The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program funds projects that aim to enhance the production and competitiveness of Specialty Crop industries in Massachusetts. Specialty crops are defined by the USDA as fruits and vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, horticulture (including maple syrup and honey), and nursery crops (including floriculture).
MDAR’s goal with the SCBGP is to increase access to healthy, affordable food options, with a preference for fresh, locally-sourced, Massachusetts-grown, caught or harvested healthy food, and to improve economic opportunities for nutritionally underserved communities in urban, rural, and suburban localities.