,724.38

1. Enhancing the Capacity 

of Wyoming Specialty 

Crop Growers

The University of Wyoming Extension will enhance the capacity of 

Wyoming citizens to successfully grow specialty crops in the very 

climatically and economically challenging conditions of our state. In 

addition, they will educate growers on the benefits and how-tos of 

creating or enhancing pollinator habitat. UW will accomplish this 

by capturing the knowledge of what it takes to succeed in these 

areas of endeavor through a series of articles, video clips, and 

publications and make them known throughout the state via a 

concentrated marketing effort, two grower conferences and a 

geodome season extension workshop.

$99,906.00

Wyoming 

Department of 

Agriculture

$338,724.38 2. 5th Street Greenhouse 

Hydroponics Project

Sheridan County School District No. 2, in partnership with 

community supporters, will: A) provide healthy, locally-grown 

produce to students by installing and managing hydroponic raft 

growing systems that produce up to 100 pounds of leafy greens 

(including lettuce, kale, and mustard & other greens) per week for 

school meals; and B) create opportunities for students and 

stakeholders to increase knowledge about producing specialty 

crops.

$99,884.00

Wyoming 

Department of 

Agriculture

$338,724.38

3. Screening Varieties of 

Three Protein-Rich Pulse 

Crop Species for Reduced 

Water Use in Wyoming

This project will be conducted by two University of Wyoming 

research centers located in the northern part of the state. The 

project will identify, select, and grow the most drought-tolerant 

lines of chickpea, dry edible bean, and dry edible pea.

$79,584.00

Wyoming 

Department of 

Agriculture

$338,724.38 Grant Administration

Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal 

and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award 

and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program funding.

$58,396.00