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The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) opened the application period for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP), with applications due January 31, 2020. Applicants are eligible to receive up to $175,000 in grant funding through the program as detailed below.

Each year ODA conducts a competitive solicitation process to award funds to projects that solely enhance the competitiveness of Oregon specialty crops. The SCBGP is designed to support all sectors of Oregon’s specialty crop industry and improve the performance of Oregon specialty crops within local, domestic, and international markets. Specialty crops include fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture).

Who is eligible to apply? Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, local, state and federal government entities, including tribal governments, and public and private colleges and universities that solely benefit the production of and access to Oregon specialty crops.

What projects are eligible? Marketing and promotional projects, training and education projects, and research projects are all eligible. Project priorities for the Oregon SCBGP for FY 2020 include:

1. Market development and access (international, and local/farm-direct, regional and domestic markets).
2. On-farm labor needs, connecting growers with hiring resources, providing technical information about laws and compliance, or developing mechanization or methodologies for routine or repetitive labor demands. Create and implement workforce training programs or tools to maintain the technical skills required to keep the Oregon specialty crops sector competitive.
3. Promoting cross commodity collaboration on specialty crop projects that address industry wide issues faced by growers/producers. Assisting all entities in the specialty crop distribution chain through transferable results that may enhancing market access and increase sales by addressing food safety, sustainability, or other outcomes.
4. Investing in specialty crop research toward food safety compliance and traceability through implementation of practices, trainings, or systems development and preparation for and/or assistance in compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
5. Investing in projects that address regulatory burden on specialty crop growers. Connecting growers with resources, providing technical information about laws and compliance, or developing mechanization or methodologies for routine or repetitive laws and compliance.
6. Investing in projects that address productivity enhancements, innovation, value added products and other production efficiencies for specialty crops.
7. Agriculture and food-related priorities identified by Oregon Solutions Network Regional Solutions Centers to address rural economic development in Oregon. Projects must also comply with one or more of the required previously listed program priorities.

What are the funding levels? Funding levels range from $25,000 to $175,000.

Is there a cost sharing requirement? Cost sharing is not a requirement of the SCBGP, however, it is strongly encouraged to show the importance and value of the project and to show sustainability beyond SCBGP funds.

What is the project duration? The maximum grant duration is two years, six months (October 2020– March 2023).

Applications are due on January 31, 2020.

The full Program Guidelines can be found here.

For more information on this grant or how to apply with Morrison’s assistance, please contact the Morrison Grants Team by email at grants@morrisonco.net or call us at 530-893-4764.