More than $800,000 is available to help educate, promote and research specialty crops in Arizona. Specialty crops include fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and nursery crops. The Department of Agriculture uses money from the federal Specialty Crop Block Grant to improve Arizona’s industry.
“We have a rich combination of farmers and producers in our state, and many people don’t realize it,” said Mark Killian, director of the Department of Agriculture. “This grant funding can help our industry educate people around the state, the country and the world about the vast diversity of specialty crops grown in Arizona.”
The grants are available to associations, educational institutions, and state, local or community-based organizations. Eligible projects must enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops either in the United States or internationally. The projects must benefit more than one commercial product (e.g., ABC Company brand), organization or individual.
Successful projects must also be able to perform one of the new national outcome measures. Those measures and other information is available in the 2016 Specialty Crop Grant Program Manual.
Other online resources include the instructions for downloading application packets and submitting grant application packets on-line.
The Department will hold two workshops to explain the grant requirements and application on Wednesday, March 23, 2016. The sessions will be available as a webinar or at the Department. Interested parties need to register at least two days in advance.
Grant applications must be received by ADA no later than 11:59:59 p.m. (MST) on Monday, April 18, 2016.
For additional information, call Lisa James, 602-542-3262, ljames@azda.gov or Ashley Estes, 602-542-0972, aestes@azda.gov