This fact sheet lists the general standards that must be present in the quality assurance/quali
WASHINGTON D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today awarded over $1.3 million in Fiscal Year 2022 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) funding to Minnesota. This USDA grant will help the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) fund projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in the state and support specialty crop growers through marketing, education, and research.
“USDA applauds Minnesota’s continued commitment to supporting our nation’s producers of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery crops through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. “The projects funded will foster innovative research and new market opportunities within the specialty crop sector, while furthering USDA’s goals of creating a more fair and equitable food system and supporting local and regional producers.”
Through the SCBGP, the MDA is funding 11 projects. Among the projects, is funding awarded to Twin Cities Berry Company LLC, a research and production farm. The farm will use funding to develop climate resilient practices for high-density strawberry production within protected culture structures. The research will help new and emerging farmers overcome spatial and environmental hurdles to achieve financial sustainability. Additional funded projects focus in areas such as pest management, farm to school marketing, and water management.
“The more paths to success we can offer Minnesota farmers, the better our state’s agricultural future will be,” Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen said. “This funding will increase the state’s capacity to grow a wider variety of profitable crops. We’re thankful the USDA recognizes the importance of those efforts.”
More information about these awards is available on this webpage: 2022 SCBGP Awarded Grants (pdf).
The funding to Minnesota is part of a total of $72.9 million in non-competitive FY 2022 SCBGP funding awarded to 55 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 FY2022 funding is awarded for a three-year period beginning September 30, 2022. Since 2006, USDA has invested more than $953 million through the SCBGP to fund 11,331 projects that have increased the long-term successes of producers and broadened the market for specialty crops in the U.S. and abroad.
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Media Contact
Larry Schumacher, MDA Communications
651-201-6629
Larry.Schumacher@state.mn.us
USDA Public Affairs
202-720-8998
PA@usda.gov
Waste Pesticide Collection (All Counties)
8100 Jefferson Hwy N
Brooklyn Park, MN 55445
Dispose of your waste weed killers/herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and other pesticides. The MDA sponsors opportunities to properly dispose of unwanted pesticides from farms or businesses. Minnesota pesticide users can bring their waste pesticides to any of these events and dispose of up to 300 pounds free of charge. For amounts greater than 300 pounds call the MDA at 612-214-6843.
Collection is open to participants from any county on this day.
Waste pesticides only- no paint, no fuels, no crop oils, no rinsates, no recycling, no adjuntives.
Checks to Minnesota livestock farmers and specialty crop producers who applied for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) 2021 Agricultural Drought Relief Program (ADRoP) will begin to be mailed this week.
A total of 2,922 out of 3,000 received applications were approved, totaling $18.9 million in eligible requests. The total request was more than double the $8.1 million appropriated by the Legislature for ADRoP this spring.
Because the legislation stipulated that all qualifying applicants must receive a payment, checks will be pro-rated to 41.9% of the amount farmers were eligible to receive. While the legislation permitted up to $7,500 per eligible farmer, the maximum payment per farmer will be $3,143.
“We know this won’t make people whole from the extra costs they had last year,” Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen said. “But it should help people pay a few bills and that’s important this time of year.”
Following up with farmers who submitted incomplete applications or needed to submit documents made the process take a little longer than expected, but checks are now being processed and mailed as quickly as possible, Petersen said.
Drought-related expenses incurred after June 1, 2021, and before May 23, 2022 were eligible for funding.
Eligible expenses for specialty crop producers include water handling equipment; water hauling; wells; irrigation equipment; replacement plants, seeds, or seedlings; additional hired labor; farmers’ market fees for canceled markets; and more.
Eligible expenses for livestock farmers include water-related expenses; feed-related expenses; custom bailing; equipment rental; livestock transportation; livestock pond dredging; cover crop, pasture, or forage replanting; fencing; grazing rights; additional hired labor; and more.
Farms must be located in a county designated by the United States Department of Agriculture as a primary natural disaster area after July 19, 2021 and before January 1, 2022, or in a county contiguous to a designated county. All Minnesota counties except Goodhue, Rice, Wabasha, and Winona were eligible.
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Media Contact
Larry Schumacher, MDA Communications
651-201-6629
Larry.Schumacher@state.mn.us