Late last year, Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring awarded 51 grants totaling over $7 million to promote the development, cultivation, production and sales of specialty crops in North Dakota. The announcement was delayed due to USDA staffing changes and a postponement of the federal notice.
“North Dakota is already a leading producer of several specialty crops, such as dry edible beans, dry peas, potatoes and lentils,” Goehring said. “As our farmers seek to diversify their production, these grants help provide important information through specialty crop research, education, and trade missions.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA-AMS) approved $3,272,190.59 for the 2021 grants. With the passage of H.R. 133, the Consolidated Appropriations act of 2020, an extra one-time round of funding of $4,333,597.74 was made available for North Dakota in addition to the annual farm bill funding. The grants are distributed based on a formula that takes into account specialty crop acreage and production value.
Specialty crops are defined in law as “fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops, including floriculture.”
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For more information:
ND Department of Agriculture
600 E Boulevard Ave Dept 602
Bismarck ND 58505-0020
Tel.: +1 (701) 328-2231
Tel.: +1-800-242-7535
Fax: (701) 328-4567
Email: ndda@nd.gov