Image via Wikipedia
Grant Program for Texas Farmers
The Texas Department of Agriculture has secured and awarded more than $1.8 million in federal funding to farmers for promoting and developing Texas-grown specialty crops, such as fruits, vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, horticulture and nursery crops.
This grant program will give residents an increased access to crops grown locally in Texas. They will also increase competitiveness, thus improving products.
A total of 17 projects will be funded that will cover areas including food safety, consumer awareness of the nutritional benefits of eating produce, and extra protection for Texas Specialty crops from diseases and plant pests.
For those interested in this grant program, there will be a FREE interactive webinar presentation about the grant program on Thursday, December 16, 2010 at 11:00 am Pacific Standard Time.
The presentation will be geared toward all interested stakeholders, which includes potential grant applicants. USDA will explain what the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program is and will provide a general overview of how the application process works. (Applicants must apply to their local State departments of agriculture for grant funds – see 2011 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program below.)
Registration is required. To register, complete the registration form [PDF] and fax to (913) 438-0690 or email to okehmeier@rbcs.com. You can also find the registration form on the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program homepage, www.ams.usda.gov/scbgp.
For more information about this webinar, please contact Christopher Purdy with the USDA AMS Fruit and Vegetable Program at (202) 720-3209 or christopher.purdy@ams.usda.gov.
Program Contacts
For questions regarding project topics or cooperative projects with TDA, please contact Mr. Richard De Los Santos, Coordinator for Horticultural, Produce and Forestry, at (512) 463-7472 or by email at Richard.DeLosSantos@TexasAgriculture.gov.
For questions regarding submission of the proposal and TDA documentation requirements, please contact Ms. Mindy Weth Fryer, Grants Specialist, at (512) 463-6908 or by email at grants@TexasAgriculture.gov.
