Specialty crop fruit and vegetable farmers get hand up in Washington State

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty MurrayPatty Murray (D-WA) announced that Washington state will receive $2,920,854 in federal funding to promote and market specialty crops produced by local farmers throughout the state. Washington state is the leading producer of several specialty crops including sweet cherries, apples, Concord grapes, and red raspberries. The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, a competitive grant program dedicated to supporting local and rural agriculture interests, increasing the competitiveness of small producers, and promoting or creating direct marketing opportunities for specialty crop producers.

“Our state’s specialty crop growers are a primary reason agriculture is our state’s biggest economic engine,” said Senator Murray. “And in an increasingly global market, these local farmers face new challenges competing for market share. This funding will help apple, cherry, and other specialty crop growers promote and market their world-class products.”

Washington state’s allotment in grant funding is the third highest total of the 55 grants totaling approximately $49 million that were awarded today.

Last year, Senator Murray worked to include over $3 billion in federal funding for Washington state specialty crop growers in the 2008 Farm Bill. Specialty crops are defined as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture.

Nationally, the House Subcommittee on Specialty Crops, Rural Development and Foreign Agriculture is a standing subcommittee within the House Agriculture Committee. Its jurisdiction includes such diverse crops as peanuts, sugar, and tobacco as well as overseeing marketing orders relating to those commodities. The committee also is responsible for overseeing biotechnology issues, rural development, farm security and family farming matters, foreign agricultural assistance, and trade promotion programs.

The subcommittee was previously known as the Subcommittee on Specialty Crops and Foreign Agriculture, but rural development was added to the subcommittee's portfolio at the start of the 110th Congress.

Grants from the subcommittee assist municipalities to facilitate the ability of local farmers to grow food crops and certain livestock to be sold locally, grants to enable local nongovernmental farming associations to support the formation of community-supported agricultural projects, and grants to provide start-up funds to farmers who must diversify their operations in order to participate in the projects.

***Source Press release from Senator Patty Murray's office. No copyright restrictions

Contact: Matt McAlvanah Press Secretary U.S. Senator Patty Murray

202-224-2834 - press office

202--224-0228 - direct

matt_mcalvanah@murray.senate.gov