Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Helps Increase Competitiveness for Fresh Produce
In partnership with: Colorado Department of Agriculture
Colorado’s agriculture industry is arguably one of the most diverse in the nation. The state’s major commodities include cattle and calves, corn, and dairy products, but farmers also produce many fruit and vegetable crops such as potatoes, green chiles, peaches, onions and sweet corn, among others. These crops, along with nuts, bedding plants, and herbs and spices, are categorized as specialty crops.
With funding from the United States Department of Agriculture, the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) manages the Specialty Crop Block Grant program to help advance specialty crops’ competitiveness and strengthen the sector overall.
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“The Specialty Crop Block Grant is a federal program that was created with the 2004 Farm Bill and is one of the first federal programs to directly aid specialty crops,” says Jennifer Benson, grant specialist for the CDA. “Each state is eligible to apply for a block of funding and we manage it by distributing those funds to projects that are selected from a pool of applicants through a competitive review process.”
The grant is awarded to a variety of projects that can demonstrate a broader benefit to the specialty crop community and have a measurable result. For example, the project could be research-based or focused on marketing. The grant is not intended to benefit an individual farmer or business exclusively.
Worthy Recipients
“We’ve funded many unique and exciting projects over the years. For example, we recently funded a project with the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee’s project to test various coatings that would help potatoes stay fresh and hold their shape longer,” Benson says. “Another current project is with Guidestone Colorado, a nonprofit based in Salida, where they used the funds to work with schools to figure out how to incorporate more locally
grown food into school meals, as well as working with students and adults on how to grow local produce in high-altitude areas.”
Benson says the amount of funds the CDA receives each year is based on the previous year’s specialty crop cash receipts. Typically, they have between $600,000 and $900,000 to divvy out. Those funds are extremely flexible, and the CDA has the authority to decide how many projects they’ll fund and how much to distribute to each.
The Best and Brightest
The process of awarding the grant is lengthy and thorough.
“We start taking applications in the winter and any eligible organization with an idea can submit a concept paper to CDA. This should include the problem they’re interested in solving, the budget and letters of support,” Benson says.
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The proposed ideas then go through a competitive review process where a panel of experts scores the project’s impact. Those that make it through the review are invited to submit a full proposal. Benson is available to consult with applicants on what objectives might be most appropriate for their applications and how to make applications competitive.
To learn more about the Specialty Crop Block Grant program and how to apply, visit colorado.gov/ag or contact Jennifer Benson at jennifer.benson@state.co.us or (303) 869-9173.