From the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services:
Tallahassee, FL – Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam announced today 33 projects will receive a total of $4.5 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) specialty crop block grants this year.
The grant-supported projects include fighting pests and disease in avocados, snap beans, tomatoes and blueberries; providing more locally grown produce to low-income individuals and families; implementing best practices to ensure a safe food supply; and reducing the threat of Africanized honey bees to Florida’s specialty crops.
“This partnership with the USDA will help fund innovative projects at Florida universities and other community organizations to support our state’s $108 billion agriculture industry,” Commissioner Putnam said. “This will further our mission to protect Florida agriculture from invasive pests and disease and share our abundance with the communities that need it the most.”
This grant funds projects that will enhance the competitiveness of Florida’s specialty crops, which include fruits and vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, horticulture and nursery crops. Major considerations included the overall economic benefit to the Florida specialty crop industry and whether the project makes good business sense and has a high likelihood of success.
Other priorities for funding included:
• Yielding immediate benefit to the public or industry.
• Addressing barriers to increase access, availability and consumption of Florida-grown specialty crops at the local institutional level through improving efficiency and reducing costs of distribution.
• Buying local produce programs for institutions, including schools, prisons, hospitals, restaurants and other businesses.
• Increasing child and adult nutrition knowledge, consumption and access to Florida specialty crops.
• Increasing the sales and marketability of Florida commercially grown specialty crops.
Click here for a full list of projects receiving grants. For more information about the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit www.FreshFromFlorida.com.