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State seeks specialty crop grant applications by Oct. 24
Fruits grapes for making wine are one of the specialty crops acceptable for the specialty crop competitive block grant.
The VDACS has $123,500 in funds from the USDA to develop specialty crop projects that will achieve improvements for a particular crop through innovative marketing or increasing profitability of a specialty crop, according to Marion Horsley, VDACS spokesperson.
The deadline for returning applications to VDACS is Friday, October 24.
“In previous years, individuals were allows to apply for the grants,” Horsley said. “For this year’s applications, you have to be part of a group. The goal of the grant program is to achieve improvements for specialty crops.”
The USDA lists the following produce items as acceptable specialty crops for the application: algae, chickpeas, Christmas trees, cocoa, coffee, cut flowers, dry edible beans, dry peas, foliage, fruit grapes for wine, garlic, ginger root, ginseng, herbs, honey, hops, kava, lavender, lentils, maple syrup, mushrooms, organic fruits and vegetables, peppermint, popcorn, potatoes, seaweed, spearmint, sweet corn, sweet sorghum for human consumption, tea, vanilla, and vegetable seeds.
“Commonly recognized fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and nursery crops (including floriculture) are eligible specialty crops,” according to the USDA.
A number of crops do not qualify for a specialty crop competitive grant, including cotton, feed crops (corn, hay, oats, barley), flax seed, food grains (rye or wheat), livestock and dairy products, eggs, oil crops (soybeans, sunflower seeds, canola), peanuts, range grasses, sod, tobacco, turf and aquaculture.
Melissa Ball of the VDACS marketing division said the proposals should be specific and explain how an association, industry group or organization will use the grant to enhance specialty crop competitiveness.
Some projects could cover research for a particular commodity, promotion and marketing plans for a group, or food safety projects. Another example could be a particular crop organization, such as grape growers, that may develop a plan to improve or help with the competitiveness of growing wine grapes in the Tidewater region, Ball said. Such a group might also seek support of their project from a trade organization such as the Virginia Vineyards Association.
“The biggest thing we want to see is the end result of the project and how it would impact the region for a particular product,” Ball said. “The project can cover as wide an area as the applicants want it to cover but certainly within a region.”
The USDA explains that projects that would use funds to expand or promote “domestic farmers markets” that offer the approved specialty products would be acceptable, too. However, the USDA grant wouldn’t approve applications for an individual business or an individual roadside stand.
The state is interested in applications for projects that help farmers switch to agricultural enterprises that involve specialty crops, increase farm income for the region or a particular crop with “high value or value-added enterprises,” find ways to improve specialty products, implement new marketing program or begin pilot or other special programs for specialty crops that can be used in rural Virginia, according to VDACS.
Also, the VDACS looks favorably on applications for projects that already have matching funds, Ball said. Grant recipients will be notified by March 2009 or sooner.
For more information or to obtain an application, visit http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/marketing and click on the USDA Specialty Crop Competitive Grant Application link. Interested applicants may also contact Melissa Ball at melissa.ball@vdacs.virginia.gov or at 102 Governor Street, Richmond, VA 23219.
The deadline for returning applications to VDACS is Friday, October 24.
“In previous years, individuals were allows to apply for the grants,” Horsley said. “For this year’s applications, you have to be part of a group. The goal of the grant program is to achieve improvements for specialty crops.”
The USDA lists the following produce items as acceptable specialty crops for the application: algae, chickpeas, Christmas trees, cocoa, coffee, cut flowers, dry edible beans, dry peas, foliage, fruit grapes for wine, garlic, ginger root, ginseng, herbs, honey, hops, kava, lavender, lentils, maple syrup, mushrooms, organic fruits and vegetables, peppermint, popcorn, potatoes, seaweed, spearmint, sweet corn, sweet sorghum for human consumption, tea, vanilla, and vegetable seeds.
“Commonly recognized fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and nursery crops (including floriculture) are eligible specialty crops,” according to the USDA.
A number of crops do not qualify for a specialty crop competitive grant, including cotton, feed crops (corn, hay, oats, barley), flax seed, food grains (rye or wheat), livestock and dairy products, eggs, oil crops (soybeans, sunflower seeds, canola), peanuts, range grasses, sod, tobacco, turf and aquaculture.
Melissa Ball of the VDACS marketing division said the proposals should be specific and explain how an association, industry group or organization will use the grant to enhance specialty crop competitiveness.
Some projects could cover research for a particular commodity, promotion and marketing plans for a group, or food safety projects. Another example could be a particular crop organization, such as grape growers, that may develop a plan to improve or help with the competitiveness of growing wine grapes in the Tidewater region, Ball said. Such a group might also seek support of their project from a trade organization such as the Virginia Vineyards Association.
“The biggest thing we want to see is the end result of the project and how it would impact the region for a particular product,” Ball said. “The project can cover as wide an area as the applicants want it to cover but certainly within a region.”
The USDA explains that projects that would use funds to expand or promote “domestic farmers markets” that offer the approved specialty products would be acceptable, too. However, the USDA grant wouldn’t approve applications for an individual business or an individual roadside stand.
The state is interested in applications for projects that help farmers switch to agricultural enterprises that involve specialty crops, increase farm income for the region or a particular crop with “high value or value-added enterprises,” find ways to improve specialty products, implement new marketing program or begin pilot or other special programs for specialty crops that can be used in rural Virginia, according to VDACS.
Also, the VDACS looks favorably on applications for projects that already have matching funds, Ball said. Grant recipients will be notified by March 2009 or sooner.
For more information or to obtain an application, visit http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/marketing and click on the USDA Specialty Crop Competitive Grant Application link. Interested applicants may also contact Melissa Ball at melissa.ball@vdacs.virginia.gov or at 102 Governor Street, Richmond, VA 23219.
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