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NDA funds specialty crop block grantsNebraska The Nebraska Department of Agriculture has awarded funding to five groups through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program to enhance the competitiveness of the state's specialty crop growers through education, research, plant health improvement, and marketing and promotion initiatives. "Each of the five projects has a purpose that will ultimately create more opportunities in rural Nebraska and add value to, and diversify, our agricultural economy," said NDA Director Greg Ibach. The five projects and grant amounts awarded are: --The Nebraska Fruits and Vegetables project will help farmers' markets and individual producers market their fruits and vegetables. The project proposes to increase the sales of fruits and vegetables by raising awareness to consumers of the health benefits and availability of fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. The project will receive $18,397 and is a cooperative effort between the NDA, the Nebraska Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. --The Nebraska Dry Bean project is focused on plant health. Project participants will survey western Nebraska production fields (corn, wheat, soybean, proso millet) for the incidence and distribution of bacterial wilt disease. The disease is usually found on dry beans, but recently has been found in other crops, and researchers want to determine whether management changes are needed to stop the spread of the disease. The project will receive $10,736 and is a cooperative effort between NDA and the University of Nebraska, Panhandle Research and Extension Center. --The Nebraska Hybrid Hazelnut Production project is a research project to identify immediate product development opportunities and the potential commercial value of hybrid hazelnuts. The project will receive $25,000 and is a cooperative effort between NDA and the University of Nebraska, Industrial Agricultural Products Center. --The Nebraska Nursery and Landscape project is a promotional project that will focus on the development of a new consumer magazine and related advertising campaign to promote the use of Nebraska-grown landscape plants. In addition, project organizers will host educational workshops to enable Nebraska nurseries to add GreatPlants to their product lines. The project will receive $25,000 and is a cooperative effort between NDA, the Nebraska Nursery and Landscape Association and the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum. --The Nebraska Potato Development project organizers will utilize funds to continue the training of a new manager for the Potato Certification Association of Nebraska. The project will receive $25,000 and is a cooperative effort between NDA and the Potato Certification Association of Nebraska. The funding for the five projects was awarded to NDA through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. NDA received a total of $104,133 for distribution. Another round of Specialty Crop Block Grants funding will be available later this year. For information on how to apply for those grants, please call NDA's Ag Promotion and Development Division at 800-422-6692. 6/16/08 Date: 6/27/08
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