The Connecticut Department of Agriculture is excited to announce the 2025 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.
Donor Name: Connecticut Department of Agriculture
State: Connecticut
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/10/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
The purpose of the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) is to enhance the competitiveness of U.S. specialty crops by:
- leveraging efforts to market and promote specialty crops;
- assisting producers with research and development relevant to specialty crops;
- expanding availability and access to specialty crops; and
- addressing local, regional, and national challenges confronting specialty crop producers.
Specialty crops are fruits; vegetables; tree nuts; honey; hops; maple syrup; mushrooms; culinary herbs and spices; medicinal plants; nursery crops (including Christmas trees); and floriculture.
Funding Priorities
The Connecticut Department of Agriculture, in partnership with statewide specialty crop stakeholders, identified the following program funding priorities for 2025 through an online feedback form. Funding priorities below are not ranked based on the order listed.
- Conducting research, development, and dissemination of innovative practices to enhance specialty crop farm viability including, but not limited to, pest and disease management, natural resource conservation, land access, and climate change mitigation and adaptation.
- Enhancing market access and value chain development including improving relationships and direct sales between specialty crop producers, aggregators, processors, distributors, retail businesses, and consumers through means such as networking, marketing campaigns, and education.
- Supporting specialty crop producer career development and networks including establishing or strengthening specialty crop producer associations and cooperatives, hosting training, developing farm mentorships/ apprenticeships, coordinating specialty crop farmer circles, providing stipends to producers to attend relevant conferences.
- Implementing and expanding technical assistance programs to address specialty crop producer needs in areas such as conservation and climate smart farming practices, business viability, workforce development, labor issues, succession planning, and increasing the numbers of diverse, qualified, and culturally responsive service providers.
- Enhancing food safety and improving the capacity of specialty crop businesses to comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act or food safety audit program requirements.
- Implementing a sub granting program to address a clearly defined need of specialty crop producers you serve.
Funding Information
The maximum fund request by any applicant is capped at $100,000.
Grant Period
Projects can be funded for up to 33 months (2 years, 9 months). CTDOAG encourages multi-year projects for projects up to a maximum of two (2) years, nine (9) months in length.
Eligibility Criteria
Any Connecticut based entity may apply, but projects must benefit more than one specialty crop business, individual, or organization. Applicants must describe how their project will benefit and produce measurable outcomes for specialty crop industries rather than a single business, organization, or individual.
Grant Submission Details
A complete application contains the following items:
- Completion and submission of this Cognito Form.
- Completion and attachment of the 2025 Project Profile Template as a fillable PDF.
- Completion and attachment of Budget Worksheet.
- Completion and attachment of Work Plan.
- Attachment of letters of support (optional).
For more information, visit Connecticut Department of Agriculture.
