The Oregon Department of Agriculture and US Department of Agriculture have announced this year’s recipients of Specialty Crop Block Grant Program funds. In Oregon, nearly $1.7 million will fund 14 projects to help boost the competitiveness of the state’s numerous and diverse specialty crops. “Oregon agriculture is largely made up of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, nursery crops, and other specialty crops, so having these funds available helps our producers innovate and ultimately provides a boost to our industry and our state’s economy,” says ODA Director Alexis Taylor. “We are able to fund some important and exciting projects every year through the program, and this year is no exception. Our projects have a history of demonstrating a highly favorable cost-benefit ratio which makes the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program even more valuable to Oregon.” Oregon ranks seventh in the nation in production of specialty crops. Over the past decade, Oregon has received close to $15 million in funding from the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, which has paved the way for more than 200 projects throughout the state and supporting the following priorities: • Local/regional/domestic/international market development, access, and certification; • Food safety compliance and traceability; • Efficiency of distribution systems; • Prevention and management of pests and diseases; • Training and equipping the next generation; • On-farm labor needs; • Productivity enhancements and innovation; • Addressing rural economic development needs in Oregon. The 2017 funded projects involve a diversity of crops and span a wide geographic area of Oregon agricultural production. A list and summary of all funded projects is available at <https://go.usa.gov/xn3k4>. For more information, contact Shannon Brubaker at (503) 866-1439.
