COLUMBIA, S.C. — If you grow, or would like to grow, specialty crops in South Carolina, now is the time to apply for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.
The program, administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, is focused on strengthening the market for specialty crops -- fruits, vegetables, tree nuts (pecans, almonds, walnuts, etc.), dried fruits, horticulture (including honey), and nursery crops (including floriculture).
If you have an idea for a project involving specialty crops, interested individuals should fill out an application, available at agriculture.sc.gov/grants.
Applicants should propose projects that provide one or more of the following benefits:
- Enhanced food safety
- Improved capacity of all entities in the specialty crop distribution chain to comply with the requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act
- Investment in specialty crop research, including research to focus on conservation and environmental outcomes
- Development of new and improved seed varieties and specialty crops
- Enhanced pest and disease control
- Increased child and adult nutrition knowledge and consumption of specialty crops
- Increased efficiency and reduced costs of distribution systems
- Enhanced sustainability
SCDA will host a virtual information session with an opportunity for questions on Thursday, Jan. 12 at 10 a.m. The Zoom link for this session can be found by visiting agriculture.sc.gov/grants and clicking on the Specialty Crop Block Grant page.
Applications for the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) are due by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, February 13, 2023. Applications must be submitted by email to bjeffcoat@scda.sc.gov.
