Secretary Naig Announces 11 Grants to Support Iowa Specialty Crop Production

Specialty Crop Block Grants are authorized as part of the Farm Bill 

DES MOINES, Iowa (August 23, 2024) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced today that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has awarded more than $368,000 in grants to help grow demand for Iowa’s specialty crops. The funding will be distributed to support 11 projects that raise awareness about, drive demand for, or create new markets benefiting Iowa’s specialty crops. The grant dollars are made available through a partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and are authorized as part of the Farm Bill.

“Specialty Crop Block Grants are instrumental in helping to develop, diversify and expand markets for specialty crops within Iowa, all of which benefits Iowa farmers and the communities they call home,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. “As we build Choose Iowa, the state’s signature brand for Iowa grown, Iowa raised, and Iowa made products, consumers will ultimately benefit from the availability of more locally grown food and ag products which these grants help to enable.” 

The specialty crop block grants will be awarded to the following organizations to assist with the following initiatives:

American Aronia Berry Association
Researching the effects of renewal pruning on aronia berry plant growth, physiology, fruit quality and yield.

Iowa Ag Literacy Foundation 
Read Across Iowa with specialty crops.

Iowa State University
Studying the valorization of grape stems.

Lutheran Services of Iowa  
Increasing culturally specific crops through greenhouse production education. 

Iowa Wine Growers Association 
Assisting with implementation of the Iowa Specialty Producers Conference. 

Iowa State University
Enhancing nutritional monitoring of Iowa specialty fruit and nut crops.

Iowa State University
Assessing next-generation apple rootstocks and cultivars for Iowa.

Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development
Deepening no-till vegetable production in eastern Iowa.

Iowa State University
Enhancing grapevine health in Iowa through pathogen identification including by vineyard surveys and subsequent management options. 

Practical Farmers of Iowa
Providing for farmer-led specialty crops variety trials.

Choose Iowa
Consumer education resources for Iowa horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture.