News Release

The Missouri Department of Agriculture is now accepting proposals for funding through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. The Department received SCBG Covid Stimulus-PPE funds from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Interested specialty crop producers working to respond to Covid-19 impacts should submit their application by May 16, 2022.

“Specialty crops play a vital role in Missouri agriculture,” said Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn. “We appreciate the value USDA places on specialty crop production in our state. These stimulus funds will further allow our producers to recover from the negative impacts of Covid-19.”

USDA defines specialty crops as fruits, vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, honey, horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture. The Department is offering funds to assist farmworkers, alleviate supply chain disruptions and reimburse specialty crop producers and industry partners for the resources purchased to respond to COVID-19.

Cash or in-kind matching contributions are not required.

Projects may include, but are not limited to, the following:

·         Mitigating specialty crop producer and/or consumer issues caused by COVID-19

·         Assisting with farmworker protection from COVID-19

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including, but not limited to: gloves, masks, clothing coverings and hand sanitizer

·         Portable air filtration systems

·         Portable hand washing stations

·         Fogger systems

·         Facility adjustments, including plexiglass barriers and spacing adjustments

·         Software systems for online ordering and no-contact pickup up to $5,000

·         Tools to keep workflow moving without constant disinfecting

Costs such as permanent infrastructure, specialty crop donations and worker transportation, unless specifically for travel to receive COVID-19 vaccines, are not allowed.

Proposals for the stimulus funding must be submitted to the Department by 3 p.m. on May 16, 2022. Proposals will be evaluated, and selected projects will be submitted to USDA for review and approval.

The application form and additional details are available online at Agriculture.Mo.Gov.

For more information about the Missouri Department of Agriculture and its programs, visit the Department online at Agriculture.Mo.Gov.