Maryland Announces Funding for Fruits and Vegetables Crops

ANNAPOLIS, MD (Oct. 19, 2015) – The Maryland Department of Agriculture today announced the recipients of over $379,000 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 2014 Farm Bill.

“We are pleased to announce awardees of the Maryland Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. The 2014 Farm Bill provided significant grant funding dedicated to specialty crops to become available,” said Agriculture Secretary Joe Bartenfelder. “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, healthy eating, job creation.”

The department created a competitive grant process with a review committee to award these federal funds. The following is a snapshot of the funded projects:

Grow & Fortify – $15,000 – Create, develop and promote partnerships between Maryland specialty crop growers and Maryland-made alcohol producers.  The one-day conference will focus on connecting growers and producers in an effort to promote the use of Maryland-grown ingredients in Maryland-made alcohol.

Maryland Department of Agriculture – $324,738

• Continue to strengthen consumer awareness of local specialty crops and connect specialty crop farmers with markets through seasonal promotions of Maryland specialty crops via mass media,marylandsbest.net, direct partnerships with Maryland specialty crop associations such as the Mar-Del Watermelon Association and Maryland Apple Promotion Board, and other strategic promotional avenues – $160,000;
• Continue to mitigate specialty crop food safety risks by reducing barriers to implementing Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) programs though specialty crop producer technical assistance, training programs, one-on-one assistance on developing GAP programs, and U.S. Department of Agriculture GAP and USDA Harmonized GAP audit certification cost share assistance – $124,000;

• Develop a Managed Pollinator Protection Plan (MP³) for Maryland which will document and map a Maryland specific plan to improve the health of  managed pollinators – $40,738; and

• Perform pre-award and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant Program funding and ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal and State requirements and regulations – $10,002.

National Turfgrass Federation – $39,700 – Installs the Grass Roots display at the Maryland SoccerPlex to educate and inform the public on the benefits of use of grasses for turf, landscapes and food.

USDA announced a total of $63 million in specialty crops grants to U.S. states and territories that will support 755 initiatives across the country to strengthen markets and expand economic opportunities for local and regional producers.

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