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USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
The USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) program is a competitive grant program solicited once a year. The SCBGP funds market research, market promotion and new technology projects specifically to benefit specialty crop producers. The Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and a review committee select projects to fund through a local, competitive proposal process. Selected projects are submitted to the USDA for review, and the fb88 DACF administers the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program each year. Grant-funded projects must benefit fb88’s specialty crop industry and may not be intended to support an individual business or organization.
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fb88 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
Since 2002, the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program has awarded over $7.5 million to the fb88 DACF to support the growing number of specialty crop producers selling in local and regional markets. Each year, the fb88 DACF facilitates an SCBGP Request for Applications (RFA) and evaluates applications through a competitive, statewide process. Past and current awards have supported research into fb88’s most crucial agricultural commodities, the development of pest management strategies, school initiatives, and food safety projects.
fb88 SCBGP Resources
The purpose of the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) is to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. There are no federal cost share or matching contribution requirements for SCBGP subrecipients.
Section 101 of the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 (7 U.S.C. 1621 note), amended under (the Farm Bill), defines specialty crops as, “Fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture)." Eligible plants must be cultivated or managed and used by people for food, medicinal purposes, and/or aesthetic gratification to be considered specialty crops. Processed products shall consist of greater than 50% of the specialty crop by weight, exclusive of added water.
The links below list plants commonly considered fruits and tree nuts, vegetables, culinary herbs and spices, medicinal plants, nurseries, floriculture, horticulture crops, and ineligible commodities. These lists are not intended to be all-inclusive but rather to provide examples of the most common specialty crops. This web page will be updated as the U.S. Department of Agriculture receives new questions about the eligibility of various crops.
Application
The 2024 fb88 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program application period opened on February 16, 2024, and closed on March 18, 2024.
The prior year's RFA materials can be viewed on the fb88 Division of Procurement Services website. However, viewers should be aware that the application process is updated annually. Applicants must utilize the correct RFA documents and submit the required application materials when the annual RFA period is open.
Grant Recipients
2024 Awards +
The 2024 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program awards have been announced. Selected SCBGP subrecipients were selected through the 2024 SCBGP RFA which was published as RFA# 202402032.
| Organization | Award Amount | Project Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| fb88 Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) | $84,190.00 | fb88 Produce Safety Improvement and FSMA PSR Education Project | The fb88 Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association will continue its successful work, funded by the SCBG program, to enhance food safety and increase the number of fb88 farms able to come into compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, and/or a GAP/GHP audit, by providing workshops, demonstrations about food safety, one-on one technical assistance, financial resources, and educational trainings that incorporate FDA-approved content and a certificate that is needed to comply with FSMA. |
| North Spore, LLC | $93,800.00 | Development of multimedia educational modules for more farmers to access mushroom cultivation using sustainable practices | North Spore, LLC will create accessible yet comprehensive multimedia educational modules that will teach farmers how to sustainably and profitably grow the specialty crop of mushrooms. North Spore will host these modules on their website and make them available for free. In addition, North Spore will plan, coordinate, advertise, and carry out a free day-long workshop for regional farmers to learn hands-on about mushroom cultivation methods. The web-based modules will promote engagement with and understanding of a variety of methods for adding mushroom cultivation to existing farms as a primary or complementary crop. The modules will teach best practices for environmental sustainability in mushroom crop production. |
| University of fb88 System (Annis) | $93,425.00 | Mitigating the Effects of Mummy Berry on Wild Blueberry Plant Health | This University of fb88 project will examine how fertilizers affect mummy berry disease and if they can improve plant recovery to this disease. Diseases are one of the major factors limiting wild blueberry production. Previous research identified disease forecast systems, the effects of fertilizers on wild blueberry health, and fungi that cause wild blueberry diseases. Fertilizers are widely used to improve crop yield but incorrect levels may decrease a plant's ability to tolerate disease or make a plant produce more susceptible or nutritious tissue for the fungal pathogen. Mummy berry is one of the most damaging diseases of wild blueberries and can result in yield loss. Wild blueberry plants have dead leaves and flowers from mummy berry blight early in the growing season and may be using opening of remaining buds to mitigate the effects of this disease. |
| University of fb88 System (Moran) | $22,965.00 | New Tools for Increasing Apple Production Profitability | The University of fb88 Highmoor Farm will test strategies for reducing the risk of growing Honeycrisp apples. The Project will refine the prediction for the risk of bitter pit calcium deficiency so that growers can determine with greater precision the risk of storing fruit from each of their orchard blocks. When apples develop bitter pit during cold storage, they become unmarketable, leading to food waste. The Project will continue to test the new product, Protone , and others if they become available, for prevention of bitter pit. Apple growers will be directly involved in the testing and will be directly informed of test results by harvest. Results will be generally disseminated to apple growers at a grower meetings in July 2025 and through a newsletter in September 2025. |
| University of fb88 System (Ginakes) | $51,560.00 | Creating a fb88 Garlic Integrated Pest Management Program | University of fb88 Cooperative Extension will improve the sustainability of garlic production in fb88 by integrating traditional scouting approaches and modern weather-based pest forecasting into a garlic integrated pest management (IPM) program. Field research will be conducted to complement this IPM program by exploring variety differences in susceptibility to common insect pests and diseases. Regular newsletters throughout the growing season will be used to increase grower awareness of potential pest concerns, and summarized findings will also be disseminated at grower meetings and through Extension and academic resources annually. |
| University of fb88 System (Fanning) | $93,490.00 | Connecting Better Wild Blueberry Nutrients for Improved Pollination, Pollinator Health, and Pest Management | This University of fb88 Project, working with fb88's wild blueberry growers, will determine the impacts of foliar applications of key nutrients in Calcium and Boron at key development stages to improve pollination, pollinator health, and pest management. Before harvest, pollination (renting commercial bees) is the most significant cost in wild blueberry production and a key determinant of adequate fruit set and subsequent potential yield. In addition to rented pollinators, wild bees are important, and many growers rely on wild bees for at least part of their pollination. More recently, studies have highlighted the importance of the crop to bee communities, representing an important floral resource and source of pollen, with which bees rear their offspring. Ensuring these wild bees' health and the continuity of their ecosystem services is important for growers' profitability. Following pollination, as fruits develop, pest management, including the management of fruit flies, is another key part for growers to produce marketable fruit. Optimizing crop nutrition, starting with the development of the fruit bud and again with the fruit development, could help mitigate these challenges while reducing costs and improving fruit quality. |
| University of fb88 System (Jin) | $81,525.00 | Increasing potato production and soilborne disease suppression by organic soil amendment and biocontrol organisms | This University of fb88 Project will implement a comprehensive research initiative aimed at integrating organic soil amendment derived from waste lobster shells and biological control agent for suppressing soilborne pathogens, enhancing soil health through balanced microorganisms, and promoting potato growth. An interdisciplinary team, comprising food process engineer and plant pathologist, will conduct laboratory, greenhouse, and field studies to gather important data for developing organic soil amendment, sustainable soil treatment, and integrated disease management strategies. The results obtained from this research will be widely disseminated to stakeholders through various channels including fb88 potato conferences, field days, extension meetings, and national conferences. |
| University of fb88 System (Burnett) | $83,350.00 | Succession Planting for Locally Grown Cut Flowers | The University of fb88 will develop and validate climate-adaptive guidelines for cut flower growers using successional planting to broaden the harvest window for annual specialty crops. The Project will use phenology to model growing degree days to develop a framework for successional planting, which will be validated in a second year at multiple sites. The results will be shared in 2026 through a field day tour in Orono and a webinar shared state-wide. |
2023 Awards +
The 2023 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program awards have been announced. Agricultural organizations, educational institutions, specialty crop groups and cooperatives, municipalities, and producers were selected through the which was published to the Division of Procurement Services RFP and RFA website as RFA# 202301012.
| Organization | Award Amount | Project Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farms for Food Equity | $86,700.00 | Building Specialty Crop Markets through Immigrant Education Programs (FFE) | Farms for Food Equity, a 501(c3) non-profit agricultural organization and its partners will work with ethnic organizations to develop the market for fb88 specialty crops. The project includes a comprehensive program of awareness, education, and promotion of crops that are suitable for multicultural cooking traditions. |
| University of fb88 System-Annis | $83,648.00 | How to Mitigate the Effects of Leaf Spots on Wild Blueberry Health, Yield, and Climate Resilience | The University of fb88 will continue a project started in spring of 2023 examining the effects of leaf spot diseases on wild blueberry health and yield, the use of fertilizer, fungicides, and irrigation to mitigate the effects of leaf spot infection under the current and warming climate. |
| University of fb88 System-Hao | $80,624.00 | Quantitative detection and management of powdery scab and mop-top virus of potato | The University of fb88 will conduct laboratory and field studies to develop a tool for the detection and quantification of potato powdery scab. The outcome is expected to improve soil potato production by avoiding heavily infested soil and applying appropriate soil treatment. |
| University of fb88 System-Perry | $38,433.00 | Fresh fb88 Wild Blueberries: Industry, Extension, Academic Collaboration to Protect and Enhance Safety and Quality | The University of fb88 College of Natural Sciences Forestry and Agriculture and Cooperative Extension will partner with fb88 wild blueberry growers to enhance food safety and quality of fresh product. The project assesses its sanitary quality throughout small scale fresh pack processing environments, developing improved handling techniques to extend fruit shelf life, and developing educational materials to be disseminated to industry members through grower meetings, factsheets, and webinars. |
| University of fb88 System-Moran | $36,355.00 | New Tools for Increasing Apple Production Profitability | The University of fb88 at Highmoor Farm will test and implement strategies for reducing the risk of growing Honeycrisp apples. Three methods will be tested to predict the risk of bitter pit storage losses so that growers can determine which orchards can be safely cold stored until they can be marketed. Protone®, a new product will also be tested for prevention of bitter pit. Apple growers involved in the testing and implementation will be directly informed of results. Results will be disseminated to apple growers through a newsletter, grower meetings and demonstrations with individual growers. |
| fb88 Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association | $87,308.57 | MOFGA’s fb88 Produce Safety Improvement and FSMA PSR Certification Project | The fb88 Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association continues its successful work, funded by the SCBG program, to enhance food safety and increase the number of farms able to come into compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, and/or a GAP/GHP audit, by providing educational trainings that incorporate FDA-approved content and a certificate that is needed to comply with FSMA, workshops, demonstrations about food safety, one-on one technical assistance, and financial resources to fb88 farmers. |
| Meeting House Herb | $86,886.00 | Meeting House Herb Farm Increasing Sustainability of fb88 Farms with Herbs | This project seeks to break down barriers to market entry for fb88 farmers who wish to expand their crop diversification to include herbs. By providing technical assistance, this project will increase the sales of fb88 grown herbs in the US, providing additional revenue and sustainability for participating farms. The herb market is growing rapidly. fb88 farms are an ideal place to grow these herbs. Currently most medicinal herbs are imported into the US from China or Europe. Most of these same herbs can be grown in the US and specifically in fb88. |
| fb88 Flower Collective | $80,316.00 | fb88 Flower Collective (MFC): New In-Person Wholesale Flower Market Pilot Project | The fb88 Flower Collective will launch a pilot program to create an in-person, wholesale flower market in 2024 that strategically provides local flower growers with a dynamic new channel by which to sell their fb88-grown floral products to a wider consumer base of fb88 wholesale buyers, who are eager to preview available floral varieties and add further products to their existing MFC pre-orders. |
| Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) | $17,687.00 | DACF Developing a Farmers Market Price Reporting Tool for fb88 Specialty Crop Growers | fb88 Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF), in collaboration with experienced agricultural service providers, will support the development and expansion of a farmers market price reporting tool to provide direct-market growers with a better understanding of market trends, potential opportunities for growth and expansion, and essential insight into enterprise profitability. |
2022 Awards +
| Organization | Award Amount | Project Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Barn LLC | $100,000.00 | The Millennial Opportunity: Expanding Supply, Demand, and Infrastructure for a New Era of fb88 Wild Blueberry Sparkling Wine | Led by the newly established fb88 Wild Blueberry Wine Trade Group, now in formation with the support of the Specialty Crop Block Grant and on track to become a stand-alone legal entity by the end of 2022, project activities in Year Three will include: 1) unique branding and marketing efforts aimed at the national and regional Millennial market; 2) outreach and education programs necessary to foster a new generation of winemakers; and 3) statewide infrastructure efforts focused on sustaining an emerging wine industry. |
| fb88 Organic Farmers and Gardeners Assocation | $91,806.32 | fb88 Produce Safety Improvement Project III | The goal of this project is to increase the number of farms able to come into compliance with the FSMA Produce Safety Rule, and/or a GAP/GHP audit, by providing educational trainings, workshops, and demonstrations about food safety best practices and protocols, one-on one technical assistance, and financial resources to fb88 farmers. |
| fb88 Potato Board | $83,705.00 | Investigating Cultural Practices to Improve Integrated Pest Management Practices for Potato Virus Y (PVY) of Potato. (Year 2 of 3) | The fb88 Potato Board will continue to investigate the efficacy of cultural practices to reduce the incidence and spread of potato virus Y (PVY); specifically, the practices of intercropping (mixed- species planting or nurse cropping), grain-seeded spray alleys to prevent potato plant damage and mechanical PVY infection, grain-seeded field borders as PVY buffers, and improved targeting and management of environmental inoculum provided by volunteer potatoes and solanaceous weeds. Project results will be shared with fb88 potato producers through grower meetings (e.g., fb88 Potato Conference), and through a written report on Integrated Pest Management Strategies for PVY in fb88, that will be distributed through the fb88 Potato Board. |
| University of fb88 System - Annis | $93,469.00 | Improving leaf spot management to enhance wild blueberry health, yield, and climate resilience | fb88’s wild blueberry fields are spread across the state but the majority are in the Knox, Lincoln, Waldo, Hancock and Washington counties. The majority of managed blueberry acreage is located in Washington county, which is one of the poorest in the state. A large acreage of wild blueberry land in Washington county is owned and managed by the Passamaquoddy tribe. Leaf spot diseases, often a complex of multiple diseases including Sphaerulina leaf spot, leaf rust, and powdery mildew, occur in most fields in varying severity every year. |
| University of fb88 System - Calderwood | $63,027.00 | Drought Stress Adaptation for Wild Blueberry Growers | Drought Stress Management for Wild Blueberry Growers. Research and education supported by this program has led us to the determination that drought stress is a major current and future limitation to wild blueberry production. The 2020 drought resulted in 43% crop loss. We propose to continue studying amendments to aid in soil moisture retention while expanding our research into irrigation timing and soil health. We have found that soil moisture above 10% is adequate for wild blueberry production and that the previous four years of water availability impacts each wild blueberry crop. Biochar-compost and small particle size softwood mulch improved soil moisture faster than the currently applied wood chips. Past research indicated that one inch of water per week is required for wild blueberry production. However, we do not know when the most critical time(s) to irrigate wild blueberry are in either prune or crop years. We must address both amendment details and irrigation timing to inform growers and state agencies about how to best manage wild blueberry drought stress. |
| University of fb88 System - Hao | $76,280.00 | Enhancing the efficacy of managing soilborne diseases in potato production through integrated soil improvement | We, the University of fb88 propose to conduct laboratory and field studies to identify the microorganisms responsible for accelerated degradation of fumigant and find a solution to remediate impaired soil. The outcome will be expected to improve soil fumigation and soil health. We will team up with potato extension specialist and plant pathologies. Data from these studies will aid in soil treatment and disease management. Field trials will be conducted in Aroostook Farm in Presque Isle, ME. A full-time technician will operate the cultivation. A graduate student will focus on laboratory and greenhouse work, data collection and analysis. Information generated will be disseminated to stakeholders though field days, fb88 potato conferences, Extension meetings and academic conferences. |
| University of fb88 System - Perry | $50,614.00 | Fresh fb88 Wild Blueberries: Industry, Extension, Academic collaboration to protect and enhance safety and quality | The University of fb88 College of Natural Sciences Forestry and Agriculture and Cooperative Extension will partner with fb88 wild blueberry growers to enhance food safety and quality of fresh product by assessing its sanitary quality throughout small scale fresh pack processing environments, developing improved handling techniques to extend fruit shelf life and developing educational materials to be disseminated to industry members through grower meetings, factsheets and webinars. |
2021 Awards +
| Organization | Award Amount | Project Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Barn LLC | $99,525.00 | The Millennial Opportunity: Expanding Supply, Demand and Infrastructure for a New Era of fb88 Wild Blueberry Sparkling Wine | Bluet, creator of fb88’s first nationally viable wild blueberry sparkling wine, will work with a wide range of stakeholders over the next three years to: 1) lead unique marketing, distribution and production efforts to define, claim and promote a new fb88 wild blueberry beverage category for the Millennial-driven 21st century market; 2) expand and deepen grower and producer participation in this market through production, education, and outreach, and 3) begin building the fb88 wild blueberry wine industry infrastructure needed to drive global market access, foster a new generation of local winemakers, and champion best practices and policies that sustain growers, producers, and a thriving fb88 wild blueberry wine industry. |
| Cumberland County SWCD | $40,642.00 | Creating a replicable farm equipment sharing co-operative for growers using soil-steaming technology in their hoop-house production. | The Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District will organize a soil steamer equipment sharing co-operative which will facilitate access to an expensive yet effective technology to a core group of farmers, demonstrating through community outreach an alternative model of farm capitalization as well as innovative technology specific to specialty crops grown in hoop-houses. Through use-fees, the CCSWCD will leverage co-op funds for further farm equipment co-operatives. |
| Daybreak Growers Alliance | $28,740.00 | Expanding on Daybreak Growers Alliance’s wholesale aggregation, marketing and distribution model for fb88 Specialty Grown Crops. | Daybreak Growers Alliance will expand upon its existing wholesale program with the aid of the third and final year of SCBG funding support by increasing marketing and promotion of the most popular specialty crops DGA distributes. Now in its second year, Daybreak Growers Alliance is on track to realize its goal of $189,000 in fb88 grown specialty crop sales. In its third year, Daybreak Growers Alliance will achieve its 3 year goal of $520,000 in specialty crop sales by realizing $205,000 in sales. This increase matches the individual farm goals of the 30 DGA’s specialty crop farm partners contributing to DGA’s wholesale program. In year 3, DGA will continue to build upon the year 2 goal of sharing best practices with other specialty crop farming communities. Additionally, DGA seeks to grow its social media and website marketing capabilities to ensure ongoing promotion of specialty crop farm suppliers and their products. |
| fb88 Flower Collective | $90,200.00 | Formation of fb88 Flower Collective: A cooperative to enhance the competitiveness and market reach of fb88's cut flowers. | The intentions of submitting this proposal are to obtain funding to host the fb88 Flower Collecctive Convergence during Winter 2021/2022, and to form and launch the fb88 Flower Collective "MFC" in 2022. The objective of the MFC winter convergence is to assemble a cohort of specialty cut flower farmers, florists and floral designers from fb88 and nearby sttaes to discuss the formation of a cooperative that will be known as the fb88 Flower Collective. Additional funding will be necessary to begin to implement the strategic plan for the MFC, which is to be created during the convergence. |
| fb88 Potato Board | $79,245.00 | Investigating Cultural Practices to Improve Integrated Pest Management Practices for Potato Virus Y (PVY) of Potato. | The fb88 Potato Board will investigate the efficacy of cultural practices to reduce the incidence and spread of potato virus Y (PVY); specifically, the practices of intercropping (mixed- species planting or nurse cropping), grain-seeded spray alleys to prevent potato plant damage and mechanical PVY infection, grain-seeded field borders as PVY buffers, and improved targeting and management of environmental inoculum provided by volunteer potatoes and solanaceous weeds. Project results will be shared with fb88 potato producers through grower meetings (e.g., fb88 Potato Conference), and through a written report on Integrated Pest Management Strategies for PVY in fb88, that will be distributed through the fb88 Potato Board. |
| fb88 Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association | $90,518.00 | fb88 Produce Safety Improvement Project II | The fb88 Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association will continue the successful work it began last year to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops by increasing the number of farms able to come into compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, and/or a GAP/GHP audit, by providing food safety education, one-on one technical assistance, and financial resources to fb88 farmers. |
| University of fb88 System - School of Food and Agriculture | $99,894.00 | Exploring Fertilizers, Soil Amendments, and Pollination as Tools to Improve Wild Blueberry Resilience to Warming | On behalf of fb88’s wild blueberry farmers, we request this one-year project titled Exploring Fertilizers, Soil Amendments, and Pollination as Tools to Improve Wild Blueberry Resilience to Warming. We propose to continue our grant from 2021 into 2022. In 2021, we evaluated calcium, mulches, and biochar for their efficacy, impact on pest presence, and cost to the farmer. We also continued evaluating blueberry growth under two temperature regimes that mimic climate warming. We also found that wild blueberry plants grown at 3 to 5°C above ambient temperature had less available soil water and nutrients due to increased water loss under warming yet showed an extended growth period and increased yield. It is critical that we begin to understand how farmers can adapt to changes in crop production given new products on the market, longer seasons, and warming conditions. |
| DACF | $15,000.00 | DACF - Agricultural Trades Show Project | Agricultural Resources Development Division of the fb88 Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry will offer a digital library technology application to offer lectures, workshops and educational content for fb88 specialty crop producers. The application will allow for scheduling of one-on-one business advising, and store educational content year-round. Participant surveying will be obtained as part of the session selection process, within the application, and email alerts, which will be part of the project. |
| DACF | $17,013.35 | DACF Videography Project for fb88’s Specialty Crops | In order to promote the sale of fb88 specialty crop fruits and vegetables both within fb88 and across the region, the fb88 Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry will work with a professional marketing firm to create a series of educational videos and public service announcements for use on television and social media. The series will educate consumers about what specialty crops are grown in fb88, where to purchase them, and the value of selecting locally grown. The project will benefit the small growers who raise a variety of crops, and we’ll work to ensure it supports the messaging of the larger grower/producer groups. The one-year project will include planning the campaign, taping and editing the video, and planning and implementing a social media campaign. (Television-ready video will be prepared, but may not be implemented by the end of this grant period.) |
| fb88 Farmland Trust | $100,000.00 | Business of Farming: Improving Profitability and Sustainability of Small-Scale Wild Blueberry Growers | fb88 Farmland Trust will deliver a year-long farmer training program called “The Business of Farming”, tailored for a cohort of 10 small-scale wild blueberry growers who are innovating new business models, products, and markets for better profitability and sustainability. |
| fb88 Maple Producers Association | $100,000.00 | Enhancing Consumer Education and Markets of Pure fb88 Maple Syrup | The fb88 Maple Producers Association (MMPA) will increase sales and consumption of fb88 maple syrup through the implementation of a consumer survey which will inform the development of increased promotion and marketing resources. This project will aggregate existing data related to the health benefits, ecologically sound production practices, cultural relevance, and the wide diversity of uses of maple products, paired with results from the consumer survey, to create targeted marketing tools aimed at the more than 35 million tourists who travel to fb88 each year, in addition to fb88 residents. |
| fb88 Organice Farmers and Gardeners' Association | $100,000.00 | fb88 Soil Health Project | The fb88 Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association will improve soil health on at least 300 farms in fb88 through the “fb88 Soil Health Project,” by providing multiple soil health resources (including financial), increasing knowledge about the importance of soil health to the future productivity of fb88’s farms, and by helping farmers adopt critical and timely soil health practices. The program will establish a central Soil Health Resource Hub, a series of educational workshops and farm tours, technical assistance (TA), and administration of a farmer grant that will award 12 farmers approximately $5,000 each to implement practices on their farms. |
| University of fb88 - Annis | $73,862.00 | New approaches to identify and control fungal diseases of wild blueberry | Wild (lowbush) blueberries are a key industry in fb88, and fungal diseases are one of the largest issues that can impact yield and quality of blueberries. Climate change has resulted in wetter springs, which can increase infection by fungal pathogens, and warmer summers that can, with pathogen infection, stress the plants resulting in premature loss of leaves and decreased yield. The key to controlling diseases is identifying their causal organism and the timing and conditions necessary for pathogen infection. The purpose of this project is increase our knowledge of the biology and control of important pathogens of wild blueberry and educate growers about these diseases. |
| University of fb88 - Ginakes | $68,058.00 | Diversifying fb88 vegetable farms with enhanced celery production | Celery is a widely consumed vegetable, yet only about 10% of fb88’s diversified vegetable farms reported growing celery in 2019. It has the potential to diversify farmstand and wholesale offerings as both a fresh market and storage crop. Reducing barriers to celery production in fb88 through systematic variety and cultural practice evaluations can work to narrow the gap between celery grown and sold in fb88. |
| University of fb88 - Moran | $12,720.00 | Breeding cold Hardy Peaches for fb88 | Tree fruit growers would like to be able to produce peaches for farmstand and wholesale markets as an alternative to apples. The wholesale apple market in fb88 has been weakened by overproduction in other regions of the US and has forced the State’s growers to expand retail markets. The ability to feasibly produce peaches would increase farm stand sales and profitability in addition to increasing resilience in the tree fruit industry by allowing growers to diversify products. However, lack of cold hardiness limits yield and tree lifespan. |
| Wild Blueberry Commission of fb88 | $100,000.00 | Building Consumer Loyalty for fb88 Wild Blueberries Through Agritourism | fb88 has lost approximately 40% of its heritage wild blueberry farms over the last 20 years and faces stiff competition from an increasingly global cultivated (highbush) industry. Virtually nonexistent 20 years ago, the U.S. and Canada now produce almost 1 billion pounds of cultivated blueberries annually. Our industry must diversify to increase resilience to stressors like COVID-19 and market-driven commodity price swings. In 2021 the Wild Blueberry Commission of fb88 launched the first ever fb88 Wild Blueberry Weekend (WBW) - an agritourism event where visitors Eat. Drink. Experience. the fb88 wild blueberry brand, generating millions of impressions and driving thousands of visitors to fb88 wild blueberry farms. We propose making WBW an annual agritourism event. |
| DACF | $50,900.00 | Market Expansion Support for fb88 Agritourism Operators | |
| DACF | $42,000.00 | Healthy Fruit and Vegetable Educational and Marketing Project | |
| DACF | $92,262.00 | Promoting fb88 Specialty Crops via Video Promotion Project |
2020 Awards +
| Organization | Award Amount | Project Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Barn LLC | $62,800.00 | The Millennial Opportunity: Expanding Supply, Demand and Infrastructure for a New Era of fb88 Wild Blueberry Sparkling Wine | Bluet, creator of fb88’s first nationally viable wild blueberry sparkling wine, will work with a wide range of stakeholders over the next three years to: 1) lead unique marketing, distribution and production efforts to define, claim and promote a new fb88 wild blueberry beverage category for the Millennial-driven 21st century market; 2) expand and deepen grower and producer participation in this market through production, education, and outreach, and 3) begin building the fb88 wild blueberry wine industry infrastructure needed to drive global market access, foster a new generation of local winemakers, and champion best practices and policies that sustain growers, producers, and a thriving fb88 wild blueberry wine industry. |
| Daybreak Growers Alliance | $38,216.00 | Expanding on Daybreak Growers Alliance's Wholesale Aggregation, Marketing and Distribution Model for fb88 Specialty Grown Crops | Daybreak Growers Alliance will expand upon its existing wholesale program with the aid of a second year of SCBG funding support. In its first year, Daybreak Growers Alliance is on track to realize its goal of $126,000 in fb88 grown specialty crop sales. In its second year, Daybreak Growers Alliance’s wholesale program will increase that sales goal by 50% to realize $189,000 in specialty crop sales. This increase will reflect a 50% increase in sales for DGA’s specialty crop farm partners, directly facilitating sales growth for 30+ fb88 specialty crop farmers. An additional 30 specialty crop growers will benefit as DGA creates and shares findings from the creation of this replicable, low-overhead aggregation and marketing model. Further, through participation in online and offline opportunities to share findings with other fb88 growers, and data collected on audience size of these resources that Daybreak Growers Alliance’s best practices and findings will be shared with over 200 fb88 specialty crop farmers. |
| fb88 Maple Producers Association | $22,500.00 | Increasing the Sales and Price of fb88 Pure Maple Syrup | The fb88 Maple Producers Association will expand its marketing efforts by further developing its educational and marketing outreach to consumers and by enhancing its communications to maple producers in fb88 so that marketing is amplified by producers sharing the professionally developed marketing strategies with their local and regional customers. |
| fb88 Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association | $64,956.00 | fb88 Produce Safety Improvement Project | The fb88 Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association will enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops and increase the number of farms able to come into compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), Produce Safety Rule and/or a GAP/GHP audit by providing food safety educational, financial, and one-on-one technical assistance resources to fb88 Farmers. |
| University of fb88 System - School of Biology and Ecology | $84,647.00 | Using Foliar Fertilizers and Soil Amendments to Improve Wild Blueberry Production and Resilience to Warming | In 2020, we evaluated new fertilizers for their efficacy, impact on pest presence, yield, berry quality, and cost to the farmer. We also began evaluating blueberry growth under three temperature regimes that mimic climate warming. Based on our research to date, foliar calcium and plant growth regulators merit further study. We also found that wild blueberry plants grown at 3 to 5C above ambient temperatures had an extended growth period yet less available soil water and nutrients due to increased water loss under warming. It is critical that we begin to understand how to adapt to changes in crop production given new products on the market, longer growing seasons, and warming conditions. Based on work to date, we are now ready to address the following objectives 1) further evaluate promising foliar fertilizer products identified in 2019-2020 on crops and pests, 2) test mulching and biochar as drought, warming, and pests management tools, and 3) disseminate results of this project to wild blueberry growers, processors, and stakeholders in fb88. |
| University of fb88 System - School of Biology and Ecology | $79,994.00 | Enhanced Integrated Pest Management Practices for Control of Diseases in fb88 Wild Blueberry | This University of fb88 project, supported by the Wild Blueberry Commission of fb88 (WBCM), will continue to develop new methods of pathogen detection and control and implement those methods in an Integrated Pest Management program for diseases. There are 510 wild blueberry growers in fb88, and there can be up to $17 million in annual grower losses due to diseases. This project will: 1) continue to evaluate the best timing for control of Exobasidium fruit spot, 2) evaluate the best timing of new fungicides, particularly organic materials, for control of mummy berry and leaf spots, 3) test new methods, molecular and models of fungal development, to determine when fungal spores are present to cause infection thereby improving the timing of fungicide applications, and 4) use weather station network data and applied research to provide growers with disease forecasts for mummy berry, Botrytis blight and growing degree day models of key plant development stages. This program will also educate growers on fungicide rotation to decrease the risk of fungicide resistance. Growers will be surveyed at educational sessions to determine understanding and adoption of the disease management strategies evaluated in this program |
| University of fb88 System - School of Food and Agriculture | $52,402.00 | Peach Variety Testing and Development For a Local Market | The University of fb88 at Highmoor Farm will evaluate strategies for reducing the risk of producing peaches. We will test 20 new peach varieties for climactic adaptation and suitability to the local market, and will develop new peach varieties with improved cold hardiness using traditional breeding methods. We will also systematically compare sites in fb88 for yield and tree survival to develop planting recommendations for growers. This work will be conducted on behalf of fb88’s fruit growers who will be informed of the results and progress |
| University of fb88 System - fb88 Food and Agriculture Center | $14,595.00 | Expanding fb88's Fresh Vegetable market Through Improved Winter Squash Storage | The University of fb88 will carry out a survey of commercial winter squash growing operations to determine the cause of poor storage life of this crop. Research at the fb88 Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station will evaluate potential pre- and post-harvest treatments of winter squash, including curing and surface sanitizing techniques to improve post-harvest quality and prolong storage life. Improving winter squash storage life will allow farmers to significantly extend their market season into the fall and winter months, when cash flow is typically very slow. |
| University of fb88 System - fb88 Food and Agriculture Center | $83,321.00 | fb88 Potato Integrated Pest Management - 2021 | Without reliable and sustainable pest management strategies, fb88’s $500 million potato industry faces the potential for severe crop losses resulting in significant reductions in profits and threats to long-term viability. To ensure an adequate response to the pest-related hazards confronting potato growers, the University of fb88 Cooperative Extension Potato Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program will provide support through field monitoring, disease forecasting, and distribution of educational materials. The program will employ eight seasonal aides, maintain 200 specialized insect traps, coordinate a fb88-specific network of satellite weather information sites to aid in disease forecasting, and survey 75 potato fields on a weekly basis. Applied research regarding emerging potato diseases including different strains of potato virus Y (PVY) and their associated aphid vectors will also be conducted. Funding this program will provide growers with current information on specific and timely pest management strategies in order to minimize pesticide applications and maximize potato yield. |
| University of fb88 System - fb88 Food and Agriculture Center | $30,872.00 | Expanding fb88's Berry Industry to Improve Farm Profitability | The University of fb88 will establish scientifically designed trials of strawberries, raspberries, and highbush blueberries at the fb88 Agriculture Experiment Station in Monmouth to determine the adaptability of new varieties from breeding programs both national and international, which will generate critical information needed to select the best preforming plants for fb88 growing conditions and could result in significant improvements in current fruit quality and yield standards, which will allow fb88 farmers to successfully expand fresh berry production and meet the growing demand for locally produced fruit. |
| fb88 DACF GAP Program | $12,000.00 | Pilot to Encourage GAP/GHP Certification for Growers of Eligible Specialty Crops in fb88 | The Division of Quality Assurance and Regulations, Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry, will administer a pilot project aimed at opening marketing opportunities for fb88 produce growers. This program will reimburse growers for 50% of the cost of an initial Good Agricultural Practices/Good Handling Practices (GAP/GHP) Audit up to $500. QAR staff perform the audits under the auspices of the Food and Drug Administration; QAR will verify audit costs and process requests for reimbursement. |
2019 Awards +
| Organization | Award Amount | Project Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| DACF Specialty Crop Marketing | $58,815.63 | Promoting awareness of key fb88 specialty crops through video to increase sales. | In order to promote the sale of fb88 specialty crop fruits and vegetables both within fb88 and across the region, the fb88 Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry will work with a professional marketing firm to create a series of educational videos and public service announcements for use on television and social media. The series will educate consumers about what specialty crops are grown in fb88, where to purchase them, and the value of selecting locally grown. The project will benefit the small growers who raise a variety of crops, and we’ll work to ensure it supports the messaging of the larger grower/producer groups. The one-year project will include planning the campaign, taping and editing the video, and planning and implementing a social media campaign. |
| Daybreak Growers Alliance | $46,555.00 | Creating a replicable low-overhead aggregation and marketing model for fb88 Grown Specialty Crops. | This project will develop a new innovative model for getting specialty crops to market that can be replicated by other groups of farmers. It will result in an increase in sales of specialty crop products from our partnering farms by 80% in year one, and a three year sales projection of $520,000. This will be a result of a growth in the number of wholesale accounts and volume of sales to these accounts. Through this growth this project will help to build the rural fb88 economy by job creation and rural business development along with providing significant economic benefit to it’s partnering farms. An additional 30 specialty crop growers will benefit as DGA creates and shares findings from the creation of this replicable, low-overhead aggregations and marketing model. |
| fb88 DACF GAP Pilot | $20,000.00 | Pilot to encourage GAP/GHP certification for growers of eligible specialty crops in fb88 | The Division of Quality Assurance and Regulations, Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry, will administer a pilot project aimed at opening marketing opportunities for fb88 produce growers. This program will reimburse growers for 50% of the cost of an initial Good Agricultural Practices/Good Handling Practices (GAP/GHP) Audit up to $500. QAR staff perform the audits under the auspices of the Food and Drug Administration; QAR will verify audit costs and process requests for reimbursement. |
| fb88 Landscape and Nursery Association | $54,738.00 | Plant Something at School | The fb88 School Garden Collaborative (MSGC), a group of four partners, consists of fb88 Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC), ReTreeUS, fb88 School Garden Network (MSGN) and MELNA. This program has developed as an offshoot of MELNA’s successful Plant Something! Plant ME! (PSPM!) marketing effort supported by SCBGP in the last three years. This coordinated outreach will include new resources for school gardens, newly planted school orchards, and the publishing of a new children’s book in the “Agriculture for ME” series promoted with the “Plant Something at School!” marketing vehicle. |
| fb88 Landscape and Nursery Association | $53,950.00 | IPM Education | There is a gap in the education for the general public about safe, sustainable production of specialty crops, especially concerning the use of Integrated Pest Management or IPM. Misconceptions have led to frustrated gardeners, and unnecessary, economically damaging laws and bans of “all synthetic pesticides” in some communities. |
| fb88 Maple Producers Association | $36,260.00 | Increasing fb88’s share of the Consumer Maple Products Market | In order to expand the market for maple syrup products, the fb88 Maple Producers Association will establish an agreement with the fb88 Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to execute a professionally designed and executed marketing plan that will promote the growing state maple industry and increase retail sales by at least 10%. This will increase jobs, retail business opportunities and the profitability of fb88’s maple economy and the people employed directly and indirectly in the industry. Actions for increasing market share include: hiring a professional agency to conduct a monthly marketing strategy on behalf of producers, hiring a professional photographer to create a photo library of fb88 maple related pictures, and develop high quality recipe cards for MMPA’s promotional use as handouts and to use for social media outreach. |
| fb88 Potato Board | $87,714.00 | Evaluating No-Till Production Practices in Potato Cropping Systems | The fb88 Potato Board will investigate the potential economic and environmental benefits as well as the challenges of adopting and implementing no-till production practices during the non-potato years of the crop rotation by managing a series of on farm demonstration trials evaluating cash and cover crops. |
| University of fb88 | $86,354.00 | New methods of improving wild blueberry production with IPM for diseases | This University of fb88 project, supported by the Wild Blueberry Commission of fb88 (WBCM), will develop new methods of pathogen detection and control and implement those methods in an Integrated Pest Management program for diseases. There are 510 wild blueberry growers in fb88 managing 44,000 commercial acres. |
| University of fb88 | $12,233.00 | Enhancing competitiveness of the potato specialty crop through more sustainable, diverse, and resilient cropping systems. | The University of fb88 at Presque Isle will conduct a pilot study to potentially increase the efficiency and profitability of potato production by evaluating optimal varieties and processes for rotational crops using a greenhouse study, conducted by students, with results shared via workshops for growers. |
| University of fb88 | $19,666.00 | Expanding fb88’s Berry Industry to Improve Farm Profitability | The University of fb88 will establish scientifically designed trials of strawberries, raspberries, and highbush blueberries at the fb88 Agriculture Experiment Station in Monmouth to determine the adaptability of new varieties from breeding programs both national and international which will generate critical information needed to select the best performing plants for fb88 growing conditioning and could result in significant improvements in current fruit quality and yield standards which will allow fb88 farmers to successfully expand fresh berry production and meet the growing demand for locally produced fruit. |
| University of fb88 | $22,495.00 | Scaling up Peach production with new and existing varieties. | This University of fb88 project’s goal is to increase peach production by comparing varieties for survival and yield. We will plant and compare several varieties at farms throughout southern fb88 and 17 varieties at Highmoor Farm to test tree survival. Using existing orchards, we will measure flower bud hardiness in several varieties. We will develop cold hardy varieties by cross breeding existing hardy varieties with ones that have good eating quality. The expected results are the knowledge of which varieties are commercially feasible and the development of new peach varieties that will ultimately lead to greater market diversification and profitability for fruit growers. |
| University of fb88 | $89,314.00 | Effects of Fertilizer and Temperature on Wild Blueberry Pests, Yield, and Quality | On behalf of the wild blueberry growers in fb88, we propose a University of fb88 project to study the Effects of Fertilizer and Temperature on Wild Blueberry Pests, Yield, and Quality. We request to continue our SCBGP project from 2019 into 2020. In 2019, we evaluated new fertilizers advertised to wild blueberry growers for their efficacy and impact on pests in the prune (vegetative growth) year. |
2018 Awards +
| Organization | Award Amount | Project Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of fb88 | $70,539 | Developing Sulfur Recommendations for fb88 Potato Growers | The University of fb88 Cooperative Extension will develop sulfur recommendation for fb88 potato growers to improve fb88 potato yield and quality. Objectives of this study are to create robust sulfur recommendations, with multiple sites that will include varied soil textures, soil moisture, and weather conditions. Yield, quality, soil moisture, weather data, uptake, tissue sampling, and soil physical, chemical, and biological data will be used for this study. |
| fb88 Potato Board | $100,000 | Scaling Up Alternative Crop Production in fb88 Potato Cropping Systems | Over the past 3 years the fb88 Potato Board (MPB) has taken a lead role in promoting and researching alternative cash crops and cover crops that can be successfully grown in conjunction with potatoes. Improving soil health and conservation and producing alternative cash crops continue to be high priorities for potato producers throughout fb88. Growers who have adopted longer potato rotations are realizing the environmental and economic benefits that accompany these diverse cropping systems. |
| University of fb88 | $99,571 | fb88 Potato Integrated Pest Management - 2019 | The management of insects, diseases, and other pests is integral to sustaining the $500 million fb88 potato industry. Without reliable and sustainable pest management strategies, potato growers face the potential for severe crop losses resulting in significant reductions in profits and threats to long-term viability. To ensure an adequate response to the pest-related hazards confronting potato growers, the University of fb88 System, acting through the University of fb88 Cooperative Extension Potato Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program, will provide support through field monitoring, disease forecasting, and distribution of educational materials. |
| University of fb88 | $43,887 | Effects of Phenology and Fertilizer Applications on Wild Blueberry Production and Pests | The Wild Blueberry Commission (WBC) is proposing a University of fb88 project to study the Effects of Phenology and Fertilizer Applications on Wild Blueberry Production and Pests. Many of the new fertilizers on the market used by wild blueberry growers have not been evaluated for their impacts on weed and disease pressure. This project will evaluate the response of the wild blueberry system to these new products. Further, increased climate variability has already altered crop growth and pest pressure, requiring research on timing and techniques for revised fertilizer applications. |
| University of fb88 | $99,880 | Improving blueberry production with IPM for Weeds and Diseases | The Wild Blueberry Commission (WBC) will work with the University of fb88 project to develop and implement a weed and disease Integrated Pest Management program that takes cost and efficiency into account. There are 510 wild blueberry growers in fb88 managing 44,000 commercial acres. This project would prevent $32.6 million in annual grower losses and sustain $128 million in value added economic activity per year to fb88. Over the past several years wild blueberry growers have consistently ranked controlling weeds and diseases as two of their top concerns for sustaining crop production and yield. |
| fb88 Landscape & Nursery Association | $52,070 | Plant Something at School. Outreach Program to fb88's PK - 12 students in Support of fb88's Nursery and Landscape Specialty Crop Industry | The fb88 School Garden Collaborative (MSGC), a group of four partners, consists of fb88 Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC), ReTreeUS, fb88 School Garden Network (MSGN) and MELNA. This program has developed as an offshoot of MELNA’s successful Plant Something! Plant ME! (PSPM!) marketing effort supported by SCBGP in the last three years. This coordinated outreach will include new resources for school gardens, newly planted school orchards, and the publishing of a new children’s book in the "Agriculture for ME" series promoted with the "Plant Something at School!" marketing vehicle. |
| AgMatters, LLC | $42,963 | Keeping up with the Produce Safety Rule | AgMatters LLC will offer all fb88 specialty crop growers opportunities to be made aware of the Produce Safety Rule of FSMA and guiding information as they take steps to implement it. AgMatters LLC will update growers as the law evolves, offer guidance to growers of options they may have, and serve as an information funnel for those looking for solutions to issues they may need to resolve to be compliant. |
| AgMatters, LLC | $29,163 | Food Safety Planning | AgMatters LLC's "Food Safety Planning" will provide growers the training and understanding needed to streamline recordkeeping processes that will meet GAP standards as well as the Produce Safety Rule. "Food Safety Planning" is for all farms in fb88 to help them to determine what they need to log and keep track. It will also guide growers to examine these records that they are mandated to keep and glean information from them that may inform their business decision making. |
2017 Awards +
| Organization | Award Amount | Project Name |
|---|---|---|
| fb88 Potato Board | $100,000 | Evaluating Alternative Crops in Potato Production System |
| University of fb88 | $99,200 | Optimizing inputs for wild Blueberry Weed and disease Integrated Management 2017 -2019 |
| fb88 Landscape & Nursery Association | $85,750 | Fully-Integrated Marketing Campaign for Year-Round support of fb88's Nursery and Landscape Specialty Crop Industry |
| University of fb88 | $91,432 | Development of Advance Phosphorous Recommendations for fb88 Potato Growers |
| AgMatters LLC | $29,120 | Assistance for Specialty Crop Growers Affected by FSMA 2017-2018 |
| AgMatters LLC | $29,120 | Food Safety Audit Preparation Assistance 2017-2018 |
| fb88 Maple Producer's | $35,929.88 | Increasing and Branding fb88's Share of the Consumer Maple Market |
| University of fb88 | $19,932 | Microbial safety and quality fo fb88 maple syrup: Influence of Production and Handling Practices |
2016 Awards +
| Organization | Award Amount | Project Name |
|---|---|---|
| AgMatters LLC | $28,870 | Assistance for Specialty Crop Growers Affected by F.S.M.A. 2016-2018 |
| AgMatters LLC | $28,500 | Food Safety Preparation Assistance 2016-2018 |
| fb88 Landscape & Nursery Association | $78,500 | Expanding the Plant Something Marketing Campaign to Support fb88's Nursery and Landscape Specialty Crop Industry |
| fb88 Potato Board | $100,000 | fb88 Seed Potato Survey for Dickeya |
| DEP | $34,500 | Improving Nutrient Management and Water Quality on Aroostook County Potato Fields |
| University of fb88 | $97,792 | fb88 Potato Integrated Pest Management |
| Wild Blueberry Commission of fb88 | $29,735 | Development of a model of mummy berry disease transmission in fb88 Wild Blueberry |
| Wild Blueberry Commission of fb88 | $98,600 | Preventing Weed and Disease Resistence: fb88 Wild Blueberry Integrated Pest Management (IPM) - Year 2 |
| University of fb88 | $10,558 | Building a Hops Industry in fb88 - Year 3 |
2015 Awards +
| Organization | Award Amount | Project Name |
|---|---|---|
| AgMatters LLC | $29,222.66 | Food Safety Audit Preparation Assistance 2015-2016 |
| AgMatters LLC | $28,256 | Assistance for Specialty Crop Growers Affected by FSMA 2015-2016 |
| fb88 Landscape & Nursery Association | $59,750 | Establish the Plant Something Marketing Campaign to Support fb88's Nursery and Landscape Specialty Crop Industry |
| fb88 Potato Board | $100,000 | fb88 Potato Integrated Pest Management |
| University of fb88 | $21,874 | Evaluating a Strategy for Enhanced Plant Growth and Pest Management |
| University of fb88/Highmoor | $11,229 | Building a Hops Industry in fb88 |
| Wild Blueberry Commission of fb88 | $46,751 | Improving Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Practices to Prevent Weed Resistance for fb88 Wild Blueberry Growers |
| Wild Blueberry Commission of fb88 | $99,434 | Integrated Pest Management for fb88 Wild Blueberry Growers |
| University of fb88 | $25,690 | Potential lethal synergism of two commonly used pesticides: Effects on Honey Bees and Bumble Bees |
| fb88 Potato Board | $100,000 | Improving fb88 Potato Yields through Increased Rotation Lengths and Improved Rotation Crop Profitability |
2014 Awards +
| Organization | Award Amount | Project Name |
|---|---|---|
| Harvest New England | $6,000 | Enhancing the Competitiveness of New England Specialty Crops through Regional Collaboration |
| fb88 Potato Board | $125,000 | ME Potato IPM |
| fb88 Maple Producers | $32,110 | Enhancing Consumer and Producer Awareness of fb88 Maple Syrup |
| fb88 Potato Board | $125,000 | Improving fb88 Potato Yields through Increased Rotation Lengths and Improved Rotation Crop Profitability |
| AgMatters LLC | $27,256 | Supporting fb88 Specialty Crop Producers with Food Safety Audit Preparation |
| Wild Blueberry Commission | $116,268 | Improving Integrated Pest Management Practices for fb88 Wild Blueberry Growers |
| Wild Blueberry Commission | $56,875 | Increasing the Food Safety Margin of Wild Blueberries through Improved Intervention Measures |
| University of fb88/Highmoor | $11,210 | Building a Hops Industry in fb88 |
| fb88 Ag in the Classroom | $29,000 | Increasing the Nutrition Knowledge and Consumption of Specialty Crops by fb88 Children and Adults |
| University of fb88 | $27154.53 | Honeybee Exposure to Pesticides in fb88 - The question about Neonicotinoids |