 The agency has been notified that Illinois will receive a share
of the funds and is instructed to begin the proposal selection
process. The exact amount of its award, however, has not been
determined.
"Expanding access to nutritious, homegrown Illinois food is
one of the department's top priorities," said Agriculture
Director Bob Flider. "If we could increase local food purchases
to just 10 percent of our grocery bill, it would generate more
than 20 billion dollars in new economic activity every year,
create thousands of jobs in the farming and food industries, and
revitalize both rural and urban communities."
The funds will come from the Specialty Crop Block Grant
program in the new farm bill. Most recently, Illinois has been
receiving about $600,000 a year and using the funds to open new
markets for fresh, Illinois-grown produce.
The USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service defines specialty
crops as "fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and
horticulture and nursery crops (including floriculture)."
According to a 2010 Illinois Specialty Crop Survey, more than
101,000 acres of Illinois farmland are devoted to growing
specialty crops, producing nearly $392 million in annual sales
for Illinois farmers. Nationally, Illinois ranks first for its
pumpkin production and in the top 10 in the production of
specialty crops such as asparagus, cauliflower, peas and lima
beans.
[to top of second column] |
The Illinois Department of Agriculture will accept grant proposals
until May 1 at 4 p.m. "Request for Proposal" packets and
additional information about the program, including a list of
past grant recipients and their projects, is available by clicking
the specialty crops logo on the homepage of the department's website
at www.agr.state.il.us or
by contacting Delayne Reeves at 217-524-9129 or
delayne.reeves@illinois.gov.
[Text from file received from
Illinois Department of
Agriculture]
 |
