Specialty Crop application window opens in KY

FRANKFORT, Ky. – The proposal window for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program is now open, Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell has announced.

“With the intention of making Kentucky specialty crops more competitive in domestic and foreign markets, the specialty crop program is seeking application proposals to creatively increase those areas of interest,” Commissioner Shell said. “While Kentucky’s specialty crop industry already makes up a significant part of the state’s agricultural economy, there’s always room for growth.”

Specialty crops include apples, peaches, berries, grapes, tomatoes, sweet corn, greens, potatoes, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, shrubs, ornamentals, and greenhouse plants. Image credit - Jeff Ishee

When applying, applicants must describe how the project potentially affects and produces measurable outcomes for the specialty crop industry and/or the public. Privately owned companies, small business owners, 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organizations, and quasi-government entities, including public universities, are eligible to apply. All projects are subject to the availability of funds. The Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) will not award grant funds for projects that solely benefit a particular commercial product or provide profit to a single organization, institution, or individual.

Based on a recent survey of Kentucky specialty crop industry experts, funding priorities for 2026 grants include:

• Pest and disease control;

• Specialty crop research, including research to focus on conservation and environmental outcomes;

• Improving efficiency and reducing costs of distribution systems; and

• Enhancing food safety.

Other project focuses include, but are not limited to, sustainability, developing good agricultural handling and manufacturing practices, developing new and improved seed varieties and specialty crops, and increasing child and adult nutrition knowledge and consumption of specialty crops.

Preliminary proposals must be submitted on the form at kyagr.com/marketing/documents/SC_Concept_Proposal.pdf and emailed to Anne Harney at Anne.Harney@ky.gov no later than 4:30 p.m. EDT on May 11, 2026.

Qualifying applicants will be notified and invited to complete a full grant application. Specialty crops are defined as fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticultural products, nursery crops (including floriculture), and honey. For a comprehensive list, interested parties may visit ams.usda.gov/services/grants/scbgp/specialty-crop.

KDA is administering Kentucky's share of the $86.6 million in grant funding provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as announced on April 13, 2026. For 2026, Kentucky anticipates receiving $413,908.66. KDA conducts an annual competitive application process to award the grant funds.

For more information about the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, go to kyagr.com/marketing/crop-block-grant.html or contact Anne Harney at (502) 782-4102 or Anne.Harney@ky.gov.