Specialty crops are defined as

Crops excluded from the program as defined by USDA's Agriculture Marketing Service include: cotton, cottonseed, feed crops (such as barley, corn, hay, oats, sorghum grain, and millet), flaxseed, food grains (such as rice, rye, and wheat), livestock and dairy products (including eggs), marine aquaculture, oil crops (such as peanut, soybean, sunflower, safflower, rapeseed, canola, and mustard seed), peanuts, range grasses, sugar beets, sugarcane, and tobacco.

The Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (Farm Bill) authorized the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to partner with state departments of agriculture to enhance the competitiveness of growers of fruits, vegetables, and other horticultural crops in areas such as marketing, promotion, education, research, trade and nutrition.  

Funding from the SCBGP affords Colorado's specialty crops stakeholders an unprecedented opportunity to undertake new initiatives including, but not limited to:

The 2009 grant period is closed. We are not currently accepting specialty crops applications.

Individual producers, producer groups, organizations, and associations, as well as state and/or local organizations, academia and other specialty crops stakeholders are eligible to apply either as single entities or in combined efforts.  Proposals submitted by individual producers must demonstrate that the potential impact of the project will accrue to a broader group of similar producers, region or industry segment.

Funds may not be utilized for paying down current debt, general administrative expenses, salaries, or for indirect institutional overhead costs.  Similarly, funds may not be utilized for purchasing equipment and construction/building costs

page updated 9/23/09

USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program

Administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service to individual state departments of agriculture.