Specialty Crop Block Grants are authorized as part of the federal Farm Bill

DES MOINES, Iowa (Oct. 9, 2025) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today announced that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has awarded Specialty Crop Block Grants to 12 projects across the state. The goal of the program is to enhance the competitiveness of Iowa-grown fruits, vegetables, nuts, flowers, honey and other specialty crops through research, education and market development. 

“Iowa’s specialty crops bring variety and diversity to our state’s agriculture, from fruits and vegetables to honey, flowers, nuts, wine and so much more. These Specialty Crop Block Grant projects will help farmers expand markets, connect more consumers with Iowa-grown products, and spark new ideas that strengthen this important sector,” said Secretary Naig. “As Choose Iowa continues to grow, the Department will have even more ways to support specialty crop farmers and showcase Iowa grown, made and raised products.” 

Annual funding for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program is authorized by the Farm Bill and provided through a partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture. Iowa’s allocation this year amounted to nearly $370,000. 

The following organizations, with the following projects, received 2025 Specialty Crop Block Grant funding:

Iowa State University

Tackling Grapevine Viral Infections in Iowa: Advancing Detection and Understanding Virus Prevalence in Cold-Hardy Cultivars

Iowa State University

Advancing Strawberry Production in Iowa: Evaluation of New Cultivars for Yield and Disease Resistance

Practical Farmers of Iowa

Farmer-led Education for Growing, Packaging and Marketing Leafy Greens Year-Round in Iowa

Practical Farmers of Iowa

Creating Education and Networking Opportunities for Beginning Specialty Crop Farmers

Iowa State University

Investigating Nitrogen in Vine/Wine Quality

Iowa Specialty Crop Growers Association

2026 Iowa Specialty Crop Growers Conference

Iowa State University 

Efficiency of Alternative Products for Replacing Sulfites in Wine

Iowa Wine Growers Association

Iowa Wine Growers Association Annual Conference

Iowa State University

Digital Content in Commercial Vegetable Educational Programming: Expanding Reach and Impact

Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation

Reading Across Iowa with Specialty Crops

Lutheran Services in Iowa

Expanding Access and Consumption of Lenga-Lenga as Iowa’s New Superfood

Choose Iowa

Promoting Horticulture through the Choose Iowa Website and Online Directory