Assistance available to promote fruits, vegetables, flowers and nut crops in Ohio
REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (February 23, 2022) – The Ohio Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications for the 2022 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. To qualify, the grants must be used to support projects that raise awareness about and increase demand for specialty crops grown in Ohio. Eligible specialty crops include both fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture.
Successful grant applications should explain how projects will improve specialty crop production through marketing and promotions, research and development, expanding availability and access to specialty crops, or addressing local, regional, and national challenges confronting specialty crop producers. Projects that demonstrate profit potential for growers and that could boost employment opportunities in the specialty crop industry are prioritized.
Ohio’s food and agricultural non-profit organizations, associations or commodity groups, universities and research institutions are eligible to apply. Private individuals and businesses are not eligible for this grant and applications for projects that directly benefit a particular product or generate a profit for a single organization, institution or individual will not be awarded.
Grant funding is provided by the USDA Agriculture Marketing Service. The deadline for on-line grant proposal submissions is Friday, March 25, 2022, at 5 p.m. EST. Grants awards will range from a minimum of $25,000 to a maximum of $150,000. In addition, all applicants must provide a minimum match of 25 percent of the requested grant amount.
For more information on the 2022 program, available forms, or a copy of the request for proposal, visit the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s website at www.agri.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/oda/divisions/markets/resources/SCBG.