Date: Wednesday, August 23, 2023
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WASHINGTON, August 23, 2023—The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today awarded over $332,000 in Fiscal Year 2023 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) funding to Kentucky. With this grant, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture will fund projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crop products and create new market opportunities for the state’s specialty crop producers.
“With this year’s Specialty Crop Block Grant funding, Kentucky is investing in innovative projects that will help address the needs of specialty crop producers within the region,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. “The funded projects will also further USDA’s efforts to ensure U.S. specialty crop products remain competitive in markets across the nation and abroad.”
Through the SCBGP, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture will fund eight projects. Among the projects is funding to utilize abandoned coal mine infrastructure for sustainable mushroom cultivation. This grant will assess the potential for growing regional specialty mushrooms in abandoned coalmines. The project aims to develop and implement a method for testing the feasibility of recycled waste streams in the production of mushroom growth substrate. It will also help develop regional mushroom varieties and test their feasibility for use in cultivation. Additional funded projects include:
- Expanding consumption of Kentucky Proud produce in food desserts during the shoulder seasons.
- Improving product labeling for Kentucky honey consumers and expanding honey production in Kentucky.
- Defining best production practices for fortified wines made from 'Norton' grapes.
- Suppressing fruit and vegetable fungal rotting by plant natural products.
- Ribes evaluation for eastern Kentucky.
- Institutional purchasing markets through food is medicine.
“The Kentucky Department of Agriculture is pleased to be able to provide assistance to our producers seeking to find new and inventive ways to enhance their products and the future of Kentucky agriculture,” said Kentucky Department of Agriculture Commissioner Dr. Ryan Quarles. “These funds provided by USDA will help improve product production and labeling, along with diversification of our markets. These funds will allow new and unique opportunities for Kentucky farm families, all while enhancing the competitiveness of specialty crops in Kentucky. Specialty crops make up a significant part of Kentucky’s agricultural economy, and there is plenty of room to grow.”
The funding to Kentucky is part of a total of $72.9 million in non-competitive FY 2023 SCBGP funding awarded to 54 states, territories, and the District of Columbia. The SCBGP funding supports farmers growing specialty crops, including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery crops. USDA’s support will strengthen U.S. specialty crop production and markets, ensuring an abundant, affordable supply of highly nutritious fruits, vegetables, and other specialty crops, which are vital to the health and well-being of all Americans.
The funding for the SCBGP grants is authorized by the 2018 Farm Bill and FY2023 funding is awarded for a three-year period beginning Sept. 30, 2023. Since 2006, USDA has invested over $1 billion through the SCBGP to fund nearly 12,000 projects that have increased the long-term successes of producers and enhanced marketing opportunities for U.S. specialty crops products.
More information about these awards is available on this webpage: 2023 SCBGP Awarded Grants (pdf).
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