USDA Announces Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Funding Awarded to Connecticut

Date: Thursday, August 25, 2022

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WASHINGTON, August 25, 2022—The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today awarded over $436,000 in Fiscal Year 2022 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) funding to Connecticut. This USDA grant will help the Connecticut Department of Agriculture fund projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in the state and support specialty crop growers through marketing, education, and research.

“USDA applauds Connecticut’s continued commitment to supporting our nation’s producers of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery crops through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. “The projects funded will foster innovative research and new market opportunities within the specialty crop sector, while furthering USDA’s goals of creating a more fair and equitable food system and supporting local and regional producers.”

Through the SCBGP, the Connecticut Department of Agriculture is funding five projects. Among the projects is $99,629 being awarded to the Connecticut Farm to School program administered through the University of Connecticut Extension. The project will use the awarded funding to increase the number of active supply chain relationships between farmers, food hubs, and school buyers leading to an overall increase in the volume of locally grown, healthy products served in K-12 school districts. Additional projects focus in areas such as research and new farmer training.

“We are pleased to continue our ongoing partnership and engagement with USDA to offer funding for projects which strengthen Connecticut’s diverse agricultural sector with a focus on specialty crops,” said Connecticut Department of Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt. “These awarded projects meet the identified funding priorities which align with both state and federal initiatives to prepare for and adapt to climate change, improve food security and access to CT Grown specialty crops, and support new and beginning farmers through training and research.”

The funding to Connecticut is part of a total of $72.9 million in non-competitive FY 2022 SCBGP funding awarded to 55 states, territories and the District of Columbia. The SCBGP funding supports farmers growing specialty crops, including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery crops. USDA’s support will strengthen U.S. specialty crop production and markets, ensuring an abundant, affordable supply of highly nutritious fruits, vegetables, and other specialty crops, which are vital to the health and well-being of all Americans.

The funding for the SCBGP grants is authorized by the 2018 Farm Bill and FY2022 funding is awarded for a three-year period beginning September 30, 2022. Since 2006, USDA has invested more than $953 million through the SCBGP to fund 11,331 projects that have increased the long-term successes of producers and broadened the market for specialty crops in the U.S. and abroad.

More information about these awards is available on this webpage: 2022 SCBGP Awarded Grants (pdf).

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