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

The Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service awarded the Indiana State Department of Agriculture $534,076.75 under the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (CFDA 10.170) on September 30, 2025, to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through research, development, marketing, and outreach activities. The award period runs through September 29, 2028, with performance taking place in Indiana.

The state is executing three research projects and two education and outreach projects targeting cucurbits, tomatoes, and wine grapes. Sub-recipients include Trustees of Purdue University and Owen Valley Winery LLC. Purdue University's Food Entrepreneurship and Manufacturing Institute is developing a reproducible process to produce, formulate, and package non-alcoholic cider in collaboration with Wea Creek Orchard in Lafayette, Indiana, including standard operating procedures for beverage production and training for small and beginning orchardists. Purdue entomologists are conducting on-farm experiments at multiple locations across Indiana to evaluate bumble beehive supplementation's impact on processing tomato yield and quality, with results shared through extension articles and specialty crop conferences. Purdue's Department of Botany and Plant Pathology is addressing Gummy Stem Blight in cucurbit crops by identifying genetic diversity of GSB pathogens and evaluating fungicide resistance. Owen Valley Winery, partnering with Butler Winery, is evaluating the commercial viability of traditional Vitis vinifera wine grape varieties including Cabernet Franc, Gamay Noir, and Merlot in Indiana's climate conditions.

The indiana state 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 state's sub-awards include 3 research projects and 2 education and outreach projects to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops including cucurbits, tomatoes, and wine grapes throughout the state of indiana.