NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Federal grant funds available for specialty crop industry

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INDIANAPOLIS (Feb. 15, 2024) ?The Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA), is seeking project proposals from Indiana?s specialty crop sector for funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.

?Beyond traditional row crops and livestock agriculture, Indiana is home to a robust specialty crop sector,? said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. ?I look forward to seeing what projects are selected for this year?s funding allocation as we continue to support this impressive sector of our agricultural economy.?

The USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program offers federal funding annually to state departments of agriculture to support their specialty crop industries. This year, Indiana will be allocating $471,000.00 to selected projects.

Eligible projects must enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in Indiana, defined as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, horticulture and nursery crops.?

Funding will not be awarded to projects that benefit a particular commercial product, or provide a profit to a single organization, institution or individual. Each project must identify at least one of the USDA performance measures that specifically demonstrate the project?s impact on enhancing the competitiveness of eligible specialty crops.

ISDA is seeking projects that have objectives such as: increasing consumption and consumer purchasing, increasing access and distribution, increasing food safety knowledge and processing, developing new seed varieties and improving environmental sustainably, among other things.

ISDA and USDA encourage applications that benefit smaller farms, new and beginning farmers, underserved producers, veteran producers and underserved communities.

Applications open on Feb. 22, 2024 and are due by 12:00 p.m. ET on March 22, 2024. Proposals must be submitted online through the Indiana State Department of Agriculture?s Grants Management System. Indiana Specialty Crop Block Grant application resources are located on?ISDA?s?Grants and Funding Opportunities?website.

For more information, click here. For a full list of eligible specialty crops please click here.

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ABOUT ISDA The?Indiana State Department of Agriculture?(ISDA) reports to?Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, Indiana?s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. Major responsibilities include advocacy for Indiana agriculture at the local, state and federal level, managing soil conservation programs, promoting economic development and agricultural innovation, serving as a regulatory ombudsman for agricultural businesses, and licensing grain firms throughout the state.