DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today encouraged any Iowans interested in applying for a USDA Specialty Crop Block grant through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship to consider participating in a free webinar at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 16.

More information about the grant program and the webinar, including registration information, can be found at www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/scbgp.

“This webinar is designed to help educate interested parties about the Specialty Crop Block Grant and give direction on applying for funding,” Northey said.  “The grant program is designed to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops and this webinar will help those interested in applying prepare their applications for the next round of grant announcements next year.”

The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program was created make specialty crops, defined as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops, including floriculture, more competitive.  Projects funded in the past by the program have focused on marketing and promotion, education, production, research, food safety, and pest and plant health.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship will receive $276,310 each year through 2012 from the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program and then makes grants available to Iowa agricultural non-profit organizations, cooperatives, specialty crop industry associations or organizations, and producer groups.  Each group is eligible to apply for up to $24,000.

Grant funds can only be used for projects that benefit and enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops industry as a whole, and will not be awarded for projects that directly benefit a particular product or provide a profit to a single organization, institution, or individual.

Iowans interested in learning more about the program can email horticultureAndFarmersMarket@iowaAgriculture.gov.