Grants Awarded For CO Specialty Crops

Grants Awarded For CO Specialty Crops

More than $730,000 has been awarded in 10 grants through the USDA’s 2015 Specialty Crops Block Grant Program. These grants allow promotion and research focusing on Colorado’s specialty crops that would not otherwise be possible. Colorado Department of Ag Marketing Specialist Glenda Mostek shares an example of one of the projects awarded a grant.
Mostek: “It is very exciting this year we have funding going to crops that people may not associate with Colorado — such as potatoes, and onions and apples. We also have a project to establish youth farmers markets in the urban areas and familiarize young people in the cities with specialty crops and fruits and vegetables. How to plant them and how to garden and maybe how to eat more of these crops.”
In addition to establishing Youth Farmers Markets in more schools: other projects that were awarded grants will research to identify which onion biochemicals protect against cancer development; to reduce irrigation water and fertilizer use in potato production systems; as well as heritage fruit varieties preservation. Mostek continues
Mostek: “The hops is a continuing project. There is a hop field planted up Fort Lewis College near Durango and testing which of hops might grow in Colorado because we make a lot of beer here it would be great if we could grow all the hops here to produce that beer.”

 

 

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