Specialty Crop Block Program

Congress defines specialty crops as “fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture).” Congress created the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) in 2006 to provide locally-driven innovation for specialty crop research, marketing, consumer and producer education tools, and more. NASDA Members have partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service to distribute over $537 million (2006-17) in competitive grants to local commodity groups, colleges and universities, municipalities, tribal organizations, and non-profits. The end game of these grants is to increase the competitiveness of specialty crops – this means supporting farmers while making Americans healthier.