Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Announces Specialty Crop Grant Opportunity
Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Announces Specialty Crop Grant Opportunity
Agency: Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentFebruary 4, 2014
Media Contact: Heather Throne 517-284-5725 or throneh@michigan.gov
Program Contact: Nancy Nyquist 517-284-5735 or nyquistn@michigan.gov
LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) today announced new opportunities for Michigan’s food and agriculture industry through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Ag Marketing Service. The program is designed to enhance the competitiveness of Michigan’s specialty crops. Grant proposals must be submitted to MDA-grants@Michigan.gov no later than 3 p.m. on Friday, April 11, 2014. The grant funding is contingent on passage of the Farm Bill and the availability of funds from USDA.
The grants, ranging from $10,000 to $75,000, enhance the competitiveness of the state’s specialty crops, including, but not limited to: research, promotion, marketing, nutrition, trade enhancement, food safety, food security, plant health programs, education, increased knowledge and consumption, increased innovation, improved efficiency and reduced costs of distribution systems, environmental concerns and conservation, product development, good agricultural practices, good handling practices, and good manufacturing practices.
Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations, local, state, and federal government entities, for-profit organizations, and universities. The organizations must be legal entities recognized by the IRS, and applicants must reside and/or conduct their business or organization in Michigan. Applications should demonstrate how the project will potentially produce measurable impacts for the specialty crop industry as a whole.
For updated program information, application form, or submission criteria, please visit www.michigan.gov/mdardgrants or contact Nancy Nyquist at nyquistn@michigan.gov or 517-284-5735.
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