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Specialty crop grants go to six South Dakota projects

The South Dakota Department of Agriculture (SDDA) awarded nearly $342,880 to six specialty crop projects around the state. Projects this year include incubator hub sites, year-round production, marketing, education, and increased sales of specialty crops. Funds are from the USDA’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Specialty crops include everything from fruits and vegetables to honey and hops.

“We have a wide variety of projects this year which are impacting the specialty crop industry. From educating and training about the importance of specialty crops in our state and our homes to projects focused on increasing natural foods knowledge and consumption for our tribal youth, this is a very exciting year for the agriculture industry,” said SDDA Grant and Loan Specialist Nicole Prince.

Among the grant recipients are the Cheyenne River Youth Project in Eagle Butte, the REDCO Food Sovereignty Initiative at Mission, The Heart of the Whetstone Horizons in Corona, the South Dakota Specialty Producers Association at Yankton, the Western Dakota Technical Institute in Rapid City, and the South Dakota State Fair in Huron.