May 28, 2025Nearly $73M available in federal funding to boost specialty crop competitiveness
Funding totaling nearly $73 million is available for projects aimed at improving the competitiveness of specialty crops.
Applications for $72.9 million available through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program are being accepted through July 7 and must be submitted electronically at grants.gov. Eligible applicants include state and territorial agriculture departments in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The program, administered by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, supports locally led projects focused on marketing, education and research for specialty crops. These include fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, floriculture and nursery crops.
States and territories that receive funding will issue subawards to local projects within their jurisdictions. Those interested in applying for subawards must work directly with their respective state agriculture departments. A list of contacts is available on the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program website.
Funding for the program comes from the 2018 Farm Bill. Allocations are based on a formula that considers both specialty crop acreage and production value in each state or territory.
