The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) is a competitive grant program operated by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) in which funding from the United States Department of Agriculture is awarded to eligible applicants to support Utah’s specialty crop industry. Specialty crops include fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture — including nursery crops, and more. For a complete list of eligible specialty crops, see Supporting Documents, below.
Potential projects may include a broad range of focus such as improving marketing, research, training, certifications, food safety, pest control, plant health and beyond for specialty crops. Candidates must demonstrate the ability to enhance the competitiveness of Utah grown specialty crops and benefit more than one producer or organization.
This year, priority will be placed on projects that respond to opportunities and challenges within specialty crop production, processing, distribution, and/or marketing in Utah; enhance food safety or aid in compliance with the requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act; improve pest and disease control; increase child and adult nutrition knowledge and consumption of specialty crops; improve sustainability, and improve efficiency and reducing costs of Utah’s specialty crop distribution systems.
For project proposals outside the scope of the categories above, pre-approval must be granted; email Anne Dunaway for more information.
Estimated Total Program Funding:
