About the grant
The purpose of the grant program is to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops by:
- Leveraging efforts to market and promote specialty crops;
- Assisting producers with research and development relevant to specialty crops;
- Expanding availability and access to specialty crops; and
- Addressing local, regional, and national challenges confronting specialty crop producers.
The purpose of the grant program is to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops by:
- Leveraging efforts to market and promote specialty crops;
- Assisting producers with research and development relevant to specialty crops;
- Expanding availability and access to specialty crops; and
- Addressing local, regional, and national challenges confronting specialty crop producers.
A specialty crop is defined by the USDA as “Fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture). Eligible plants must be cultivated or managed and used by people for food, medicinal purposes, and/or aesthetic gratification to be considered specialty crops. Processed products shall consist of greater than 50% of the specialty crop by weight, exclusive of added water.”
The USDA lists eligible and ineligible crops on their website. This list is not exhaustive, so if you have a question about a crop that is not represented, please contact us before applying.
A specialty crop is defined by the USDA as “Fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture). Eligible plants must be cultivated or managed and used by people for food, medicinal purposes, and/or aesthetic gratification to be considered specialty crops. Processed products shall consist of greater than 50% of the specialty crop by weight, exclusive of added water.”
The USDA lists eligible and ineligible crops on their website. This list is not exhaustive, so if you have a question about a crop that is not represented, please contact us before applying.
The amount of federal Specialty Crop funding allocated to Minnesota is based on the reported acreage of specialty crop production and sales. The USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) collects this information. However, specialty crop production is often underreported. We encourage all farms to sign up to get future surveys and censuses. (NASS defines a farm as any place that normally produces and sells $1,000 or more of agricultural products in a calendar year.)
The amount of federal Specialty Crop funding allocated to Minnesota is based on the reported acreage of specialty crop production and sales. The USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) collects this information. However, specialty crop production is often underreported. We encourage all farms to sign up to get future surveys and censuses. (NASS defines a farm as any place that normally produces and sells $1,000 or more of agricultural products in a calendar year.)
Please refer to the Past Projects tab on our SCBG website to see previously funded projects.
Please refer to the Past Projects tab on our SCBG website to see previously funded projects.
The purpose of the grant program is to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops by:
- Leveraging efforts to market and promote specialty crops;
- Assisting producers with research and development relevant to specialty crops;
- Expanding availability and access to specialty crops; and
- Addressing local, regional, and national challenges confronting specialty crop producers.
A specialty crop is defined by the USDA as “Fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture). Eligible plants must be cultivated or managed and used by people for food, medicinal purposes, and/or aesthetic gratification to be considered specialty crops. Processed products shall consist of greater than 50% of the specialty crop by weight, exclusive of added water.”
The USDA lists eligible and ineligible crops on their website. This list is not exhaustive, so if you have a question about a crop that is not represented, please contact us before applying.
The amount of federal Specialty Crop funding allocated to Minnesota is based on the reported acreage of specialty crop production and sales. The USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) collects this information. However, specialty crop production is often underreported. We encourage all farms to sign up to get future surveys and censuses. (NASS defines a farm as any place that normally produces and sells $1,000 or more of agricultural products in a calendar year.)
Please refer to the Past Projects tab on our SCBG website to see previously funded projects.
As of early March 2025, federal funding for the Specialty Crop Block Grant remains uncertain.
USDA typically releases their Request for Applications (RFA), which outlines the program parameters and due dates, in late January. In early March 2025, USDA staff indicated they don’t have any specific dates for releasing their RFA, but they would provide more information as they receive it. State agencies typically release their Request for Proposals (RFPs) before USDA releases their RFA so there's enough time to receive and review proposals, work with subrecipients, and put together a state plan for submission to USDA. Like many other state departments of agriculture, we released our RFP in anticipation of receiving the RFA and are awaiting further guidance from USDA.
During the state level review, applications will be scored based on the criteria in the Project Evaluation Profile in the MDA’s RFP. Maximize your points by clearly answering the application questions. Following the state level review, selected project proposals are submitted to USDA as part of our state plan.
As of early March 2025, USDA staff indicated they don’t have any specific dates for releasing their Request for Applications (RFA). Without an RFA to outline program priorities, it remains unclear how recent executive actions will impact the priorities and goals of the SCBG program. While we cannot provide specific advice on how to answer the application questions, it's always advisable to consider current events when preparing your grant application.
