Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet announced today that the Colorado Department of Agriculture has been awarded $684,488.50 in competitive grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support eleven specialty crop projects across the state. The grants, which come from the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBG), will help support and promote local and regional fresh fruit and vegetable production.
“These grants will help Colorado fruit and vegetable farmers increase production and more effectively market their products in local communities,” Bennet, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said. “This grant program is an important part of the Farm Bill for Colorado’s specialty crop producers and is at risk if the Farm Bill expires next week. It’s just one more example of why Congress needs to pass this bipartisan bill.”
Click here for more details about the eleven projects selected for funding in Colorado.
The Farm Bill governs our national agriculture, nutrition, private lands conservation, and forestry policy. The 2008 bill expired and has been operating on a short-term extension ever since. The SCBG Program is authorized by the Farm Bill and is designed to help strengthen the market for specialty crops like fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture.
Senator Bennet helped write the bipartisan Farm Bill that the Senate passed in June. Last month, Bennet was selected as a member of the Farm Bill Conference Committee, which will work out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the Farm Bill.
Agriculture adds $40 billion to Colorado’s economy every year, making the Farm Bill particularly relevant.