Grants

$72.9M in funding available in Specialty Crop Block Grant Program

Tue, 13 May 2025 18:06:26 GMT

USDA announced $72.9 million in grant funding available through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBDG) on May 13. The program funds innovative projects designed to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through marketing, education and research.

Eligible applicants are agricultural agencies or departments of agriculture in the 50 states, District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Participating states and territories will subaward funding to locally-led projects to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops, including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, floriculture and nursery crops. Those interested in applying for a subaward should apply directly through their state departments of agriculture. A list of state contacts is available on the SCBGP website.

SCBGP is funded through the 2018 farm bill, and its funds are distributed to U.S. states and territories based on a formula that considers both specialty crop acreage and production value.

Applications from states and territories must be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 7. Any grant application submitted after the due date will not be considered unless the applicant provides documentation of an extenuating circumstance that prevented their timely submission of the grant application. More information is available in the AMS Late and Non-Responsive Application Policy .

For more information about grant eligibility, visit the SCBGP website or contact the SCBGP Team at scblockgrants@usda.gov .

$26.5M in grant funding available for Local Agriculture Market Program

Tue, 13 May 2025 18:09:05 GMT

USDA announced $26.5 million in grant funding available through the Local Agriculture Market Program on May 13. The funding and the program are to help local and regional food entities develop, coordinate and expand producer-to-consumer marketing, local and regional food markets, and local food enterprises. LAMP includes the Farmers Market Promotion Program , Local Food Promotion Program and the Regional Food System Partnerships .

FMPP funds projects that develop, coordinate and expand direct producer-to-consumer markets such as farmers markets, roadside stands, agritourism activities, community-supported agriculture programs or online sales.

LFPP funds projects that develop and expand local and regional food business enterprises that engage as intermediaries in indirect producer to consumer marketing such as shared-use kitchens, food hubs and food incubators.

RFSP supports public-private partnerships that plan and develop relationships between local and regional producers, processors, intermediaries and institutional markets or institutional food service operations.

These programs require a 25% cost share of the amount of Federal funds being requested. The FMPP and LFPP cost share can be in the form of cash and/or in kind while the RFSP must be in the form of a cash contribution.

Applications must be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 27. Any grant application submitted after the due date will not be considered unless the applicant provides documentation of an extenuating circumstance that prevented their timely submission of the grant application. Read more in AMS Late and Non-Responsive Application Policy .

AMS offers RFA webinars to help new applicants navigate the application process and understand best practices for the greatest chance of success. Additionally, Frequently Asked Questions are posted on the AMS Grants website , and grants management specialists are standing by to answer any incoming questions and emails during regular business hours.

New app helps growers avoid leaving climate-smart funding on the table

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 16:24:34 GMT

USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities turned on the spigot to fund 141 projects, totaling $3 billion in 2023, a historic investment in agriculture. Understanding the projects — each run by a different organization with its own unique offerings and structure — begs the question: Is it possible to have too much of a good thing?

To cut out the tedious task of wading through the climate-smart projects, a new app pilot, the Climate-Smart Opportunity Navigator , seeks to remove the paperwork clutter and match farms and ranches with the right Climate-Smart Commodity grant project in minutes.

“Quicker and more efficient means to evaluate opportunities will increase participation, offer simple communication avenues, and, ultimately, get funding into the hands of growers so they can quickly turn those dollars into applied practices,” says Joelle Mosso, Western Growers Association associate vice president of science.

Using the Climate-Smart Opportunity Navigator app

The app pilot, created by Farm Journal’s Trust In Food and AgWeb, is powered by USDA data on the 141 projects, most of which are focused on major commodities such as corn, soybeans and livestock. Harnessing this data, producers can input their operation basics — such as location, commodities produced, and production practices and interests — and be matched with one or more of the Climate-Smart Commodities projects that fit their individual specs.

The app provides a basic description of each program match along with contact information so that it’s easy to compare options and take the next step to participate.

For example, a Maryland specialty crop grower interested in adopting cover crop and mulching practices would input this data to the Climate-Smart Commodities Opportunity Navigator. In 4 questions, the tool matches the farm’s profile and interests with 5 grant programs that includes A Greener World’s “Increasing Accessibility to Regenerative Farming Practices and Markets” and Prince George’s County Maryland’s “Prince George’s County Climate-Smart Local Producers.”

Zoom out: The right program isn’t one-size-fits-all

“It’s great that there’s lots of opportunity for producers with USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, but with so much opportunity it can be very overwhelming,” says Andrew Lyon, Trust In Food’s director of technical assistance and Kansas rancher. “By putting in specific information about your operation, the Navigator tool allows you to whittle down grant opportunities to the handful that are most applicable to you and provides you contact information so that you could follow up with those few opportunities that best suit you.”

While Farm Journal is excited about its own $40 million Climate-Smart Commodity grant, The Connected Ag Project , it wants producers to get in touch with the opportunity that best suits them, Lyon adds.

The ability to drill down through a series of questions is novel, says Jesse Roseman, the Almond Board of California’s principal regulatory and environmental affairs analyst.

Try the tool

Trust In Food and AgWeb look forward to hearing from producers about their experience. Share feedback on the beta version: take the Climate-Smart Opportunity Navigator for a test run and let us know what worked and what didn’t.

Is climate-smart agriculture poised for a breakout year?

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 20:00:39 GMT

When you’re dealing with billions — not millions — of dollars, it’s easy to get most people’s attention.

And there have been many such cases over the past year with significant investments made to incentivize climate-smart agriculture programs and expand markets.

In recent months, $20 billion was injected into USDA voluntary conservation programs through the Inflation Reduction Act. What’s more, congressional leaders are increasingly interested in funding conservation programs in the upcoming 2023 farm bill.

On paper, climate-smart agriculture appears poised to transform how we grow food and drive U.S. farm economies forward.

Faced with a growing list of programs and promises, how do growers, shippers and produce retailers sift through the marketing and find what is useful to their own operations?

USDA Undersecretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small read the room when she posed the question in her opening remarks at the USDA’s Agricultural Outlook Forum on Feb. 23.

“How can we take the call of climate change and turn it into a market opportunity? To get people excited about spending in a way that is responsible and investing in homegrown solutions to take on climate change?” asked Torres Small. “How can we make sure more of the food dollar returns to rural places and reinvests in the same places that are being impacted by increasing natural disasters every year?”

Related news: Latest climate-smart ag investment brings USDA total over $3 billion

Amid the clatter of fanfare around new program rollouts and the stress of growing and bringing highly perishable produce to market in an unpredictable climate with economic uncertainties, fresh produce leaders don’t have the luxury to chase trends and entertain lofty notions. The industry needs innovations that are road-tested and ready to hit the ground running.

It’s a tall order to say the least, but a $3.2 billion influx from the USDA in late 2022 is a start.

The promise of climate-smart commodities

The $3.2 billion in USDA funding back projects and initiatives under a program called Climate-Smart Commodities. The initiative seeks to bring money back to rural communities using a two-pronged approach.

First, the program funds expanded markets for American farmers and ranchers who produce what the USDA has dubbed a “climate-smart” commodity.

Second, Climate-Smart Commodities leverages the resulting ecosystem benefits from climate-smart production to provide tangible benefits to the farmers themselves.

But what exactly makes a commodity climate-smart?

It is basically any agricultural product that is grown or produced with cultivation practices that sequester carbon or reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Common examples of climate-smart agricultural practices include crop rotation, conservation tillage, water conservation and nutrient management. These practices vary widely depending on the style of farming or ranching, the kind of foods being produced and the location.

Related news: Retailers, tech experts, growers discuss solutions for food waste, insecurity

This model also rewards different-sized farms, including small to mid-sized operations, according to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

This has the potential to bolster farm incomes, as 89% of all U.S. farms were identified as small family farms in a 2021 USDA Economic Research Service Study. Despite the prevalence of small farms, these operations produced only 18% of the total value of U.S. agricultural production and operated just under half of U.S. agricultural land (45%).

The Climate-Smart Commodities strategy also leans into innovation and the creative potential of additional profit opportunities.

“Instead of two or three ways to generate profit and income on a farm, we have five or six or seven different ways,” Vilsack said at the USDA’s Agriculture Outlook Forum. “Each farm becomes a center of entrepreneurship. We establish an agriculture commodity partnership initiative — all about sustainable agricultural practices that the market values and benefits, being able to tell their customers that what they’re purchasing in terms of their food products have, in fact, been produced in a sustainable way.”

A panel of agriculture experts including scientists, policy advisers, industry leaders and advocates shed light on what opportunities they see in the new program during the Agriculture Outlook Forum discussion, “Creating Value and Economic Opportunity Through Climate Smart Commodities.”

“Farmers and ranchers are sitting at the front lines of climate changes and the impacts of that,” Gloria Montano Greene, USDA deputy undersecretary, said in the panel discussion. “We also know that ranchers and farmers are uniquely positioned to address climate change while continuing to feed the world.”

The expectation is to support expanding markets and help farmers and ranchers diversify their income streams under a wide umbrella of agricultural ventures and approaches, Greene added.

So, what are growers waiting for?

Barriers to adopting climate-smart ag practices

“We’re fundamentally asking [farmers and ranchers] to make a historic change in their operations,” Tom Ryan, president of ag sustainability company Truterra, said in the panel discussion. He compared it to transitioning from horses to tractors in a shift from farm practices that spanned generations.

He sees the main obstacles to adopting climate-smart agriculture practices on-farm as a combination of financial, technical and operational barriers.

Growers need financial assistance, community resources and support, along with the ability to implement operational efficiencies, to succeed at changing how they produce food, Ryan said.

“The No. 1 barrier is getting folks to take the plunge and adopt [climate-smart agricultural practices]. It is not easy,” Cristine Morgan, Ph.D. and chief scientific officer at the Soil Health Institute, said in the panel discussion. “There is a lot of technical information that needs to be gained and shared among those who have been successful.”

Related news: Climate-Smart program rewards must outweigh risks to earn grower participation

As is often the case in farming specialty crops, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. What works for a Northwest fruit grower probably won’t be relevant for a Southeast onion farmer.

“It’s regional. Our climate, our soils and our cropping systems all combine into very specific technology to make the adoption of the programs beneficial economically and biophysically to the system,” Morgan said. “The No. 1 barrier is the technology and adoption.”

“So often, we approach agriculture as a zero-sum game. It is not,” Cornelius Blanding, executive director for Federation of Southern Cooperatives, said in the panel discussion.

“I think this is an opportunity for all producers to be engaged and interact with technology. I think this is the first time that some of the small producers will be measuring or monitoring their efforts sequestering carbon,” Blanding continued. “We haven’t looked at that in the past, so there is an opportunity, but I think there is a lot of work to do. This is a pilot project, and we’re excited about it. We must look at the data that exists out there in order for this to benefit all.”

Cashing in on climate-smart and sustainable practices

Growers can now quantify sustainable on-farm practices and how they reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Through the USDA program, farmers can gain financial incentives for these efforts through a diverse range of programs, pilots and market reward schemes tailored to different agricultural models and agricultural commodities.

“If you treasure it, you measure it,” Morgan said. “You change the practice, and this is how it improves or changes your soil functioning. We want to tie that together, because we think it makes a very strong market for someone to be able to say, ‘OK, here is where my soil is today. This is how good it can get. As I implement the practices, what are the changes and what do they mean to the market?’”

Beyond market incentives, the benefits to tracking sustainable growing practice metrics and data are far-reaching. New York-based vertical farming and agtech company Bowery Farming sees benefits to leveraging data right now from its network of indoor farms across the U.S., growing to create a traceable and stable supply chain.

“Powered by the proprietary BoweryOS, [our newest farms] will leverage billions of data points collected from Bowery’s network of farms to grow a reliable supply of consistently delicious produce year-round and will lay the groundwork for the next chapter in smart, scalable indoor farming,” Katie Seawell, chief commercial officer for Bowery Farming, told The Packer.

Despite the benefits, it can be challenging to quantify production practices or develop goals.

While Kwik Lok is excited about developing new materials and sources to keep food fresh while supporting a circular economy, the produce packaging company is still exploring methods to track and measure greenhouse gas emission within its organization.

“Kwik Lok is just getting started in this area,” said Karen Reed, global director of marketing and communications. “We are learning about the best way to collect information about carbon emissions, how to analyze our data and what the best practices are for reporting.”

But there are advantages to staying in a growth mindset.

“There is new information every day. Collaborating with industry organization and nonprofits can help you keep up with the latest developments and make it easier to prioritize the options your company might want to explore,” Reed said.

Packaging company IFCO Systems sees the potential for produce growers to leverage relationships with partners across the supply chain to track, measure and ultimately work toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the entire produce supply chain.

“Our business model is built on the principles of the circular economy, where products and materials are constantly reused,” Inigo Canalejo, vice president of ESG at IFCO, told The Packer. “I see produce traceability fundamental to achieving [the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals of] halving per capita global food waste by 2030.

“A large part of food waste still happens along production and supply chains,” Canalejo continued. “Here, digitally enhanced IFCO reusable packaging with supply chain tracking presents an opportunity to provide our customers detailed product traceability from farm to fork.”

Tracking soil carbon in real time

California grower Braga Fresh recently partnered with predictive agriculture company Agrology to install a regenerative agriculture technology platform to track and quantify soil carbon in real time.

Braga Fresh has been field-testing the Agrology platform to measure soil carbon respiration changes based on cultural practices employed in its regenerative farming trials, according to a news release.

“Soil health and testing has long been a part of the Braga Fresh organic farming program, and quantifying these practices with real-time data is key,” Eric Moran, vice president of environmental science and resources, said in a release. “The Agrology soil carbon monitoring system is the best tool we’ve seen to help us evaluate our regenerative trials.”

The Agrology arbiter carbon monitoring system helps growers track and quantify soil carbon in real time. Agrology’s machine-learning model tracks and interprets data to monitor growing challenges such as soil carbon flux and soil microbiome health. Arbiter issues weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual carbon reports, enabling growers like Braga Fresh to report on and quantify carbon emissions, according to the release.

“Braga Fresh has ambitious plans to enhance soil carbon sequestration and cut carbon emissions and we are honored that they are testing our technology in their fields,” Adam Koeppel, Agrology CEO and co-founder, said in the release. “Sequestering and keeping carbon in the soil is the best way to remove atmospheric carbon rapidly and affordably, and that’s where regenerative agriculture practices come into place.”

Braga Fresh installed the Agrology soil carbon monitoring system in July 2022 as part of a regenerative trial program. In addition to soil carbon respiration and soil health, Agrology’s ground-truth sensors and tech platform help Braga Fresh manage multiple factors including crop irrigation, water management, insects, plant disease and air quality, according to the release.

Trialing regenerative practices is helping Braga Fresh identify feasible low-tillage practices for fresh vegetable production — no small feat — while maintaining the quality and food safety expectations of retailers and consumers.

USDA, California offer $30M in food supply infrastructure grants

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 22:10:54 GMT

The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service says it will partner with the California Department of Food and Agriculture to offer more than $30 million in competitive grants for projects that will build resilience across the middle of the supply chain in the state.

The department also recently announced similar agreements in Nebraska and Rhode Island, having allocated $2.5 million in grants in Nebraska and $1.5 million in grants in Rhode Island.

These agreements fall under the USDA ARS Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program. Rhode Island grant applications close on Jan. 15 . Applications in Nebraska close on Jan. 31 and California grant applications close on Feb. 26 .

The USDA allocated up to $420 million in RFSI funds to help strengthen local and regional food systems, according to a news release.

“This partnership between USDA and California is allowing critical funding to reach areas of the supply chain that need it most,” Jenny Lester Moffitt, USDA marketing and regulatory programs undersecretary, said in a news release. “The projects funded through this program will create new opportunities for the region’s small and midsize producers to thrive, expand access to nutritious food options, and increase supply chain resiliency.”

The California Department of Food and Agriculture said it looks to fund projects that improve capacity and for processing, aggregation and distribution of agricultural products for domestic food and farm businesses.

“We’ve learned a great deal in the last several years about challenges at all points in the supply chain,” CDFA Secretary Karen Ross said in the release. “We appreciate the foresight and commitment of the USDA to strengthen our food systems at all points.”

USDA offers $12.1 million in record Farm to School grant awards

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:39:18 GMT

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is giving $12.1 million in Farm to School grants — the most awarded since the annual program began in 2013.

There will be 159 recipients, the most projects ever funded, according to a news release. The program is designed to help farmers and increase fresh, local food in schools, childcare centers and summer-meal sites.

The projects will serve more than 7,610 schools and 2.5 million students, according to the release.

The 2020 grant recipients include:

$52,514 for the Sidney Central School District in New York to increase procurement of locally sourced produce for breakfast and lunch service and develop recipes aligned with New York State seasonality;
$100,000 for the Arizona Sustainability Alliance, Tempe, Ariz., to support six schools in the Alhambra Elementary School District in creating and maintaining a vertical farm and farmers market to provide about 5,300 students with fresh produce;
$98,884 for Fiery Ginger Farm, West Sacramento, Calif., to deliver nutrition and food production lessons to 90 classrooms, host field trips, conduct lunchtime taste tests, hold school-garden coordinator trainings and provide plants to gardens;
$26,325 for the BloominThyme Collaborative Inc., Leesburg, Fla., to develop a plan for procuring local produce for K-8 school cafeterias, installing school gardens for harvest tastings and providing nutrition education with recipes for students’ families;
$100,000 for the Sterling Community Unit School District in Illinois to create a school greenhouse garden to supply the foodservice program, hire an agricultural educator and conduct a nutrition-based cooking class; and
$50,000 for EarthDance, a nonprofit farm in Ferguson, Mo., to develop a plan to supply produce to Ferguson-Florissant School District schools, help create an agri-culinary program and assess the baseline use and potential of existing school gardens.

Pa. mushroom industry awarded grant to study environmental use of compost

Wed, 03 Feb 2021 22:08:52 GMT

The Pennsylvania mushroom industry won a grant from Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration to study how to better use the spent compost from growing mushrooms .

The research would focus on the carbon sequestration gleaned from applying spent mushroom compost, part of a larger spate of grants to state agriculture groups, totaling almost $1.3 million, according to a news release.

The grants are designed to spur innovation to increase productivity, advance human and animal science, and support cleaner water, healthier soil and a safer food supply.

This grant aligns with the Climate Goal for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which strives to achieve a 26% reduction of net greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 from 2005 levels.

For the Pennsylvania mushroom industry, $43,000 grant means an increased focus on environmentally friendly practices of mushroom compost.

“Mushroom compost, long regarded for its horticultural and agricultural benefits, is only scratching the surface of the opportunities available for its environmental superpowers,” American Mushroom Institute president Rachel Roberts said in the release.

Mushroom compost is known as “black gold” for its ability to speed up re-vegetation, mine reclamation, agricultural soil health and carbon sequestration.

Besides farm and garden use, spent mushroom compost is used for stormwater management.

Rather than build more costly sewer plants to handle the larger and more frequent rainstorms, the Philadelphia Water Department developed methods to divert and slow down the flow of the water. One method is using compost-enriched soil blends to create basins, swales and rain gardens.

D'Arrigo donates to Paws of War

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 20:53:14 GMT

D’Arrigo Bros. of New York donated $15,000 to Paws of War to provide three trained service dogs to combat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

“We all know someone who has served in our nation’s military,” said Gabriela D’Arrigo, marketing and communication director, in a news release. “We at D’Arrigo Bros. of New York were very pleased when we learned that we could make a difference, that we could underwrite the cost of Paws of War training support dogs that could improve the lives of these three veterans and so many others.”

“We are thrilled to partner with D’Arrigo Bros. of New York to further our mission in helping both ends of the leash,” said Dori Scofield, Paws of War executive director, in the release.

$72.9M in grant funding available through USDA’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 16:28:57 GMT

More than $70 million will be distributed this year to winning applications from the USDA’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.

The USDA is now taking grant applications for $72.9 million in block grant funding, according to a news release. The grants fund projects designed to support the expanding specialty crop sector and explore new market opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural products, the release said.

“These specialty crop block grants will help states and territories target resources locally to increase the competitiveness of the specialty crops sector and support specialty crop growers through marketing, education and research,” USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt said in the release. “Since 2006, when the program began, USDA has invested more than $953 million through these block grants to fund nearly 11,000 projects that increased the long-term success of producers and created new and better markets for specialty crops in the U.S. and abroad.”

The program funds are allocated to U.S. states and territories based on a formula that considers both specialty crop acreage and production value, according to the release. Interested applicants should apply directly through their state departments of agriculture. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service manages this grant program and a listing of state contacts is available on its website.

Rep. Kim Schrier, D-Wash., spoke about how the program has benefited Washington state, home to Wenatchee, also known as the “Apple Capital of the World.”

“The Block Grant program has been crucial to our state’s tree fruit industry,” Schrier said in the release. “Cutting-edge research at Washington State University on sustainable growing practices benefits Washington state and the country. Because specialty crops represent such a large share of Washington state’s economy, I will continue to work with my colleagues on the House Agriculture Committee to ensure robust funding for these research grants every year.”

The applications from the states and territories must be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. EST May 3. Any grant application submitted after the due date will not be considered unless the applicant provides documentation of an extenuating circumstance that prevented their timely submission of the grant application, the release said.

For more information about grant eligibility, visit https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/scbgp or contact the SCBGP team at scbgrants@usda.gov.

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Harris Teeter, Virginia Produce Company raise funds for ag scholarships

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:26:20 GMT

Harris Teeter partnered with produce supplier Virginia Produce Company of Hillsville, Va., in May and June to raise $18,000 for scholarship and grant funds for Future Farmers of America (FFA) students in Virginia through the Growing America’s Farmer’s promotional program.

The Growing America’s Farmers program was designed so that a portion of the sales of designated products — sweet corn in the case of Harris Teeter — are donated to the National FFA Foundation, which designates those funds to state FFA programs of the retailer’s choice to support students pursuing careers in production agriculture, according to a press release.

“It’s so rewarding to see the growth of this program and celebrate the work of committed organizations like Virginia Produce and Harris Teeter, and their success proves what a blessing this program is to students pursuing careers in production agriculture,” said Growing America’s Farmers Founder Walt Dasher of G&R Farms.

During the past six years, the Growing America’s Farmers program has raised nearly $350,000 for FFA member scholarships throughout the United States, said the release.

The Matthews, N.C.-based Harris Teeter is in its sixth year supporting the program and has helped raise funds totaling nearly $40,000 for students in Virginia and North Carolina. This is the first year they have included sweet corn from Virginia Produce in the program and a formal check presentation was made at the Virginia State FFA Convention in June.

“Our Team at Harris Teeter is proud to support local growers such as G&R Farms and Virginia Produce Company to help further our mutual mission of advancing produce consumption, agriculture development and the success of future generations of leaders,” Karin Humanik, director of produce for Harris Teeter, said in a release. “Harris Teeter is pleased to assist in providing access to our stores to enable and develop our FFA students into successful young adults, and to partner to provide resources to encourage the future generation of leaders to study agriculture locally.”

Virginia Produce Company CEO Moir Beamer also sees value in cultivating the next generation of farmers.

“It was so rewarding to use our business to help invest in FFA members and know that we are helping them financially as they begin their studies in college,” Beamer said. “With the challenges we’re all experiencing from the farm all the way down to the grocery store, the whole supply chain needs to support our agriculture students. They’re who will be growing the food we need to feed the future generations.”

With more than 760,000 members in 8,739 chapters across all 50 states, including chapters in 24 of the 25 largest U.S. cities, FFA’s impact is widespread, said the association.

For six years, Growing America’s Farmers has continued to grow and recognize the importance of supporting the next generation of producers, said Dasher. “These results show the power of combined efforts. When companies work together for the same goal, everybody wins,” he said. “I can’t wait to welcome more grower-shippers and retailers into our program to secure the future of agriculture.”

California governor’s budget includes funds to fight HLB

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 05:31:07 GMT

California citrus growers are getting some help in the fight against huanglongbing.

Gov. Jerry Brown’s 2018-19 budget includes $12.5 million from the general fund dedicated to fighting huanglongbing.

The funds will be used by the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program, which is primarily funded by California citrus growers and administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

The program works to contain and eradicate huanglongbing in residential areas, suppress the populations of Asian citrus psyllid and enforce regulations.

Huanglongbing is a growing concern for California citrus growers.

Nearly 700 cases of huanglongbing have been detected in California, with more than 350 detections in 2018 alone, all in urban areas of Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties.