October 2, 2015

Specialty Crop Block Grant Program 

Fiscal Year 2016 Evaluation Plan

Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Background

The Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 (7 U.S.C. 1621 note) authorized the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture to make grants to be used by State departments of agriculture solely 

to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops under the Specialty Crop Block Grant 

Program (SCBGP). All 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 

Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the 

Northern Mariana Islands are eligible to participate. Specialty crops are becoming an 

increasingly important commodity area within the United States agricultural arena. This is 

especially true since there is an increasing demand by the public for year-round, healthy, 

nutritious and sustainable food. Specialty crops are defined as fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, 

dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops (including floriculture). The Agricultural Marketing 

Service administers the SCBGP.

The 2014 Farm Bill, Section 10010, extended the SCBGP and authorized Commodity Credit 

Corporation funding at the following levels: $72.5 million for 2014 through 2017 and $85 

million for 2018 and each fiscal year thereafter. Each State department of agriculture is eligible 

to receive an estimated base grant and an additional amount based on the average of the most 

recent available value and acreage of specialty crop production for that State. Awards are 

made for a grant period of up to three years in length. 

State departments of agriculture are encouraged by AMS to conduct outreach to specialty crop 

stakeholders, including socially disadvantaged and beginning farmers, to disseminate 

information about the program and identify funding priorities. AMS also encourages State 

departments of agriculture to develop their State Plans through a competitive review process 

to ensure maximum public input and benefit.

AMS provides guidance and assistance to States in developing and submitting State Plans, 

meeting the administrative, reporting, and audit requirements involved in managing a funded 

project, and participates in workshops, conferences, and other forums to facilitate interaction 

among States, USDA representatives, and industry organizations. AMS also performs site visits 

with State departments of agriculture to assess program performance and provide technical 

assistance. The site visits identify effective practices, initiate corrective actions, and improve 

public accountability. 
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Fiscal Year 2016 Specialty Crop Block Grant Performance Evaluation

AMS is required to report on the outcomes of the SCBGP at a national scale to demonstrate the 

performance of this program. By collecting, aggregating, and reporting performance data across all 

states and territories, AMS can share the impact of the SCGBP with all stakeholders, including the Office 

of Management and Budget (OMB), Congress, the agricultural community, and the general public. 

• Each project submitted in the State Plan must include at least one of the eight outcomes 

listed below, and at least one of the indicators listed underneath the selected outcome(s). 

If there are multiple sub-indicators under the selected indicator, select at least one.

• If the indicator(s) below the selected outcome(s) are not relevant to a project, a projectspecific indicator(s) may be developed which will be subject to approval by AMS.

• The progress of each indicator must be reported in the Annual Performance Report and 

the result in the Final Performance Report. 

• AMS will aggregate the data collected to assess the overall impact of the program and 

report to OMB and Congress on these national outcome measures.

• AMS will review the quality of the information we receive in subsequent performance 

reports and modify the outcomes and indictors as needed over time to lead to better 

results in showing the impact of the SCBGP.

Outcome Measures

Outcome 1: To enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through increased sales 

THIS IS MANDATORY FOR ALL MARKETING AND PROMOTION PROJECTS.

Outcome Definition: 

Marketing and Promotion 

Marketing and promotion projects focus efforts to sell, advertise, promote, market, and 

generate publicity, attract new customers, or raise customer awareness for specialty crops or a 

specialty crop venue. These include, but are not limited to:

 Uses of social media to market and promote;

 Specialty crop local, regional and national campaigns;

 Specialty crop only tradeshows;

 Website promotion and development;

 Use/development of billboards, radio, television, magazine and email ads, marketing 

materials such as direct mail, brochures;

 Agritourism;

 Export market development;
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 Retail promotions including point-of-purchase items, labels, packaging etc.;

 Farmers market promotions; and

 Marketing and promotion campaigns with an education component directed to

consumers.

The specific measure must be expressed as a dollar value and percentage increase in sales of

one or more specialty crops in one or more States or foreign markets as a result of marketing

and/or promotion activities. For example, an expected outcome of growth in sales from 5% to

10% is not acceptable by itself, but in combination with an increase in sales of $1 million to $2

million it is acceptable. This requirement means that an established baseline of sales in dollars 

should already exist at the time of application. For projects that do not already have a 

baseline of sales in dollars, one of the objectives of the project must be to determine such a

baseline in order to meet the requirement to document the value of sales increases by the end

of the project.

Indicator: Sales increased from $________ to $_________ and by ______ percent, as result of 

marketing and/or promotion activities

AMS understands that sales can be impacted by a host of unrelated issues including trade 

disputes, phytosanitary issues, export conditions, weather, and other factors affecting the 

farmer, supply chain, retailers, wholesalers and/or consumers. The above factors demonstrate 

that even a perfectly executed marketing campaign can result in sales remaining constant or 

even declining. These factors and events that either positively or negatively impacted the sales 

of a project can be explained in the performance report.

Outcome 2: Enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through increased consumption 

Indicators: 

1. Of the ______total number of children and youth reached,

a. The number that gained knowledge about eating more specialty crops

b. The number that reported an intention to eat more specialty crops

c. The number that reported eating more specialty crops

2. Of the ____total number of adults reached,

a. The number that gained knowledge about eating more specialty crops

b. The number that reported an intention to eat more specialty crops

c. The number that reported eating more specialty crops

3. Number of new and improved technologies and processes to enhance the nutritional value

and consumer acceptance of specialty crops (excluding patents) ______

4. Number of new specialty crops and/or specialty crop products introduced to

consumers____
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Outcome 3: Enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through increased access and 

awareness

Indicators:

1. Of the ______total number of consumers or wholesale buyers reached,

a. The number that gained knowledge on how to access/produce/prepare/preserve 

specialty crops

b. The number that reported an intention to access/produce/prepare/preserve specialty 

crops

c. The number that reported supplementing their diets with specialty crops that they 

produced/preserved/obtained/prepared 

2. Of the ____total number of individuals (culinary professionals, institutional kitchens, 

specialty crop entrepreneurs such as kitchen incubators/shared-use kitchens, etc.) reached, 

a. The number that gained knowledge on how to access/produce/prepare/preserve 

specialty crops

b. The number that reported an intention to access/produce/prepare/preserve specialty 

crops

c. The number that reported supplementing their diets with specialty crops that they 

produced/prepared/preserved/obtained 

3. Number of existing delivery systems/access points of those reached that expanded and/or 

improved offerings of specialty crops 

a. ______farmers markets 

b. ______produce at corner stores 

c. ______school food programs and other food options (vending machines, school events, 

etc.) 

d. ______grocery stores 

e. ______wholesale markets

f. ______food hubs that process, aggregate, distribute, or store specialty crops 

g. ______home improvement centers with lawn and garden centers

h. ______lawn and garden centers

i. ______other systems/access points, not noted 

j. ______total (if not reported above) 

4. Number of new delivery systems/access points offering specialty crops 

a. ______farmers markets 

b. ______produce at corner stores 

c. ______school food programs and other food options (vending machines, school events, 

etc.) 

d. ______grocery stores 

e. ______wholesale markets

f. ______ food hubs that process, aggregate, distribute, or store specialty crops 
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g. ______home improvement centers with lawn and garden centers

h. ______lawn and garden centers

i. ______other systems/access points, not noted 

j. ______total (if not reported above) 

Outcome 4: Enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops though greater capacity of 

sustainable practices of specialty crop production resulting in increased yield, reduced inputs, 

increased efficiency, increased economic return, and/or conservation of resources. 

Indicators:

1. Numbers of plant/seed releases (i.e., cultivars, drought-tolerant plants, organic, enhanced 

nutritional composition, etc.) ______

2. Adoption of best practices and technologies resulting in increased yields, reduced inputs, 

increased efficiency, increased economic return, and conservation of resources (select at 

least one below).

a. Number of growers/producers indicating adoption of recommended practices 

_______ 

b. Number of growers/producers reporting reduction in pesticides, fertilizer, water 

used/acre _______ 

c. Number of producers reporting increased dollar returns per acre or reduced costs per 

acre _____ 

d. Number of acres in conservation tillage or acres in other best management practices

_______ 

3. Number of habitat acres established and maintained for the mutual benefit of pollinators 

and specialty crops_____

Outcome 5: Enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through more sustainable, diverse, 

and resilient specialty crop systems 

Indicators: 

1. Number of new or improved innovation models (biological, economic, business, 

management, etc.), technologies, networks, products, processes, etc. developed for 

specialty crop entities including producers, processors, distributors, etc. _______ 

2. Number of innovations adopted ________ 

3. Number of specialty crop growers/producers (and other members of the specialty 

crop supply chain) that have increased revenue expressed in dollars _____

4. Number of new diagnostic systems analyzing specialty crop pests and diseases. 

_______ 

[Diagnostic systems refer to, among other things: labs, networks, procedures, access 

points.] 

5. Number of new diagnostic technologies available for detecting plant pests and 

diseases. _______ 

[The intent here is not to count individual pieces of equipment or devices, but to 

enumerate technologies that add to the diagnostic capacity.] 
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6. Number of first responders trained in early detection and rapid response to combat 

plant pests and diseases______ 

7. Number of viable technologies/processes developed or modified that will increase 

specialty crop distribution and/or production_______

8. Number of growers/producers that gained knowledge about science-based tools 

through outreach and education programs ______

Outcome 6: Enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through increasing the number of 

viable technologies to improve food safety 

Indicators:

1. Number of viable technologies developed or modified for the detection and 

characterization of specialty crop supply contamination from foodborne threats ____

2. Number of viable prevention, control and intervention strategies for all specialty crop 

production scales for foodborne threats along the production continuum_____

3. Number of individuals who learn about prevention, detection, control, and intervention 

food safety practices and number of those individuals who increase their food safety 

skills and knowledge______

4. Number of improved prevention, detection, control, and intervention 

technologies______

5. Number of reported changes in prevention, detection, control, and intervention 

strategies______

Outcome 7: Enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through increased understanding of 

threats to food safety from microbial and chemical sources 

Indicators: 

Number of projects focused on:

1. Increased understanding of fecal indicators and pathogens _____ 

2. Increased safety of all inputs into the specialty crop chain _______ 

3. Increased understanding of the roles of humans, plants and animals as vectors _______ 

4. Increased understanding of preharvest and postharvest process impacts on microbial 

and chemical threats _______ 

5. Number of growers or producers obtaining on-farm food safety certifications (such as 

Good Agricultural Practices or Good Handling Practices) _______ 

Outcome 8: Enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through enhancing or improving the 

economy as a result of specialty crop development. 

Indicators: 

1. Number of new rural careers created _______ 

2. Number of new urban careers created _______ 

3. Number of jobs maintained/created_______ 

4. Number of small businesses maintained/created _______ 

5. Increased revenue/increased savings/one-time capital purchases (in dollars) _______ 
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6. Number of new beginning farmers who went into specialty crop production _____

7. Number of socially disadvantaged famers who went into specialty crop production 

______

Additional information: 

• Difference between "jobs" and "careers": jobs are net gain of paid employment; new 

businesses created or adopted can indicate new careers. 

• Beginning Farmer is an individual or entity that has not operated a farm or ranch for 

more than 10 years and substantially participates in the operation.

• Socially Disadvantaged Farmer is a farmer who is a member of a socially disadvantaged 

group. A Socially Disadvantaged Group is a group whose members have been subject to 

discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where 

applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual 

orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an 

individual's income is derived from any public assistance program.