The colorado 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 U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) awarded a $823,398.74 Specialty Crop Block Grant to the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) on September 30, 2024. The grant, authorized under the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (CFDA 10.170), will enable CDA to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in Colorado through a variety of activities and projects with their grant recipients. Key focus areas include marketing and promotion, research and development, expanding crop availability and access, and addressing local, regional, and national challenges facing specialty crop producers.

The grant involves multiple sub-awards to organizations such as Colorado State University, Sprout City Farms, Onward! A Legacy Foundation, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Research Foundation, Fort Lewis College, Guidestone Colorado, and the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee. These sub-awards will support initiatives ranging from integrated pest management, agrivoltaic research, heirloom apple production, value-added specialty crop product development, accessibility for Spanish-speaking producers, weed control strategies, and potato disease mitigation.

The colorado 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. Beneficiaries include the residents of the state or territory. Performance evidence in the form of measurable outcomes is required.