Utah gets $236K grant to help 'specialty crops'

Utahns who grow what the U.S. Department of Agriculture defines as "specialty crops" — fruits, vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts and horticulture and nursery crops, including flora — could receive a portion of a $236,000 grant awarded to the state.

The grants are for work that benefits the industry or production of the crop in general, such as research or education, said Jed Christenson, marketing director of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, the agency that is administering the grants.

The grant cannot be used to buy seeds, for instance, or other supplies that benefit a single producer. The idea is to benefit all producers of a crop and to increase production of specialty crops.

The USDA "would like to see more fruits and vegetables grown locally so they don't have to ship product across the United States," Christenson said.

The money comes from the 2008 Farm Bill, and this year is the fourth year for the grants in Utah, but this year, about twice as much money is available.

"The average project in the past has been (awarded) around $11,000 to $12,000," Christenson said.

In the past, grant money has been used to test drought-tolerant native flora, control weeds in onions, and bait traps in orchards to control insects in lieu of pesticides.

An application packet and program details are available online at ag.utah.gov, or producers can call Christenson at 801-538-7108.

E-mail: lhancock@desnews.com