Specialty Crop Block Grant Recipients for Fiscal Year 2017

  1. Webb City Farmers Market – to create traveling technology and tool kits for on-farm consultations and workshops bringing current and breaking agricultural technology to the small and midsized specialty crop farmers of southwest Missouri - $12,999
  2. Missouri State University – conduct the final phase of a research trial of several varieties of primocane bearing raspberries in grow bags rotated in and out of a high tunnel with vegetable crops - $13,200
  3. University of Missouri – Delta Center – to determine the best large and small garbanzo bean varieties, planting dates and soils for growing with a watermelon rotation in southeast Missouri - $24,555
  4. Missouri State University – exploration of the heritability winter cold tolerance and the characterization of the genetic architecture of this trait in the Norton grape - $49,588
  5. EarthDance Organic Farm School – to offer an intensive educational workshop teaching from a profitable small-farm operation. Organize a delegation of growers to attend the MOSES conference in 2018. Assist a Farm & Garden Apprenticeship Program - $49,529
  6. Southeast Missouri State University – to evaluate polysulfate as a soil conditioner and as an organic fertilizer. Evaluate soil health parameters to partition soil health improvement due to polysulfate and cover crop interaction - $15,741
  7. Downtown Joplin Alliance and the Joplin Empire Market - specialty crop marketing and promotion for the Joplin Empire Market with consumer educational marketing materials for adults and children, online media promotion, radio ads, banners, billboards, fliers, brochures, vendor signs, cooking demonstrations, and educational gardens - $42,996
  8. Lincoln University of Missouri – to offer marketing and education for specialty crop native edible plants including nettles, wild leeks, glade onions and goldenglow in three regions in Missouri. Workshops, cooking demonstrations and Dining Wild events will be conducted - $49,039
  9. Missouri State University – to evaluate the effect of irrigation as a means of increasing tree growth and production of Black Walnut in upland soil and evaluate improved cultivar performance - $16,568
  10. University of Missouri – to determine 10 commonly grown sweet potato cultivars for their resistance to the soilborne pathogen, Fusarium solani, causing Fusarium root rot - $20,244
  11. University of Missouri – to research the potential of elder flower production in elderberry plantings primarily established for fruit (only) production, to measure the effects of harvesting a portion of elder flowers on fruit yield and quality, and to develop a significant science-based biochemical understanding of the health-giving compounds produced in elder flowers - $22,457
  12. University of Missouri – the continuation of survey work to finalize the economic contribution of Missouri’s specialty crop industry. Events will reach Missouri specialty crop farmers and related businesses to validate the number of Missouri specialty crop farms, size and locations with estimated industry sales - $27,494