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 $304,000 in Fiscal Year 2022 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) funding to West Virginia. This USDA grant will help the West Virginia 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 West Virginia’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.”
Utilizing SCBGP funding, the West Virginia Department of Agriculture is partnering with Grow Ohio Valley’s (GrowOV) Local Fruits and Flowers project to increase marketing and public education events that will promote specialty crops in the Northern Panhandle region. The state is also receiving $80,000 to fund a project to purchase kettle systems that will provide additional operational processing avenues for West Virginia fruit and vegetable producers to incorporate into finished goods. Additional funding has also been awarded to expand the Keep Your Faith Corporation’s (KYFC) West Side Grown urban farm and to the Spotted Horse Farm to provide the Hops Cooperative with specialty equipment.
“As we come out of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as navigate foreign conflicts, natural disasters and economic hardships, it is vital we continue to develop local food systems and build resiliency and food security in our State. Each one of the projects funded focuses on specialty crops which can help foster growth within our agricultural industries. We are excited to see the impact these projects will have,” said West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt.
The funding to West Virginia 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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