KDA announces specialty crop grant opportunity
The Kansas Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for the 2020 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Funds for the program are awarded to the agency by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service. The funds are in turn granted to projects and organizations that promote the competitiveness of specialty crops.
The purpose of the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program is to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops, which are defined by the USDA as “fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops, including floriculture.”
Applications will be evaluated by a team of external reviewers. The team will rate proposals on their ability to successfully promote specialty crops in Kansas and make a positive impact on the Kansas economy. Those recommendations will be submitted to the Kansas Secretary of Agriculture, who will make the final awards.
Applications are due to KDA no later than 5 p.m. on April 20. You can find more information about the grant program, including the 2020 application, at the KDA website: agriculture.ks.gov/SpecialtyCrop. For other questions, contact Peter Oppelt, KDA economist, at [email protected] or 785-564-6726.
The Kansas Department of Agriculture is dedicated to providing an environment that enhances and encourages economic growth of the agriculture industry and the Kansas economy including the further development and expansion of marketing opportunities for the specialty crop industry.