ISDA Encouraging Agribusinesses to Seek Federal Grants

  
 
The Indiana State Department of Agriculture is making it an effort to encourage specialty crop-related agricultural businesses throughout the state to take advantage of funding opportunities, as a number of federal grants are available under the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.

The program offers federal funding with awards ranging from $2000 to $50,000 for activities and practices related to the industry of specialty crops, including increasing the understanding and practice of nutritious eating habits; improving the efficiency while reducing costs of distribution systems; assisting entities in establishing good agricultural, handling, and manufacturing practices; investing in the research of food safety enhancement; developing new and improved seed varieties, new pests and disease controls and sustainability; and market promotion of qualified Indiana food and other agricultural products.

Applications must be submitted to the ISDA via email by June 1, and the ISDA is encouraging all commissions, public entities, associations, and nonprofit organizations representing specialty crops in Hoosier agriculture to apply. The applications can be found on the ISDA website under Grants and Funding Opportunities.