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New Jersey Department of Agriculture Now Accepting Grant Applications

For Immediate Release: April 1, 2013
Contact: Lynne Richmond 
(609) 633-2954

(TRENTON) The New Jersey Department of Agriculture is now accepting

applications in anticipation of the 2014 United States Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grants. 

“These monies are used for important research and promotion of the majority of crops grown by New Jersey farmers,” said New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher.  “We welcome organizations to apply for these funds to use in creative ways to support our specialty crop industry.”

Specialty crops include fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, horticulture, nursery crops and floriculture.  Most of New Jersey agriculture falls into the specialty crop category.

To be eligible for a grant, projects must "enhance the competitiveness" of specialty crops and might include, but are 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 conservation, product development and developing cooperatives.

Download the application at www.nj.gov/agriculture/grants/specialtycropblockgrants.html.  The deadline for submitting applications is April 30, 2013.

Although the 2014 Specialty Crop Block Grant program has been approved for funding, the federal budget sequestration has caused a delay in U.S.D.A.’s official announcement of each State’s grant allocation.  At this time all Specialty Crop Block Grant Program applications to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture are to be considered tentative pending the publication of the funding allocation in a Notice of Funding Availability in the federal registry. 


Thirteen projects were awarded more than $816,127 in Specialty Crop Block Grants for a variety of uses this year, including education, marketing, production research and the promotion of New Jersey agricultural products.