Scope & Authority

The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) was authorized on December 21, 2004, by Section 101 of the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 (pdf file). The Act authorized the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide grants to states to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. In 2008, Section 10109 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the Farm Bill) amended the Act, which established the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program – Farm Bill (SCBGP-FB). The Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s division of Value-Added Plant Production administers these grant funds which are based on the state’s value of specialty crop production.

Definition of Specialty Crops

Specialty crops are defined in law as “fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture.” Specialty crops are plants that are intensively cultivated. There are many plants that are specialty crops when cultivated, but are also collected from wild populations. Wild plants are not considered specialty crops even though they may be used for the same purpose as cultivated plants. A complete listing can be found on the USDA/AMS website.

Current Grant Opportunities

Check back in March 2012 for announcements of future grants.

Future Grant Opportunities

For general information about the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, including eligible specialty crops, please visit the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) website.

Past Grant Opportunities

2011 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Results

2010 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Results

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) received $273,262.60 in grant funds from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. After reviewing several grant proposals, KDA has awarded a total of seven (7) projects that benefit Kentucky specialty crops.

Click here to view the 2010 summary of grant awards as a PDF file.