The Kansas Department of Agriculture has been awarded $383,242.73 through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service awards program funds to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. According to the USDA, specialty crops are defined as “fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture.” Through a competitive application process, the department selected recipients to use the funds.

The following Kansas projects will receive grant funding:

• Expanding Kansas Apple Education to Increase Specialty Crop Awareness and Consumption Among Elementary Students – The Kansas Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom will increase elementary students’ knowledge and consumption of specialty crops by developing a standards-aligned lesson unit for third- through fifth-grade teachers centered on Kansas apple production.
• Innovative Sprayable Edible Coating to Reduce Frost Damage and Economic Losses in Kansas Specialty Vegetables – Pittsburg State University will develop and validate an anti-frost coating to delay ice formation and reduce frost-induced specialty crop damage to help preserve yield and quality during critical growth stages.
• Pumpkins with a Purpose: Enhancing Specialty Crop Production, Education, and Sustainability – Allen County Community College will establish a demonstration plot to evaluate pumpkin varieties and production practices relevant to regional growing conditions to improve production efficiency, reduce input costs and increase adoption of sustainable practices. The college will also support agriculture education and workforce development by providing its students with hands-on, experiential learning opportunities aligned with agriculture career pathways and hosting at least six events annually, including field days, workshops and educational programs with area high schools.
• Drought-Responsive Irrigation for Specialty Crop Landscapes in Kansas: Consumer, Industry, and Municipal Perspectives – Kansas State University will build upon ongoing applied landscape irrigation research supported by industry partners to evaluate how consumers, landscape professionals and municipal staff perceive specialty crop landscapes managed under drought-responsive irrigation scenarios.
• Enhancing Specialty Crop Competitiveness through Year-Round Production, Student Training, and Community Engagement – Kansas State University will develop and demonstrate a climate-resilient, year-round specialty crop production system suitable for Kansas conditions at the Willow Lake Student Farm. The project will expand workforce development by embedding farm-based learning into horticulture courses, incorporating additional interdisciplinary classes, offering internships and supporting a student farm club.
• Start-Up Funding for Heartland Elderberry Collaborative – The Heartland Elderberry Collaborative will be formally established to enhance the competitiveness of Kansas-grown American elderberry against imported alternatives and increase consumer access. This investment in shared infrastructure and governance is intended to create a blueprint for other specialty crop growers in Kansas, demonstrating how collective action can move a crop from limited farmers market sales toward broader regional wholesale and commercial viability.

Source - https://hpj.com