Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin announced more than $550,000 in federal Specialty Crop Block Grant Program funding has been awarded to seven agricultural-related projects to help promote and enhance the competitiveness of Virginia’s specialty crops.
“This grant funding supports research and technological advancements that enhance the competitiveness of Virginia’s specialty crops while also helping to create new market opportunities for agricultural producers. I am also pleased that several of these projects will help to further position the Commonwealth as the leader in controlled environment agriculture,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin.
“These grants represent over a half-million-dollar investment in Virginia’s economy, which will boost economic development and create jobs in agriculture, Virginia’s largest private industry.”
Specialty crops are defined as fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture. Among this round of specialty crop grant awards are projects that advance research within controlled environment agriculture, frost damage prevention, Virginia specific disease management, evaluation of in-field water treatments, and potential economic benefits of using drones for pest management.
Source: shoredailynews.com