Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring has announced the opening of applications for the 2025 Specialty Crop Grants. These grants aim to “enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in North Dakota,” according to Goehring. He encourages submissions from organizations, institutions, and individuals, either independently or in partnership.
The North Dakota Department of Agriculture (NDDA) will manage the distribution of funds through a competitive grant process. Although the state has not yet received its allocation from USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service, it is expected in the coming months.
Eligible projects include those that enhance food safety, control pests and diseases, develop new seed varieties and specialty crops, and increase nutrition knowledge and consumption among children and adults. Projects benefiting specific commercial products or single entities are not eligible.
Specialty crops are defined by the USDA as “fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops.” In North Dakota, these include dry beans, dry peas, lentils, potatoes, confection sunflowers, grapes, honey, and various vegetables.
An information manual with application instructions is available on NDDA’s website: https://www.ndda.nd.gov/scbgp. Applications must be submitted electronically by 4 p.m. CST on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. They will be reviewed and ranked before being forwarded to Agriculture Commissioner Goehring for final submission to USDA in May 2025.
Funded projects will commence on Oct. 1, 2025, with completion required by Sept. 30, 2027.
For further information, contact Jonathan Leonard at (701) 328-2191 or scbg@nd.gov.
