(Network Indiana) — A federal program to help growers of less common crops is a little bigger this year, due to the pandemic.
Since 2004, the U-S-D-A has given states “specialty crop” grants for fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs, flowers and honey. Indiana typically receives about a million dollars. This year, Indiana has an extra 600-thousand dollars to work with due to the pandemic relief bill.
Indiana State Department of Agriculture director Bruce Kettler says the money is a welcome surprise. He says the coronavirus pandemic brought to light some gaps in how the agricultural economy operates, from safety in food processing and handling to adequate local food networks.
The relief bill specifies the extra money must be spent on marketing, research, or increased consumer access to locally-grown produce. Kettler says those categories could also encompass things like pest control or organic farming practices.
Applications for grants open next month.
The program doesn’t include livestock, nor Indiana’s five most lucrative crops: corn, soybeans, alfalfa, hay and wheat. But the state’s next three biggest moneymakers — watermelon, pumpkins and mint — comprise a 67-million-dollar business combined. And the program also covers a slew of smaller Hoosier crops, from honey to Christmas trees.
