Oregon receives nearly $2 million in Specialty Crop Block Grant funds
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that Oregon has received nearly $2 million in funding through the 2020 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). The SCBGP provides grants to state departments of agriculture to fund projects that enhance the competiveness of specialty crops, which are defined as commonly recognized fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery crops. Oregon ranks sixth in the nation in production of specialty crops.
In Oregon, the nearly $2 million awarded will fund 14 projects with grants ranging from $66,000 to nearly $180,000 to non-profit and for-profit organizations, government entities, colleges and universities.
“Oregon has a long history of creative and innovative Specialty Crop Block Grant projects and this year is no exception,” says ODA Director Alexis Taylor. “This year’s projects really focus on increasing sales and consumption of speciality crops by leveraging the unique qualities of specialty crops grown in Oregon. They also include interesting research, training and the implementation of agricultural practices to help Oregon producers and processors face current and future challenges.”
Over the past nine years, Oregon has received close to $18 million in funding from the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, which has paved the way for nearly 200 projects throughout the state, supporting the following priorities:
- Local/regional/domestic/international market development, access, and certification
- On-farm labor needs
- Cross commodity collaboration
- Food safety compliance and traceability
- Addressing regulatory burden
- Productivities enhancements, innovation and value-added products
- Agriculture- and food-related priorities identified by Oregon Solutions Network Regional Solutions Centers
The 2020 funded projects involve a diversity of crops and span a wide geographic area of Oregon agricultural production. A list and summary of all funded projects is available at https://oda.direct/SCBGP/
For more information, contact Gabrielle Redhead, Oregon Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Coordinator, at (503) 986-6473.
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