The North Dakota Department of Agriculture is seeking applications for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) to solely enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops.
Donor Name: North Dakota Department of Agriculture
State: North Dakota
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/17/2024
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
USDA defines specialty crops as “fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture).” Enhancing competitiveness may include developing local and rural food systems and improving food access in underserved communities.
SCBGP applicants must focus on developing projects solely to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops pertaining to the following issues affecting the specialty crop industry:
- 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, for example, by developing “Good Agricultural Practices,” “Good Handling Practices,” “Good Manufacturing Practices,” and in cost-share arrangements for funding audits of such systems 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.
Priorities
NDDA has identified the following top three priorities:
- pest and disease control;
- developing new and improved seed varieties and specialty crops; and
- investing in specialty crop research, including research to focus on conservation and environmental outcomes.
Funding Information
The NDDA anticipates being awarded up to $2.7 million in grant funding to be awarded to projects enhancing the competitiveness of North Dakota specialty crops for the time frame of 2024-2027.
Period of Performance
The Period of Performance begins October 1, 2024, and ends September 30, 2026.
Examples of projects could include:
- Researching new cultivars
- Marketing apples through a targeted promotional campaign
Activities or tasks that could be a part of such projects might include:
- Hiring personnel
- Holding an educational workshop
- Planting specialty crops
- Distributing product promotional materials
Examples of Acceptable Projects
- A university requests funding to conduct research on the feasibility of planting, cultivating, and growing a specialty crop in a particular area, the results of which will be shared with many growers throughout the state during the project.
- A single grower requests funds to demonstrate the viability of organic small fruit production and partners with an extension service 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 a region that currently does not have one.
- A single non-profit organization requests funds to conduct an advertising campaign that will benefit their specialty crop members.
Eligibility Criteria
Proposals will be accepted from non-profit organizations, producer organizations, government agencies, universities, and other organizations related to North Dakota’s specialty crop industry. Individuals, individual producers, for-profit businesses, or commercial entities may submit proposals. However, the project must focus on research, education, or demonstration and must benefit the specialty crop industry in a manner that can be replicated by other organizations.
Additional notes to help you determine whether your project is eligible:
- Projects must enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. Consider carefully whether your project is likely to have “spillover” benefits for non-specialty crops and whether the SCBGP is the best fit for your project
- Projects must benefit more than one product or organization. The SCBGP will not award grant funds for projects that solely benefit a single commercial product or provide a profit to a single organization, institution, or individual. This means that the program will not provide funds to start or expand a farm or other business venture
- In addition, recipients cannot use grant funds to compete unfairly with private companies that offer equivalent products or services
- Please note that hemp is not considered a “specialty crop”.
For more information, visit NDDA.
