The Alaska’s Division of Agriculture announces the availability of grant funds for the sole purpose of enhancing Alaska Grown specialty crops.
Donor Name: Alaska’s Division of Agriculture
State: Alaska
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant | Reimbursement
Deadline: 02/10/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
Funding Priorities
The Alaska Division of Agriculture, in partnership with statewide specialty crop stakeholders, will identify the following program funding priorities. Funding priorities are listed in no particular order of importance and are not ranked.
- Enhancing food safety;
- Improving the capacity of all entities in the specialty crop distribution chain to comply with the requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act (21 U.S.C. Chapter 27), for example, developing “Good Agricultural Practices,” “Good Handling Practices,” “Good Manufacturing Practices,” and in cost-share arrangements for funding audits of such systems (including USDA GroupGAP) for small farmers, packers, and processors;
- Investing in specialty crop research, including research to focus on conservation and environmental outcomes;
- Developing new and improved seed varieties and specialty crops;
- Pest and disease control;
- Increasing child and adult nutrition knowledge and consumption of specialty crops;
- Improving efficiency and reducing costs of distribution systems; and
- Sustainability.
Funding Information
For 2025, project proposals will be funded with an award up to $60,000. This funding opportunity is on a reimbursable basis. Projects will receive 25% of the total project award amount up front to begin the grant project.
Grant Period
3 years.
Examples of Eligible Products
The USDA AMS defines specialty crops as fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and horticulture and nursery crops. Agricultural products not eligible for funding under this grant program include livestock, dairy, grains produced for fuel and feed, and hay. A complete list of USDA- eligible and ineligible specialty crops is at USDA Specialty Crop Definitions.
- Fruits
- Culinary Herbs & Spices
- Medicinal Herbs & Plants
- Nursery & Horticulture Crops
- Annual Bedding, Flowering & Potted Plants
- Kelp
- Vegetables
- Tree Nuts
- Honey
- Turfgrass
- Tea leaves
Eligibility Criteria
Any entity may apply, but projects must benefit more than one individual, business or organization.
- Proposed project benefits must benefit the specialty crop industry and align with program requirements, including funding restrictions.
- Projects must enhance the competitiveness of U.S. or U.S. territory-grown specialty crops in either domestic or foreign markets.
- Each project must identify at least one expected measurable outcome and outcome indicator that specifically demonstrates the project’s impact in enhancing the competitiveness of eligible specialty crops.
- Applications should describe how the project potentially affects and produces measurable outcomes for the specialty crop industry and/or the public rather than a single business, organization, or individual. AMS will not fund projects that benefit a particular commercial product or provide a profit to a single business, organization, or individual. Single businesses, organizations, or individuals are encouraged to participate as project partners.
- Applicants with previous participation that have incomplete or unsatisfactory performance may be ruled ineligible for participation at the sole discretion of the Division of Agriculture.
- The Division of Agriculture strongly encourages projects proposing innovative partnerships that will develop new knowledge to strengthen specialty crop producers’ operations.
- Multi-state projects that address challenges and opportunities that cross state boundaries are eligible.
For more information, visit ADA.
