Specialty crops, defined as "fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and horticulture and nursery crops (including floriculture)," comprise a major part of U.S. agriculture. In 2012, the value of farm-level specialty crop production totaled nearly $60 billion, representing about one-fourth of the value of U.S. crop production ( Table 1 ). Despite their relatively large share of crop receipts, specialty crops occupy only about 3% of U.S. harvested cropland acres. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that retail sales of fresh and processed fruits and vegetables for at-home consumption total nearly $100 billion annually. Exports of U.S. specialty crops totaled about $14 billion in 2013, or about 10% of total U.S. agricultural exports. In 2012, about 244,000 farming operations grew more than 350 types of fruit, vegetable, tree nut, flower, nursery, and other horticultural crops in addition to the major bulk commodity crops. Specialty crop production is focused in California, Florida, Washington, Oregon, North Dakota and Michigan; however, every state has some commercial specialty crop production within its borders. USDA data illustrate the nationwide distribution of areas producing vegetables ( Figure 1 ), fruits and tree nuts ( Figure 2 ), and floriculture crops ( Figure 3 ). A majority of specialty crop producers are considered specialized, which means that they receive at least half of their gross value of production from the sale of vegetables, fruits, tree nuts or other horticultural crops. These specialized farms rely mostly on specialty crop production for their farm income, even though they may be also engaged in other forms of agricultural production. USDA reports that about 50% of all vegetable growers and 80% of fruit and tree nut growers are considered specialized; however, specialized farms account for 90-95% of the total value of U.S. specialty crop production. Conditions may vary considerably by major production region. Specialized fruit and vegetable farms are more concentrated in the Western United States, including California, Washington, and Oregon. Some farms also participate in the major commodity support programs, but these tend to be more concentrated in the Midwestern states. For some specialty crop producers, obtaining organic certification to sell their products as "organic" represents a viable business strategy. Organic agriculture accounts for a small but growing share of the U.S. farming sector. USDA reports that farm sales from organic fruit and vegetable operations total more than $1 billion annually, or about 4% of all farm-level fruit and vegetable sales in the United States. (Organic production includes certified organic fruits, vegetables, and tree nuts, as well as meat and dairy foods, and organic commodity crops.) Support for U.S. specialty crops differs in important ways from the types of traditional farm bill support for U.S. commodity crops, such as corn, soybeans, grains and other farm commodities. Farm bill programs supporting commodity crop production have been in place since the 1930s, and were intended to address Depression-era market conditions, address soil erosion and related production concerns associated with the Dust Bowl, and implement farmland conservation reforms. In contrast, farm bill support for specialty crops is relatively recent. During the past few farm bill debates, specialty crop producers argued that their sectors should occupy a larger role in farm bill policy discussions and that some of the benefits supporting major commodity producers should be extended to specialty crop and organic producers, in order to create "a broader, more equitable farm bill." Several programs addressing specialty crops specifically were initially established in the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 ( P.L. 108-465 ), which was enacted outside a farm bill year. Many of the programs in the 2004 act were further expanded and reauthorized in the 2008 farm bill (Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, P.L. 110-246 ). The 2008 farm bill was also the first to include a separate farm bill title dedicated to specialty crops and organic agriculture (Title X). Some programs had also been established in the 2002 farm bill (Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, P.L. 107-171 ), often as pilot initiatives that have since become established programs. The 2014 farm bill (Agricultural Act of 2014, P.L. 113-79 ) reauthorized and expanded many of the existing farm bill provisions supporting farming operations in the specialty crop and certified organic sectors. Although programs specifically supporting specialty crops are now part of the omnibus farm bill, the scope of that support differs from that traditionally employed to support commodity crops. Specifically, individual specialty crop producers do not directly benefit from the same types of federal commodity price and income support programs that benefit producers of commodity crops. Specialty crops are ineligible for these types of direct benefits. Unlike programs supporting the production of specific commodity crops, farm bill programs tailored to support specialty crops provide benefits that accrue to all specialty crop producers and generally do not accrue to individual produce growers directly. These types of programs include marketing and promotion programs, crop insurance and disaster assistance, plant pest and disease protections, trade assistance, and research and extension services, among other types of indirect support. The industry also benefits from fruit and vegetable purchases under various food and nutrition programs. In addition, specialty crop producers are also eligible for other types of USDA support that is generally available to all U.S. crop and livestock producers. Despite the wide range of program support for specialty crops, federal program spending for specialty crops remains a small share of total farm bill spending and remains lower than spending for commodity crops, even when considering both mandatory and discretionary funding levels. Precise estimates of total mandatory and discretionary sources of funding are difficult to measure, given that support for specialty crops is spread across a wide range of USDA programs and not within a price and income support program such as that available for most of the major commodity crops. Following the 2008 farm bill, an average of approximately $676 million annually (FY2008-FY2012) in mandatory program funding was authorized to be spent on specialty crops and organic agriculture, mostly through government purchases of fruits and vegetables for domestic nutrition and feeding programs ( Table 2 ). The 2014 farm bill reauthorized many of the existing farm bill provisions and also increased spending for some programs supporting specialty crops. Total mandatory spending for specialty crops and organic agriculture is expected to be higher and average $773 million annually (FY2014-FY2018). The 2014 farm bill also authorized another roughly $302 million in average annual appropriations across certain programs. See also Table 2 . Although the 2014 farm bill provided for an increase above current funding levels, total mandatory spending for specialty crops and organic agriculture will still account for a small share of estimated total farm bill spending and will remain well below spending levels for commodity crops. Mandatory spending for the major commodity crops is expected to average about $4.7 billion per year under the 2014 farm bill (FY2014-FY2018), mostly through direct price and income support. This does not reflect additional higher spending for crop insurance. The 2014 farm bill (Agricultural Act of 2014, P.L. 113-79 ) reauthorized and expanded many of the existing farm bill provisions supporting the specialty crop and certified organic sectors, and also provided for additional program funding in some cases. Many provisions in Title X ("Horticulture") fall into the categories of marketing and promotion; organic certification; data and information collection; pest and disease control; food safety and quality standards; and local foods. Title X also includes provisions benefitting certified organic agriculture producers such as USDA's National Organic Program, certification cost sharing, development of crop insurance mechanisms for organic producers, and various data initiatives. However, farm bill provisions supporting specialty crops and organic agriculture are not limited to the Horticulture title, but are contained within several other titles of the farm bill including the trade, nutrition, research, rural development, crop insurance titles, conservation, and the miscellaneous titles (see text box on next page). Table 3 at the end of this report provides a summary and side-by-side of selected provisions supporting specialty crop and certified organic producers in the 2014 farm bill ( P.L. 113-79 ), comparing the final enacted provisions with the House-passed ( H.R. 3102 ) and Senate-passed ( S. 954 ) bills and prior law and/or policy. Among the key programs supporting specialty crop producers in Title X are USDA's Specialty Crop Block Grant Program and its Plant Pest and Disease Prevention Programs; data collection and Market New s compilations; and also expanded support for USDA's Farmer's Market and Local Food Promotion Program and related data collection efforts; among other programs. Some key programs in Title X supporting certified organic producers are: continued support for USDA's National Organic Program (NOP); Organic Production and Market Data Initiatives (ODI); and the National Organic Certification Cost Share Program (NOCCSP). The 2014 farm bill also gives USDA authority to consider an application for a research and promotion order (or "checkoff" program) for the organic sector. Title X also included other provisions that provide for specific exemptions from certain regulatory requirements under some laws, such as the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that mandatory spending for specialty crops and organic agriculture under Title X would increase $338 million over the next five years (FY2014-FY2018). Increased funding for several key programs benefitting specialty crop producers in Title X include the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, plant pest and disease programs, and programs supporting farmers' markets and local foods, among other programs. Provisions supporting the specialty crop and certified organic sectors are also contained within other titles of the farm bill.