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For Immediate Release: March 8, 2011
Contact: Lynne Richmond 
(609) 633-2954

(TRENTON) – The New Jersey Department of

Agriculture is now accepting applications for 2012 United States Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grants.

A total of $300,000 is available to organizations representing New Jersey’s specialty crop industry for use during 2012.  Individual producers are not eligible to apply.

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 29, 2011.

Nine projects were awarded more than $277,000 in Specialty Crop Block Grants for a variety of uses this year, including education, marketing and promotion of New Jersey agricultural products.