Specialty Crop Block Grant Program - Farm Bill

The summary for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program - Farm Bill grant is detailed below. This summary states who is eligible for the grant, how much grant money will be awarded, current and past deadlines, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers, and a sampling of similar government grants. Verify the accuracy of the data FederalGrants.com provides by visiting the webpage noted in the Link to Full Announcement section or by contacting the appropriate person listed as the Grant Announcement Contact. If any section is incomplete, please visit the website for the Agricultural Marketing Service, which is the U.S. government agency offering this grant.

Specialty Crop Block Grant Program - Farm Bill: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announces the availability of approximately $10 million in grant funds, less USDA administrative costs, to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. Specialty crops are defined as fruits and vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, horticulture and nursery crops (including floriculture). The funds announced under the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program - Farm Bill (SCBGP-FB) are authorized by the recently enacted Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Farm Bill). The application process to apply for the SCBGP-FB funds will parallel those currently found in 7 CFR part 1290. State departments of agriculture are encouraged to develop their grant applications promptly. The Farm Bill requires USDA to obligate the grant funds under this program by the end of the fiscal year, September 30, 2008, which necessitates a short application period. State departments of agriculture interested in obtaining grant program funds are invited to submit applications to USDA. State departments of agriculture, meaning agencies, commissions, or departments of a State government responsible for agriculture within the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are eligible to apply. State departments of agriculture are encouraged to involve industry groups, academia, and community-based organizations in the development of applications and the administration of projects. Please contact your local State department of agriculture if are not eligible to apply as described above. Applications must be submitted by September 8, 2008.