Specifications include, but are not limited to: The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (“MDAR”) is soliciting proposals for projects that specifically address the goals the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) has for enhancing the competitiveness of Specialty Crops. 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). The overall goal of the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (“SCBGP”) is to leverage efforts to market and promote specialty crops, assist producers with research and development relevant to specialty crops, expand availability and access to specialty crops, and to address local, regional, and national challenges confronting specialty crop producers. 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.
