By: Press release
news@wbcowqel.com
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, announced more than $650,000 in new federal resources – as part of the 2014 Farm Bill – to help expand production and aggregation of specialty crops in Ohio. The funds will be made available to the Ohio Department of Agriculture through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant program. Last year, Ohio received more than $500,000 to fund 10 projects throughout the state.
“Expanding the production and aggregation of locally grown fruits and vegetables was a major component of the 2014 Farm Bill,” Brown said. “The Specialty Crop Block Grant program supports and strengthens rural communities by creating regional outlets for producers to sell fresh, healthy foods directly to consumers. This increase in market access helps small farmers become more competitive and helps consumers have more access to Ohio-grown produce.”
The funds are part of a recent announcement by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that it will distribute more than $66 million in federal grants as part of the 2014 Farm Bill to state departments of agriculture. The funds will be used to support specialty crop producers by enhancing market access for specialty crops – which are defined by the USDA as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, as well as horticulture and nursery crops.
Brown is the first Ohioan to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in more than 40 years. In 2014, he was part of the Senate Farm Bill Conference Committee that successfully negotiating a five-year farm bill that had been stalled for more than three years.
Ohio organizations interested in applying for the Specialty Crop Block Grant must submit their application through the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s website by no later than June 6, 2014 at 4:00PM. More information can be found on the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s grant website or by calling the Ohio Department of Agriculture at (614) 255-2441.