The ohio 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 Agricultural Marketing Service awarded the Ohio Department of Agriculture $710,110.81 through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (CFDA 10.170) on September 30, 2025.

The award funds marketing and promotion of specialty crops throughout Ohio, including apples, blueberries, watermelons, cantaloupe, and beekeeping. The state will distribute funding through nine sub-awards supporting one education and outreach project, four marketing projects, and four cross-focus initiatives designed to enhance specialty crop competitiveness and address producer challenges. Sub-recipients include Cuyahoga County Board of Health (specialty crop promotion in schools), Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (market disruption mitigation), Notoweega Nation Inc. (beekeeper support), Re: Source Cleveland (community canning), Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio (agricultural networking and food access), and Global Humanitarian Aid & Social Development Inc. (fresh farm development). An additional sub-award to the Ohio Produce Growers and Marketers Association supports the Growing OH Future initiative.

The period of performance runs from September 30, 2025, through September 29, 2028. Performance takes place in Ohio. The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program operates as a three-year assistance vehicle enabling states to enhance specialty crop competitiveness through competitive merit review administered by AMS.

The ohio 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 1 education and outreach project, 4 marketing projects, and 4 projects that cross more than one focus area to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops including apples, blueberries, watermelons, cantaloupe, and beekeeping throughout the state of ohio.