Illinois to receive specialty crop grant funds
Funds will
expand the availability of fresh, locally grown produce and
strengthen state's farm economy
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[October 06, 2012]
SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois
Department of Agriculture has been awarded nearly $634,000 through
the United States Department of Agriculture's Specialty Crop Block
Grant Program. The funds will be split between 12 projects that are
intended to expand the availability of fresh, locally grown produce
and strengthen the state's specialty crop industry.
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"I'd like to thank USDA for recognizing the importance of expanding
access to nutritious, locally grown foods and providing us these
funds," said Bob Flider, acting director of agriculture. "They will
raise awareness about the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables
that are available here and help consumers make food choices that
improve not only their health, but also the health of their local
economy." While best known for growing corn and soybeans, Illinois
is the largest producer of pumpkins and horseradish in the nation
and ranks among the top 10 states in the production of other
specialty crops such as asparagus, cauliflower, green peas and lima
beans. The state devotes more than 117,000 acres of farmland to
growing specialty crops, which produces nearly $137 million in sales
for Illinois farmers.
According to the Illinois Local Food, Farms and Jobs Council, if
the state could increase the amount of money spent on Illinois-grown
food to just 10 percent of the statewide total, it would generate
more than $20 billion in new economic activity every year, create
thousands of jobs in farming and the food industry, and revitalize
both rural and urban communities.
A list of the grant recipients and a brief description of their
projects follows:
-
Partner with the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to enhance the safety
of locally grown produce by assessing the microbial profiles on
produce from farmers markets and recommending handling practices
that minimize the risk of microbial contamination.
-
Partner with The
Land Connection to implement a social media campaign that uses
blogs, Twitter, Facebook and other online interactions to
educate consumers about Illinois specialty crop growers.
-
Partner with the
CBS Community Partnerships division to provide a targeted
multimedia campaign that focuses on the importance and
availability of locally grown specialty crops.
-
Partner with the
Illinois Stewardship Alliance to create a marketing campaign to
promote local specialty crops to local restaurants and develop
new resources for farms to better understand regulatory
requirements.
-
Work with Illinois grocers and farmers
markets to implement a marketing campaign for Illinois specialty
crops through the "Illinois -- Where Fresh Is" buy-local
program.
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-
Partner with the
Illinois Specialty Growers Association to conduct an educational
conference that educates Illinois specialty crop growers about
current food safety requirements. Matching funds will be used to
cover expenditures for non-specialty crop commodities.
-
Partner with the
Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association to teach best
management practices to Illinois grape growers through hands-on
and online continuing education opportunities.
-
Partner with
Experimental Station to educate low-income urban residents how
to grow, prepare and enjoy Illinois specialty crops by providing
at-market, in-school, after-school and summer educational
programming. Matching funds will be used to cover expenditures
for non-specialty crop commodities.
-
Partner with the
Gary Comer Youth Center to provide urban youth with additional
education on the nutritional value of specialty crops and the
opportunity to participate in urban agriculture through the
development of a youth-managed rooftop farm.
-
Partner with the
Ag in Progress Partnership to facilitate an educational program
for FFA members that discusses the intricacies of honeybee
biology and behavior to enhance the understanding of our most
efficient pollinator.
-
Partner with
Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom to support the development
of a new "Specialty Crops Ag Mag."
-
Partner with the Illinois Horseradish
Growers Association to identify new, viable varieties that are
whiter, larger in size and last longer than current varieties,
without sacrificing flavor.
[Text from
Illinois
Department of Agriculture
file received from the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information] |