NORTH COAST, Calif. – U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson has announced a number of U.S. Department of Agriculture block grants totaling $802,141 to help support economic opportunities and grow local markets for specially crops around the region.
The grants, made through the 2013 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, will assist growers of specialty crops and help strengthen and expand markets for their products.
The goal of the grant program is to promote and increase opportunities for specialty crop producers.
The grants are paid for by the USDA with funds approved by Congress through the annual appropriations process.
“Agriculture is the backbone of our economy and these investments will strengthen our district’s specialty crop industry by supporting local markets, promoting quality products, and increasing the availability of freshly grown fruits and vegetables to schools and commercial buyers,” said Thompson.
Grants that will benefit California’s 5th Congressional District include:
- $390,021 for North Coast Opportunities Inc. to make more Lake and Mendocino County specialty crop products easily available to schools and other institutional and commercial buyers by creating a California specialty crop grower distribution hub. The Food Hub will handle only eligible specialty crops to ensure that grant funding supports only specialty crops.
- $357,000 for the Sonoma Valley Vintners Association to increase wine consumer awareness of the high-quality wines from the Sonoma Valley American Viticultural Area through a marketing campaign that will include website redesign, social media and email campaigns, and print and online advertising.
- $55,120 for Solano Grown to promote and encourage purchases of local specialty crop products by developing an online farmers’ market for Solano County specialty crop producers.
The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program is part of USDA’s integrated approach to programs and policies that stimulate food- and agriculturally-based community economic development.
Thompson represents California’s 5th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.