Colorado’s specialty crop industry received over $850,000 in grants from the Colorado Department of Agriculture to fund several projects in 2021, the department announced Wednesday.

The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program funds new or ongoing projects regarding specialty crops including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, horticulture, greenhouse and nursery plants.

“Interest in the program this year was strong and the applicant pool was highly competitive,” said Jennifer Benson, CDA grants specialist.

Of 29 applications, 12 were selected for funding.

The federal grant program is housed in the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered by state departments. The grant amounts awarded to each state is based on the previous year’s cash receipts for specialty crops in the state.

The following projects received grants this year:

• Colorado Department of Agriculture, Broomfield: $71,000 to promote Colorado produce to 19,000 attendees from over 60 countries at the 2021 Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit Expo.
• Colorado Farmers Market Association, Denver: $62,127 to provide business development training for farmer vendors and year-long, coordinated marketing support for farmers and market managers.
• Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, Longmont: $53,424 for education, marketing and promotion of Colorado specialty crops through tours, youth education and social media outreach.
• Colorado Potato Administrative Committee, Monte Vista: $72,238 to explore the use of biopesticides by potato growers in San Luis Valley and to provide Colorado public schools with education on Colorado potatoes.
• Colorado State University, Fort Collins: $37,635 to evaluate the cold hardiness of different peach cultivars across the five most important peach growing regions of Colorado and to share results with growers.
• Colorado State University, Fort Collins: $30,475 to evaluate different sweet cherry tree canopy architectures that optimize orchard productivity and fruit quality and to share results with producers.
• Colorado State University, Fort Collins: $81,148 to conduct research and supply technical support and outreach to Colorado specialty crop producers to stimulate innovation, competitiveness and success.
• Colorado State University, Fort Collins: $90,327 for continuing research on Cytospora canker, the most prevalent peach disease in Colorado, to establish a chemical management plan for the disease.
• Colorado State University, Fruita: $58,914 to help farmers grow high-value organic chickpeas by determining which varieties are most successful, when to plant and how to manage weeds.
• Fort Lewis College, Hesperus: $78,745 to create 12 grower guides for specialty crops at elevation, addressing challenges like the short growing season, water scarcity, clay soils, early frosts and pest pressure.
• GoFarm, Golden: $39,351 to assist young and beginning farmers by developing a robust network of experienced farmer mentors and a regional alliance for farmer training.
• Montezuma Orchard Restoration Project, Cortez: $87,000 to preserve Colorado’s apple genetics and diversify the selection that have varying genetic traits like drought tolerance and insect/disease resistance.

All 12 of the awarded project will begin in early 2021.