LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – Michigan agriculture officials are directing more than $2 million in federal funding to support fruit, vegetable, and nursery growers across the state, announcing 22 new projects under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said the grants will help growers respond to weather volatility, labor shortages, and market uncertainty, challenges that have intensified for specialty crop producers in recent years.
“Specialty crops are the backbone of Michigan’s agricultural success, but market uncertainty, unpredictable weather, and labor constraints are making them harder to grow and get to market,” MDARD Director Tim Boring “These Specialty Crop Block Grants are strategic investments that will help Michigan farmers boost yields and access new markets, thereby giving Michiganders more access to locally grown foods and enhancing community health and prosperity.”
The $2.08 million will support projects for apples, asparagus, cherries, dry beans, onions, grapes, potatoes, nursery crops, and more. Michigan is a top-five U.S. producer of several specialty crops, and the state’s food and agriculture industry generates nearly $126 billion annually.
This year’s awards include:
- Michigan Apple Committee — $125,000 to expand digital marketing and build brand loyalty for Michigan apples.
- Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board — $100,000 to promote climate-resilient asparagus production with new soil and nutrient management tools.
- Michigan Bean Commission — $99,999 to support sustainable dry bean production.
- Michigan Blueberry Commission — $99,000 to advance anthracnose management and $66,797 to test new tools for spotted-wing drosophila control.
- Michigan Celery Research — $99,998 for integrated strategies to manage herbicide-resistant weeds and prevent bolting.
- Cherry Marketing Institute — $122,500 to improve and unify digital outreach for the state and national cherry industries.
- Michigan Christmas Tree Association — $89,444 to research strategies for managing root rot in Christmas tree plantations.
- Michigan Grape Society — $97,941 to evaluate sustainable management techniques for Michigan vineyards and orchards.
- Hop Growers of Michigan — $99,000 to address downy mildew in hopyards.
- Michigan State Horticultural Society — $100,000 to optimize sensory quality in controlled-environment strawberry production, and $99,200 to develop a new Enviroweather mobile app.
- Michigan Nursery & Landscape Association — $100,000 to develop alternative pesticides for container-grown nursery plants, and $19,999 to study weed control impacts.
- Michigan Onion Committee — $99,108 to limit leaf spot and preserve yields.
- Michigan Potato Industry Commission — $85,630 to study how nitrogen fertilizers move through soil and plant tissue.
- Michigan Seed Potato Association — $72,320 to enhance seed sampling and industry data.
- Michigan Vegetable Council — $96,925 to improve management of root-knot nematodes.
- Michigan Wine Collaborative — $64,800 for a pilot program training retailers to help increase consumer access to Michigan wines.
- Area Community Services, Employment & Training Council — $83,470 for food safety certification and workforce development for specialty crop growers.
- MDARD International Marketing Program — $158,395 to expand domestic and international promotion of Michigan specialty crops.
- New City Neighbors — $98,822 to expand specialty crop training opportunities in west Michigan.
The USDA’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program funds states to enhance the competitiveness of high-value crops, including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery products. MDARD awards the grants annually through a competitive application process.
Boring said Michigan has been pushing Congress this year to maintain strong and reliable funding for the program, calling it a cornerstone of agricultural innovation and economic stability for growers across the state.
