The west virginia department of agriculture will enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops throughleveraging efforts to market and promote specialty crops providing farmer education on…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) awarded a $301,056.72 Specialty Crop Block Grant to the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in West Virginia under the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (CFDA 10.170). The grant funding will enable WVDA to leverage efforts to market and promote specialty crops, provide farmer education, support research and development, expand availability and access to specialty crops, and address local, regional, and national challenges confronting specialty crop producers through a variety of activities and projects with their grant recipients. The grant has a performance period from Sep 30, 2024 to Sep 29, 2027.

The west virginia department of agriculture will enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops throughleveraging efforts to market and promote specialty crops providing farmer education on specialty crops supporting research and development relevant to specialty crops expanding availability and access to specialtycrops by increasing consumer awareness and producer connections and addressing local, regional, and nationalchallenges confronting specialty crop producers through a variety of activities projects with their grant recipients. Beneficiaries include the residents of the west virginia. Performance evidence in the form ofmeasurable outcomes is required.