KDA
MANHATTAN — The Kansas Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications for the 2021 Specialty Crop Block Grant H.R. 133 Stimulus Program. This program is in addition to the traditional Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Awards for that program will be announced later this fall.
Funds for both grant programs are awarded to the agency by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service.
The funds are in turn granted to projects and organizations to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops by leveraging efforts to market and promote specialty crops; assisting producers with research and development relevant to specialty crops; expanding availability and access to specialty crops; and addressing local, regional, and national challenges confronting specialty crop producers.
Specialty crops are defined by the USDA as “fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops, including floriculture.”
Due to COVID-19 impacts on the food system, Congress authorized one-time additional funding for the Specialty Crop Block Grant H.R. 133 Stimulus Program outside of the traditional Farm Bill funding under the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act. Kansas is expected to receive approximately $450,000 in H.R. 133 Stimulus funding for the 2021 grant cycle.
Applications will be evaluated by a team of external reviewers. The team will rate proposals on their ability to successfully promote specialty crops in Kansas and make a positive impact on the Kansas economy. Those recommendations will be submitted to the Kansas Secretary of Agriculture, who will make the final awards.
Applications are due to KDA no later than 5:00 p.m. CST on November 24, 2021. For more information, please download the 2021 KDA Request for Applications from: agriculture.ks.gov/specialtycrop.
The vision of the Kansas Department of Agriculture is to provide an ideal environment for long-term, sustainable agricultural prosperity and statewide economic growth. To achieve this vision, the agency advocates for sectors at all levels and provides industry outreach.