Goehring Awards More Than $3 million in Specialty Crop Block Grants

Aug 19, 2023

PUBLISHED ON August 24, 2023

BISMARCK, N.D. – Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring has awarded 21 grants totaling over $3 million to promote the development, cultivation, production and sales of specialty crops in North Dakota.

“North Dakota is already a leading producer of several specialty crops, such as dry edible beans, dry peas, potatoes and lentils,” Goehring said. “As our farmers seek to diversify their production, these grants help provide important information through specialty crop research, education, and trade missions.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA-AMS) approved $3,358,758.41 for the 2023 grants. The grants are distributed based on a formula that takes into account specialty crop acreage and production value.

Specialty crops are defined in law as “fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops, including floriculture.”

Organizations and agencies receiving grants are:

NDDA received 44 applications, which were reviewed and scored by a select committee and approved by Goehring. Of the 44 applications, 21 were forwarded to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for final approval.

The application for the 2024 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program for the timeframe of October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2027, will open in early December 2023 and close in January 2024. Applications will then be reviewed, scored, ranked and provided to Agriculture Commissioner Goehring to determine which applications will be forwarded to the USDA for final approval in May 2024. Questions regarding the upcoming application process may be directed to Deanna Gierszewski at 701-328-2191 or [email protected].

— NDDA

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