Like most major reauthorization bills – infrastructure, defense, health, housing, tax, etc. – the development of the multiyear farm bill brings out all the agriculture interests to advocate for their programs. Most recently, it was the specialty crop groups that had the attention of Congress as it pursues a farm bill proposal.
A farm bill program that supports the production and marketing of fruits, vegetables, nuts and other crops swelled to $97 million last year, thanks to an influx of stimulus funding.
But lawmakers are being asked to expand eligibility for the Specialty Crop Block Grant program when the farm bill is up for reauthorization next year, and that worries some in the sector.
The program has typically distributed about $72 million each year and is still working out allocations for the current year (requests were due May 3).
USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service uses a formula based on acreage and total receipts from specialty crop sales to allocate funding to the 50 states and 6 territories. Then, the state departments of agriculture award grants to universities, nonprofits and other entities that work to improve specialty crops in their communities.
California receives by far the greatest allocation, at about $24 million most years. That expanded to nearly $32 million in fiscal 2021 thanks to the stimulus money. If a state or territory doesn’t seek, or can’t distribute, its full allocation, the unawarded dollars are then available to the other states/territories using the same apportioning formula.
After California, the next three largest awards in recent years went to Washington, Florida and North Dakota. The 10 smallest awards in 2019, to places including Alaska, Rhode Island, Guam and the US Virgin Islands, were under $300,000. With the boost from H.R. 133 (stimulus) in 2021, the smallest award, to the District of Columbia, was $323,000.