The Sconi

WISCONSIN — U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin announced today that Wisconsin has been awarded more than $1.3 million to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crop products and create new market opportunities for the state’s specialty crop producers. The funding, from U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Fiscal Year 2023 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP), has been awarded to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) and will fund 13 projects across the state.

“Wisconsin farmers face unique challenges, and I am committed to delivering the resources they need to strengthen and protect their crops, expand their markets, and continue to drive our Made in Wisconsin agricultural economy forward,” said Senator Baldwin. “I was proud to deliver additional funding for specialty crops so Wisconsin farmers can increase awareness about their products, grow their businesses, and remain competitive for the future.”

Senator Baldwin has been a strong supporter of the SCBGP in the Farm Bill. Among the 13 projects Wisconsin DATCP will support is funding for a marketing campaign to increase the knowledge, consumption, and sales of apples grown in the Gays Mills area. Additional funded projects focus in areas such as pest management, evaluation of heirloom collard varieties, and the development of recommendations on how to improve the quality of pollen collected by honeybees. A full list of funded projects in Wisconsin is available here. 

The SCBGP funding supports farmers growing specialty crops, including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery crops. USDA’s support will strengthen U.S. specialty crop production and markets, ensuring an abundant, affordable supply of highly nutritious fruits, vegetables, and other specialty crops, which are vital to the health and well-being of all Americans.

“With this year’s Specialty Crop Block Grant funding, Wisconsin is investing in innovative projects that will help address the needs of specialty crop producers within the region,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. “The funded projects will also further USDA’s efforts to ensure U.S. specialty crop products remain competitive in markets across the nation and abroad.”

The funding for the SCBGP grants is authorized by the 2018 Farm Bill and FY2023 funding is awarded for a three-year period beginning Sept. 30, 2023. The funding for Wisconsin is part of a total of $72.9 million in non-competitive FY2023 SCBGP funding awarded to 54 states, territories, and the District of Columbia. Since 2006, USDA has invested over $1 billion through the SCBGP to fund nearly 12,000 projects that have increased the long-term successes of producers and enhanced marketing opportunities for U.S. specialty crops products.

Original source can be found here.