GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR SPECIALTYCROP PRODUCTIONSalt Lake City – For the second year in a row, the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) is encouraging other agencies, universities, institutions, and industry or community based organizations to apply for grants to assist specialty crop production. The grants are available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service, and will be awarded to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. Program overview “This is an opportunity for specialty crop stakeholders to fund projects that will benefit the specialty crop industry as a whole,” said Jed Christenson, Director of Marketing for the UDAF. Specialty crop grants were awarded last year for ten projects that varied from researching the use of drought tolerant native flora or controlling weeds in onions, to the use of scent baited traps in orchards to control insects in lieu of pesticides. The deadline for submitting an application form to receive a portion of the allocated $103,000 is January 31, 2008. An application packet and full program overview is available on line at www.ag.utah.gov or by calling Jed Christenson at (801) 538-7108. Specialty crops are defined as fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery crops (including floriculture). To be eligible for a specialty crop grant from the State, projects must enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. Examples of “enhancing competitiveness” of specialty crops includes, but is not limited to: research, promotion, marketing, nutrition, trade enhancement, food safety, food security, plant health programs, education, buy local programs, increased consumption, increased innovation, improved efficiency and reduced costs of distribution systems, environmental concerns and conservations, product development, and developing cooperatives. For more information, or to be put in contact with 2006 grant recipients, contact Larry Lewis at
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