Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Bill Northey, has announced the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is now accepting applications for grant funding through the Specialty Crop Block Grant program. These grants are designed to support projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops produced in Iowa. The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has not yet announced the 2017 funding level, but it is expected to be similar to last years at just over $244,000. These block grant funds can be used to support food safety, research and marketing efforts that encourage consumers to choose Iowa grown products. Grants will only be provided to projects that benefit the specialty crop industry as a whole, not to those that directly benefit a particular product or provide a profit to a single organization, institution or individual. Iowa agencies, universities, institutions and producer, industry and community-based organizations are all eligible to apply for a maximum of $24,000 on projects of up to 30 months duration. Proposals must be received on or before 4 p.m. on Monday April 3, and more information can be found by following the link included with this story on our website.
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