Oct 16, 2015
Washington, Michigan awarded specialty crop grants

More than $1.7 million was awarded to Washington State University for specialty crop research including berries, potatoes, grapes, tree fruit, onions, carrots and Christmas trees, according to the Washington State Department of Agriculture.

WSU received grants for 10 of the 24 projects funded through the 2015 U.S. Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. The total award for the state was $4.1 million.

“This program, which is made possible by funding through the federal farm bill, is absolutely essential for WSU to support the specialty crop industries for which Washington is a leading producer,” said Jim Moyer, associate dean of research in the WSU College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences.

Washington ranks first in the nation for the production of apples, raspberries and pears and second for grapes, onions, carrots and potatoes.

Summaries of the 2015 projects can be found here.

Michigan

Michigan has received $1.9 million in federal dollars to create, enhance, or expand specialty crop agriculture development ventures across the state. The grants will further expand the marketing, research and education of these vital crops to our state’s economy, according to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Projects have a maximum award of $100,000, based on criteria established by USDA. For more on the individual projects, click here.




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