The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) in collaboration with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) conducts an annual competitive solicitation to award Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) funds. This year, fifteen Oregon SCBGP projects were awarded grant funds totaling nearly $2 million. The purpose of the SCBGP is to help producers overcome obstacles, make their operation more profitable, and help them grow, making them more competitive in the marketplace. Specialty crops are defined as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops including floriculture.

“Oregon is rich in agricultural diversity, and we saw that in this year’s Specialty Crop Block Grant applicants,” said ODA Director, Alexis Taylor. “I sincerely thank all of the applicants for taking the time to apply, ensuring Oregon is well represented at the federal level for its meaningful and innovative specialty crop projects. I look forward to following their progress and witnessing how the work is benefiting Oregon agriculture.”

2021 SCBGP awardees:

• Chemeketa Community College
• Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation
• Oregon Department of Agriculture (two awards for the Insect Pest Prevention and Management Program)
• Oregon Potato Commission
• Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission
• Oregon State Beekeepers Association
• Oregon State University (six awards to various primary investigators)
• Oregon Wine Board
• Umpqua Valley Farm to School

Oregon ranks sixth in the nation in the production of specialty crops. Over the past ten years, Oregon has received close to $20 million in funding from the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, which has paved the way for over 200 projects throughout the state supporting the following priorities:

• Local, regional, domestic, and international market development, access, and certification
• On-farm labor needs
• Cross-commodity collaboration
• Food safety compliance and traceability
• Addressing regulatory burden
• Productivities enhancements, innovation and value-added products
• Agriculture- and food-related priorities identified by Oregon Solutions Network Regional Solutions Centers

The 2021 funded projects involve a diversity of crops and span a wide geographic area of Oregon agricultural production. A list and summary of all funded projects is available at https://oda.direct/SCBGP.

Contact:

Gabrielle Ugalde gabrielle.ugalde@oda.oregon.gov 503-986-6473