Date: Thursday, August 25, 2022
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WASHINGTON, August 25, 2022—The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today awarded over $588,000 in Fiscal Year 2022 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) funding to Illinois. This USDA grant will help the Illinois Department of Agriculture fund projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in the state and support specialty crop growers through marketing, education, and research.
“USDA applauds Illinois’s continued commitment to supporting our nation’s producers of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery crops through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. “The projects funded will foster innovative research and new market opportunities within the specialty crop sector, while furthering USDA’s goals of creating a more fair and equitable food system and supporting local and regional producers.”
Through the SCBGP, the Illinois Department of Agriculture is funding eight projects. Among the projects, is $32,611 to the 61st Street Farmers Market to expand their market’s educational programming and partnerships that work to rebuild local knowledge of the nutritional benefits and pleasure of consuming fresh and health foods, and knowledge of how to grow and prepare them. Additional funded projects focus in areas such as market analysis, research, and education resource development for specialty crop growers.
“The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program allows the state to provide funding to a diverse pool of applicants, that range from academic research to community-based projects,” said Jerry Costello II, Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture. “This program is a catalyst to moving Illinois’ local food system forward.”
The funding to Illinois is part of a total of $72.9 million in non-competitive FY 2022 SCBGP funding awarded to 55 states, territories and the District of Columbia. The SCBGP funding supports farmers growing specialty crops, including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery crops. USDA’s support will strengthen U.S. specialty crop production and markets, ensuring an abundant, affordable supply of highly nutritious fruits, vegetables, and other specialty crops, which are vital to the health and well-being of all Americans.
The funding for the SCBGP grants is authorized by the 2018 Farm Bill and FY2022 funding is awarded for a three-year period beginning September 30, 2022. Since 2006, USDA has invested more than $953 million through the SCBGP to fund 11,331 projects that have increased the long-term successes of producers and broadened the market for specialty crops in the U.S. and abroad.
More information about these awards is available on this webpage: 2022 SCBGP Awarded Grants (pdf).
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