The Oregon Department of Agriculture and US Department of Agriculture have announced this year’s recipients of Specialty Crop Block Grant Program funds. In Oregon, nearly $1.7 million will fund 15 projects to help boost the competitiveness of the state’s fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, nursery crops, and other specialty crops.
 
“These funds go a long way in helping Oregon agriculture,” says ODA Acting Director Lisa Hanson. “We are a specialty crop state and every dollar that goes towards the great projects we have lined up for this year helps our specialty crop producers gain some advantages in the marketplace. Oregon’s track record of successful and meaningful projects under this federal program is something to be proud of.”
 
Oregon ranks seventh in the nation in production of specialty crops.
 
Over the past nine years, Oregon has received close to $13 million in funding from the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, which has paved the way for 200 projects throughout the state and supporting the following priorities:
 
Local/regional/domestic/international market development, access, and certification
Food safety compliance and traceability
Efficiency of distribution systems
Prevention and management of pests and diseases
Training and equipping the next generation
On-farm labor needs
Productivity enhancements and innovation
Addressing rural economic development needs in Oregon
The 2016 funded projects involve a diversity of crops and span a wide geographic area of Oregon agricultural production.

List and summary of funded projects in Oregon

For more information, contact Shannon Brubaker at (503) 872-6617.

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