TAYLORSVILLE – The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) is seeking producers to apply for the 2025 Specialty Crop Block Grant. The application window will be open through April 9, 2025.
Peaches are another big crop in Utah and also fit in the specialty crop catigory.
This funding is available to enhance the competitiveness of Utah-grown specialty crops like fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, horticulture and nursery crops.
A full list of specialty crops is available at www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/scbgp/specialty-crop
Kelly Pehrson, UDAF Interim Commissioner, emphasized the importance of specialty crops in the state and is hoping to find innovative ways for food production to award the grants to.
Squash is another Utah crop that fits in the specialty crop category.
Squash is another Utah crop that fits in the specialty crop category.
“Utah is the nation’s second leading producer of tart cherries and its climate produces some of the most desirable stone fruit in the nation, all of which are specialty crops that are vitally important to our state,” he said. “The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is proud to administer this grant program and looks forward to innovative developments in the state’s specialty crop industries.”
The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) is operated by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food with a charge to administer federal funds from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service.
This grant is open to all producers, private businesses, schools, trade associations, non-profits, farming and ranching co-ops, etc. headquartered in Utah.
Utah beef is one of Utah’s cash crops and fits in the specialty crop arena.
Applications for grant funds should describe and outline how the project potentially affects and produces measurable outcomes for the specialty crop industry and/or the public rather than a single organization, institution, or individual.
Current federal funding freezes could affect this funding. It could be reduced or cancelled, but UDAF is collecting applications with the hope that this funding will be available. For more information, contact Allison Ross at aross@utah.gov or visit https://ag.utah.gov/specialty-crop-block-grant-program/.