The maine department of agriculture will enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through leveraging efforts to market and promote specialty crops; assisting producers with research and…

The Maine Department of Agriculture will receive $809,567.26 under a Specialty Crop Block Grant from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service between September 2021 and September 2025. The funding will support efforts to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in Maine through activities such as marketing and promotion, research and development assistance to producers, and initiatives to expand availability and access. Projects funded through sub-awards to grant recipients will also address local, regional and national challenges facing specialty crop producers in the state. All work under this award will leverage previous specialty crop efforts and prioritize responding to COVID-19 impacts as encouraged by H.R. 133 stimulus funding. Outcomes will be measured and reported to the funding agency.

The maine department of agriculture will enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through leveraging efforts to market and promote specialty crops; assisting producers with research and development relevant to specialty crops; expanding availability and access to specialty crops; and addressing local, regional, and national challenges confronting specialty crop producers through a variety of activities/projects with their grant recipients. The H.R. 133 stimulus funding encourages states to prioritize projects that respond to covid-19 impacts. Beneficiaries include the residents of all 50 states, 5 territories, and the district of columbia. Performance evidence in the form of measurable outcomes is required.