GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES GRANTS FOR SPECIALTY CROP INDUSTRIES
Organizations will share $3 million in block grants

MADISON - Gov. Scott McCallum announced today that Wisconsin specialty crop organizations will share more than $3 million in block grant money next year to develop projects that bolster their industries.

"Wisconsin specialty crops are a diverse and expanding portion of Wisconsin's agricultural industry," Gov. McCallum said. "These grants offer a unique opportunity for specialty crop associations to expand their markets or undertake other projects that will help them grow."

The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is administering the grants and will distribute the money to a wide range of Wisconsin specialty crop organizations. Grants can be used for a variety of projects including:

· research projects;
· market development and promotion;
· projects related to pest and disease prevention, control or eradication;
· food safety projects; and
· other projects that will benefit the specialty crop industry.

Wisconsin farmers had cash receipts of more than $700 million from the marketing of specialty crops in 1999. Specialty crop industries that will receive money are vegetables, $672,000; potatoes, $627,000; cranberries, $518,000; greenhouse and nursery, $411,000; Christmas trees, $116,000; apples, $61,600; ginseng, $40,000; mint, $22,000; carrots, $22,000; berries, $18,000; fresh-market vegetables, $12,500; cherries, $12,500; maple syrup, $12,500; other specialty crops, $75,000; and Agricultural Development and Diversification program grants designated specifically for specialty crops, $203,500. The remaining money will go toward DATCP specialty crop projects and administrative costs.

In this grant program, specialty crops are defined as any crop except wheat, feed grains, oilseeds, cotton, rice, peanuts and tobacco.

"We are accepting proposals from designated industry associations, marketing boards and nonprofit organizations representing specialty crop industries," DATCP Secretary Jim Harsdorf said. "We also encourage projects that may involve collaborations or partnerships between producers, industry, universities or other nonprofit groups."

The deadline to submit a proposal is 4 p.m., Feb. 28, 2002. Grant recipients must have their projects completed by June 30, 2005. For more information about the specialty crop block grant program call DATCP's Perry Brown at 608-224-5114 or e-mail at perry.brown@datcp.state.wi.us.