2026 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Public Input Requested
CONTACT:
Aly Townsend, Montana Department of Agriculture, (406) 444-5424
2026 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Public Input Requested
HELENA, Mont. – The Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA) is requesting public input on the priorities for the 2026 Specialty Crop Block Grant program (SCBG) as supported with funding from the USDA. Eligible entities (government entities, organizations, universities) can then determine if their project aligns with the state priorities or not when considering the program for application.
The purpose of the SCBG program is to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in Montana. For purposes of the program, specialty crops are defined as fruits, vegetables, peas and lentils, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture). To learn more, please visit the SCBG Webpage.
Please email Aly Townsend at a.townsend@mt.gov with input and thoughts surrounding the 2026 SCBG program priorities.
The list below encompasses the priorities for consideration:
Providing Farmer Education on Specialty Crop(s)
- Farm to institution practices
- Value-added production
- Farm and food safety
- Organic production
- Soil health and conservation
- Industry promotion and marketing development
- Tribal sharing of traditional ecological knowledge of indigenous specialty crops
Planning and Supporting Infrastructure that create or support Specialty Crop(s)
- Supported projects align with value of sales from production in the state and acreage impacted
- Cost-sharing and cooperative models for storage
- Distribution system efficiency, cost-savings and resiliency
- Regional and state processing infrastructure planning
- Farm to Institute
Supporting Research in the Areas of Specialty Crop(s)
- Supporting Farmer’s interests with research
- Soil health
- Drought tolerant, cold tolerant, and disease resistant varieties
- Low external-input growing methods
- Genetic resources for cultivar development
- Low-cost technology development for the producer
- Use of beneficial organisms
- Specialty crop training in production methods
Building Consumer and Buyer Relationships
- Regional and statewide education and marketing efforts around specialty crop products
- Marketing opportunities to connect producers and buyers
Strengthening Producer Networks and Associations
- Producer networking events
- Capacity building
- Use of available forums for producer connections
- Encourage consumer education
Public input is important and forms the direction the SCBG program takes in our state. Thank you for your time and consideration.
The Montana Department of Agriculture is serving Montana Agriculture and growing prosperity under the Big Sky. For more information on department programs and services, visit agr.mt.gov.
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Tags: Specialty Crop Block Grant and SCBG
