Department Announces Recipients of USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Funds

ANNAPOLIS, MD (August 23, 2024) – The Maryland Department of Agriculture has announced that six projects will be awarded funds through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) to enhance the competitiveness of Maryland specialty crops.

“Maryland’s specialty crops are an increasingly critical part of our state’s agriculture industry as more farmers begin to diversify their operations and enter new niche markets,” said Maryland Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks. “The funds granted by the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program are vital to the success of the specialty crop sector in Maryland and I am thrilled to announce this year’s six grant recipients.”

The projects were selected after a competitive review process with the Maryland Department of Agriculture and an external review committee composed of representatives from the specialty crop industry, lending institutions, economic development, and producers. A total of $400,000 in grant funds will be distributed to the following six projects:

• AfriThrive will receive $30,237.84 to support immigrant and refugee beginner farmers across three counties in Maryland to cultivate, preserve and increase demand for African specialty crops. AfriThrive will provide culturally sensitive technical assistance to build the capacity of African specialty crop growers and develop strategic partnerships and networks for growth and sustainability of African specialty crops.

• Future Harvest will receive $35,642.54 to support farmers in building and reaching a larger consumer base by creating a digital library of marketing materials – searchable by produce item – that educates consumers on how to store, prepare, cook, process or freeze specialty crops grown in the mid-Atlantic region. The digital collateral will be created and shared in consultation with other regional marketing entities, including Chesapeake Buy Fresh Buy Local, Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission and Maryland’s Best.

• The Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Food Quality Assurance Program along with the University of Maryland, College Park, University of Maryland Extension,  University of Maryland, Baltimore, Agriculture Law Education Initiative (ALEI) will receive $129,057.10 to partner together to provide coordinated food safety programs to assist specialty crop producers in complying with the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule and maintaining and gaining market access through successful completion of GAP audits. Program will accomplish these goals by providing formal and informal trainings, webinars, videos, educational materials, certification of compliance of food safety plans and practices, food safety technical assistance, cost share funds to assist in the implementation of effective food safety practices, and verifying efficiency of food safety practices through inspection and certification of compliance.

• The Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Maryland’s Best will receive $134,976 to increase sales and consumer demand for Maryland-grown specialty crops through targeted advertising, strategic consumer and wholesale promotions, networking events, and direct partnerships with Maryland specialty crop producer associations.

• Maryland Public Television’s “Maryland Farm & Harvest” will receive $35,000 to support specialty crop coverage in season 12 of the agriculture series. These segments will explain the production of specialty crops, introduce Marylanders to farmers who grow specialty crops, and provide recipes for specialty crops.

• Maryland Wineries Association will receive $35,086 to partner with University of Maryland, College Park to support UMD’s cultivar research, host annual tastings to understand the grapes’ characteristics, and update the MWA website to host resources, and disseminate research results, for vineyard managers and winery owners.

Funding is provided to state departments of agriculture from the Farm Bill through the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. ​The Maryland Department of Agriculture administers funding received from the USDA SCBGP annually. The amount of funding received by the Maryland Department of Agriculture is based on specialty crop acreage and production value on an annual basis.

Maryland specialty crops include: fruits and vegetables, culinary herbs and spices, honey, hops, grapes, maple syrup, Christmas trees, and nursery crops.

For more information about the USDA SCBGP, visit the department’s website or contact Karen Fedor at (410) 841-5773 or scbgp.mda@maryland.gov.

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