I see USDA just released the latest round of Specialty Crop Block Grant awards Let’s talk about these grants and their impact in SC.

Commissioner Weathers:

We will be administering $603,000 in new funding through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.

Specialty crops include fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery crops.

Projects strengthen South Carolina’s specialty crop industry through marketing, education, and research.

These grants are one way we support farmers in our state as they explore new markets and diversify their offerings.

Some of the projects are:

South Carolina Specialty Crop Growers Association: Promotion and support of on-farm internships

South Carolina Department of Agriculture: Trade show cost-share program

South Carolina Cut Flower Growers Marketing Co-op: Establishment of an online marketplace coupled with a statewide logistics system

Advent Innovations Limited Company: Development of an AI agriculture database and dashboard to monitor crop health and growth and predict yield

South Carolina State University: A study to determine the best fall planting date and seeding density for desi chickpea as a fall cover crop/spring cash crop

Elgie Deberry Apiaries LLC: Collection of honey samples on Daufuskie Island to determine which plants honeybees visit during the year to make honey

Clemson University:

• Development of a pathogen viability diagnostic tool for bacterial blight pathogen in brassica seeds
• Breeding for bacterial canker tolerance in peach cultivars
• Development of a price discovery tool
• Reducing pesticide risk in commercial strawberry production

For more information about Specialty Crop Block Grants in South Carolina, visit agriculture.sc.gov/grants.