Maryland Announces Grant Awardees for Specialty Crops
The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) today announced the recipients of $354,466 in federal grants that will fund projects designed to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in Maryland. Specialty crops are defined as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops. Funding for the grants came through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, which was authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill. As of right now, today’s announcements will be the last for the Specialty Crop grant program pending the U.S. Congress passage of a new Farm Bill.
“We are pleased to announce awardees of the Maryland Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. The 2008 Farm Bill provided significant grant funding dedicated to specialty crops to become available,” said Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance. “These funds are a great opportunity to help farmers and value-added producers advance and promote local specialty crops in the marketplace, spark new markets, job creation and help keep Maryland smart, green and growing.”
MDA created a competitive grant process with a review committee to award these federal funds. The following is a snapshot of the funded projects:
Crossroads Community Food Network (Takoma Park, Montgomery County) – to provide additional access to fresh fruits and vegetables to low income families and neighborhoods through the continuation of “Eat Fresh Maryland” while providing additional revenue for farmers by accessing new customers.
Board of Garrett County Commissioners – to develop a series of culinary heritage events that can be replicated in different regions in Maryland celebrating the different unique historically significant specialty crop foods of those regions.
Maryland Wineries Association – to highlight Maryland grown grapes and other fruits used in the production of Maryland wine by developing a weekend-long program that will bring national media on a tour of select specialty crop producers around the state, and showcase the industry and local producers through panel discussions, the use of social media, and to introduce new products from Maryland specialty crops to customers and new media.
Maryland Department of Agriculture
• Continue to reinforce the importance of locally produced food through effective, timely advertising, promotional events and marketing of Maryland’s Best and to strengthen consumer awareness of local specialty crops and connect specialty crop farmers with markets.
• Continue to offer technical and economic assistance through Food Quality Assurance training programs to producers developing Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) programs and to increase the number of producers participating in and implementing GAP program.
USDA today announced a total of $101 million in specialty crops grants. Approximately $55 million will be invested in 56 specialty crop block grants to states that fund 748 initiatives across the country to strengthen markets and expand economic opportunities for local and regional producers. An additional $46 million will go to support new and continuing research and extension activities to address challenges and opportunities for growers and businesses that rely on a sustainable, profitable specialty crops industry. For more information, see: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2012/10/0315.xml&contentidonly=true
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