Acceptable Projects

A single farmer implements food safety practices or models on his/her property to meet food safety requirements and conducts a field day and training services to encourage other small family farmers to adopt the methods.

A university requests grant funds to conduct research on the feasibility of planting, cultivating, and growing a specialty crop in a particular area, the results of which will be shared with many growers throughout the State.

An organization requests funds to conduct an advertising campaign that will benefit their specialty crop members

A university conducts on-farm research for precision irrigation systems in specialty crop production to offer several models with demonstrations to producers.

A single grower requests funds to demonstrate the viability of a small-fruit production and partners with Cooperative Extension to publicize the working model of diversification to other regional growers.

A university develops a pilot research scale processing line to test commercial processing of a specific specialty crop with outreach and training to expand production in Missouri. This will offer small growers a local processing line until a commercial business is available to provide this service.

An organization will provide hands-on trainings to producers supporting specialty crop production.

Unacceptable Projects

A single company requests grant funds to purchase starter plants or equipment used to plant, cultivate, and grow a specialty crop to make a profit, or to expand production of a single business.

Individual specialty crop businesses or roadside stands requesting funds to promote their individual businesses.

A non-profit organization uses grant funds to purchase produce and then sells that produce to other entities at cost, or a higher price than the purchase price while competing with other private companies who sell produce in the area.

A single specialty crop organization requests grant funds to market its organization so that it can increase its membership.