Deadline: 11-Mar-22
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) will accept proposals for consideration for specialty crop block grant funds from Iowa agencies, universities, institutions, and producer, industry, and community based organizations.
Funding information
Project proposals should be limited to a maximum on $24,000 and maximum duration of 30 months.
Eligible Entities
- To be eligible for a grant, the project(s) must solely enhance the competitiveness of Iowa grown specialty crops that benefit the industry as a whole and that do not directly benefit a particular product or provide a profit to a single organization, institution, or individual.
- Grant funds will not be awarded for projects that solely benefit a particular commercial product or provide a profit to single organization, institution, or individual. Single organizations, institutions, and individuals are encouraged to participate as project partners. Applicants must be a legal entity and have the legal capacity to contract.
- Eligible applicants must reside, and/or conduct their business or organization in Iowa and must be in good standing. Awardees will be required to have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number.
Restrictions and Limitations on Grant Funds
Grant funds will not be awarded for the following:
- Any request that solely benefits a particular commercial product or provide a profit to a single organizations, institution, or individual.
- Any request that seeks to replace operational funding for ongoing projects that have suffered losses of state or federal funding, or to replace other local, state or federal funding.
- Any request to pay for “indirect costs” associated with a project any contractual costs that exceed the cap of GS-15 step 10 unless acceptable justification is provided. $134,776 annual salary or $64.80 per hour, not including benefits.
- Any request to pay for government services normally paid for with general taxpayer funds, such as research equipment or faculty salaries.
- Any request for reimbursement of expenses for activities completed prior to submission and approval of a proposal and a signed contractual agreement.
- Any requests to pay for general administrative or accounting duties. In order for secretarial or clerical salaries to be allowable as direct charges to the grants, a justification of how that person will be directly involved in the project must be included in the narrative.
- Any political activities in accordance with the Hatch Act.
- Any capital expenditures for general purpose equipment, buildings, and land. Capital expenditures of special purpose equipment are allowable with USDA-AMS acceptance.
Eligible Grant Projects
- To be eligible for a grant, the project(s) enhance the competitiveness of Iowa grown specialty crops that benefit the industry as a whole and that do not directly benefit a particular product or provide a profit to a single organization, institution, or individual. Additional points are awarded to projects that are within the identified priority areas.
- USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) encourages projects pertaining to the following issues affecting the specialty crop industry: increasing child and adult nutrition knowledge and consumption of specialty crops; improving efficiency and reducing costs of distribution systems; assisting all entities in the specialty crops distribution chain in developing Good Agricultural Practices, Good Handling Practices, and Good Manufacturing Practices, and in cost-share arrangements for funding audits of such systems for small farmers, packers, and processors; investing in specialty crop research , including research to focus on conservation and environmental outcomes: enhancing food safety; developing new and improved seed varieties and specialty crops; pest and disease control; and development of organic and sustainable production practices. Increasing competitiveness may include developing local and regional food systems, and improving food access in underserved communities.
Applicants should describe how the project potentially impacts and produces measurable outcomes for the specialty crop industry and/or the public rather than a single organization, institution, or individual. Please refer to the Performance Measure Information Sheet.
Examples of Acceptable Projects
- A university requests grant funds to conduct research on the feasibility of planting, cultivating, and growing a specialty crop in a particular area, the results of which can be shared with many growers throughout the State.
- A single grower requests funds to demonstrate the viability of organic small fruit production and partners with Cooperative Extension to publicize the working model of diversification to other regional growers.
- A single company requests funds to provide a viable pollination alternative to specialty crop stakeholders in the region, which currently does not have one.
- A single specialty crop organization requests funds to conduct an advertising campaign that will benefit their specialty crop members.
- A single farmer erects high tunnels on their property to extend the growing season of tomatoes and lettuce and conducts a field day and farm tour to encourage other small family farmers to adopt the production methods. Projects that support farmers markets that do not enhance the competitiveness of eligible specialty crops
Examples of Unacceptable Projects
- A company requests grant funds to purchase starter plants or equipment used to plant, cultivate, and grow a specialty crop for the purpose of making a profit, or to expand production of a single business.
- Individual specialty crop businesses or roadside stands requesting funds to promote their individual businesses.
- A sole proprietor requests grant funds to redesign her/his logo in order to make her/his specialty crop value-added product stand out at the local farmers market.
- A company that develops specialty crop value-added products requests funds to train its employees how to make value-added products.
- A specialty crop producer requests funds to promote their asparagus at a roadside stand.
For more information, visit Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.
For more information, visit https://iowaagriculture.gov/agricultural-diversification-market-development-bureau/specialty-crop-block-grant-program
