Proposals must be submitted by June 18

FRANKFORT (May 20, 2021) – The Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) is accepting new concept proposals for the specialty crop block grant program due to new COVID-19 funding provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“The specialty crop program is intended to help make Kentucky specialty crops more competitive in both domestic and foreign markets,” Commissioner of Agriculture Dr. Ryan Quarles said. “Specialty crops make up a significant part of Kentucky’s agricultural economy, and there is plenty of room to grow. With additional funding, we look forward to another round of creative proposals.”

The Specialty Crop Block Grant program is a federal grant program aimed at supporting specialty crops in agriculture. Applicants must describe how the projects will potentially affect and produce measurable outcomes for the specialty crop industry and/or the public.

501 (c)(3) nonprofit organizations and quasi government entities, including public universities, are eligible to apply. All projects are subject to the availability of funds. The new funding may allow for costs associated with COVID-19 to be eligible for funding as part of a submitted proposal. The Kentucky Department of Agriculture will not award grant funds for projects that solely benefit a particular commercial product or provide profit to a single organization, institution, or individual.

Preliminary proposals must be submitted by email to brandiel.craft@ky.gov no later than 4:30 p.m. EST on June 18, 2021. Qualifying applicants will be notified and invited to complete a full grant application. For more information, please visit https://www.kyagr.com/marketing/crop-block-grant.html.

Specialty crops are defined as fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticultural products, nursery crops (including floriculture), and honey. For a comprehensive list, interested parties may visit https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/scbgp/specialty-crop.    

KDA receives grant funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) for the specialty crop grant program and conducts an annual competitive application process to award grant funds.