The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is accepting applications for its 2024 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.
Donor Name: Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
State: Iowa
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/01/2024
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
USDA Agricultural Marketing Services (AMS) provides the funds to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in the state. IDALS has set the maximum amount of a subaward at $30,000.
Examples of Acceptable Projects
- A university requests grant funds to conduct research on the feasibility of planting, cultivating, and growing a specialty crop in a particular area, the results of which can be shared with many growers throughout the State.
- A single grower requests funds to demonstrate the viability of organic small fruit production and partners with Cooperative Extension to publicize the working model of diversification to other regional growers.
- A single company requests funds to provide a viable pollination alternative to specialty crop stakeholders in the region, which currently does not have one.
- A single specialty crop organization requests funds to conduct an advertising campaign that will benefit their specialty crop members.
- A single farmer erects high tunnels on their property to extend the growing season of tomatoes and lettuce and conducts a field day and farm tour to encourage other small family farmers to adopt the production methods.
Eligibility Criteria
- IDALS will accept proposals for consideration for specialty crop block grant funds from Iowa agencies, universities, institutions, and producer, industry, and community based organizations. To be eligible for a grant, the project(s) must solely enhance the competitiveness of Iowa grown specialty crops that benefit the industry as a whole and that do not directly benefit a particular product or provide a profit to a single organization, institution, or individual. Grant funds will not be awarded for projects that solely benefit a particular commercial product or provide a profit to a single organization, institution, or individual. Single organizations, institutions, and individuals are encouraged to participate as project partners. Applicants must be a legal entity and have the legal capacity to contract.
- Eligible applicants must reside, and/or conduct their business or organization in Iowa and must be in good standing. Awardees will be required to be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) and have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number. The UEI is a 12- character alphanumeric Id assigned to an entities.
For more information, visit IDALS.
