USDA Allocates $545,000 for Specialty Crop Initiatives in Illinois

Illinois has been granted $545,000 by the USDA to support eight projects aimed at bolstering the competitiveness and market opportunities for specialty crop producers in the state. This funding is part of the $72.9 million awarded to 55 states and territories under the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). Significant Illinois initiatives include the Illinois Specialty Growers Association receiving $100,800 for year-round educational programs for specialty crop farmers and Common Threads being granted $63,266 to enhance nutrition knowledge in underserved Chicago communities. Other projects range from developing food safety programs and solar-powered systems for post-harvest strawberry handling to supporting community-based educational programs on specialty crops. The SCBGP funding for fiscal year 2023 is authorized by the 2018 farm bill.