The USDA has awarded New Jersey agricultural organizations $801,000 in Specialty Crop Block Grants to fund 14 projects. These grants aim to benefit crops like fruits, vegetables, horticulture, and nursery products in the state.
Specialty crops, which include fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, horticulture, nursery crops, and floriculture, account for more than 80 percent of the $1.5 billion in annual agricultural sales in New Jersey. The grants are part of a broader effort by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to promote these crops nationwide and support food and agriculturally based community economic development.
New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Ed Wengryn highlighted the significance of this funding. "The Specialty Crop Block Grant program not only helps New Jersey promote our ‘Jersey Fresh’ program," he said. "We use these program dollars by supporting additional marketing activities across commodities and organizations to maximize the messaging for local healthy foods."
To qualify for the grant, projects must "enhance the competitiveness" of specialty crops. Eligible activities include research, promotion, marketing, nutrition initiatives, trade enhancement efforts, food safety measures, education programs, and more.
The New Jersey Department of Agriculture will allocate $390,572 from the funding to support its well-known Jersey Fresh program. Most projects focus on agricultural marketing and cooperative development with several research initiatives included.
USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt expressed satisfaction with the collaboration: “We are happy to once again be partnered with New Jersey on the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program,” she said. “The innovative projects funded through this program will strengthen U.S. specialty crop production and markets."
Projects benefiting from New Jersey's grant include several from Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station aimed at improving cranberry sustainability and addressing pest issues in blueberries. The station also focuses on boxwood problems and enhancing fungicide use efficiency for turfgrass.
Other beneficiaries include the New Jersey Beekeepers Association promoting local honey production; the New Jersey Vegetable Growers Association organizing an annual convention; Franklin Food Bank enhancing nutrition knowledge; Geogreens Charities conducting research with The College of New Jersey; Rolling Harvest Food Rescue increasing produce awareness; and associations promoting local blueberries and wines.
