AR Specialty Crop Block Grant Program

The Arkansas Specialty Crop Block Grant Program aims to enhance the marketability and consumption of specialty crops in Arkansas. Key funding priorities include increasing local access to healthy foods, improving nutrition in schools, and supporting research to aid growers in reducing costs and enhancing food safety. This initiative fosters community health and agricultural sustainability, making it a vital resource for local farmers and consumers.

Funding Priorities/Focus Areas
The following have been identified as funding priorities for the SCBGP for Arkansas:
Increasing sales and marketability and driving demand for specialty cropsIncreasing consumption of specialty crops in Arkansas’s schools by expanding child knowledge and/or improving access to the nutritional benefits of specialty cropsIncreasing access to local healthy foodsResearch projects focused on helping specialty crop growers reduce financial costs, improve pest and disease management, and/or value-added productsEnhancing specialty crop food safety