The michigan 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 Michigan Department of Agriculture received a $2,408,548.96 federal Specialty Crop Block Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service. This 3-year grant, awarded on September 30, 2024, aims to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in Michigan through various activities and projects with sub-grantees.

The grant supports a diverse array of initiatives, including marketing and promotion of specialty crops, assisting producers with research and development, expanding availability and access to specialty crops, and addressing local, regional, and national challenges facing specialty crop producers. Key sub-grant projects focus on areas such as sustainable disease management for cherries, a systems approach to dry bean production, influencer marketing for Michigan-grown produce, and research on herbicide impacts, weed control, and crop diseases. The sub-grantees include a mix of non-profit organizations, agricultural committees, and university partners working to advance innovation and competitiveness within Michigan's specialty crop industries.

The michigan 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.