Montana, USDA Award Nearly $1 Million in Specialty Crop Block Grants

The Montana Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have selected the recipients of the 2014 Specialty Crop Block Grants. Overall, eleven entities involved with specialty crops met the grant qualifications and will receive some $986,000 in grant funds to help advance agriculture in Montana. Specialty crops are fruits and vegetables, culinary and medicinal herbs, horticultural, and nursery crops, including floriculture. Plants must be intensively cultivated and used by people for food, medicinal purposes and/or aesthetic gratification. Eligible projects must solely enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in either domestic or foreign markets. More information on specialty crops and eligibility is available on the department’s website .

“With the growth in specialty crops like lentils and dry peas, the state tripled the amount of grant funding available from USDA. We are excited to get this money out the door and on the ground to help advance Montana agriculture,” said Montana Department of Agriculture Director Ron de Yong.

2014 Specialty Crop Block Grant Awardees: Montana State University , Schutter Diagnostic Lab, Detection of Fungicide Resistant Ascochyta Blight $95,710.

Montana State University, Montana Seed Potato Certification, evaluating generation resistance to potato virus Y in potatoes $126,008.

Montana State University, Western Agricultural Research Center, evaluation of Montana-grown “Superfood” fruits $119,10.

Lake County Community Development Corporation: Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center, food safety trainings for Group Gap $136,157.

Montana State University, Lewis & Clark County Extension Identification, Preservation, and Propagation of Heritage Orchards in Montana $127,680.

Headwaters RC&D Area Inc., Meeting Montana’s Food Safety Education Needs $57,327.

Montana State University, Missoula County Extension, Montana Sustainable Strawberry Initiative $55,017.

Montana State University, Flenniken Lab Montana Bee Viruses: Identification and Transmission $65,000.

Montana State University, Department of Plant Sciences & Plant Pathology Northern Plains Vegetable Variety Testing $30,056.

Montana Nursery & Landscape Association, Plant Something: Montana-Grown Awareness Campaign $52,380.

SCBG, Management & Compliance $121,792.

For the last two year’s Montana has been one of the leading producers of lentils and dry peas according to USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service. In addition, crop diversification with specialty crops and other crops have been a part of the 51 percent increase in the value of agriculture over the last five years.

The Montana Department of Agriculture’s mission is to protect producers and consumers, and to enhance and develop agriculture and allied industries. For more information on the Montana Department of Agriculture, visit http://www.agr.mt.gov .

 

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