COLUMBUS, Ohio – According to many ag experts, specialty crops don’t get the respect or even second look they so deserve. Specialty crops are “second fiddle” to most other growing ventures.

As an enticement for growers to take a closer look at specialty crops and bring them to the forefront, the Ohio Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for the 2022 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.

Grant funding is provided by the USDA Agriculture Marketing Service. Grant awards will range from $25,000-$150,000. In addition, all applicants must provide a minimum match of 25 percent of the requested grant amount.

ODA’s 2022 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program was designed to entice growers to specialty crops and allow them to prosper in their venture.

“Most of us eat some type of specialty crop every single day,” said Austin Gellings, manager of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. “Whether you’re eating your fruits and vegetables, or even using certain seasonings to help complete that perfect dish, you’re using specialty crops.

“Specialty crops account for more than 16 percent of total agricultural output, yet this segment of agriculture gets overlooked.”

According to USDA Crop Production Statistics of 2021, there are 2.02 million farms in the country. Of those, there are 184,000 specialty crop farms spanning over 10.4 million acres of farmland.

Specialty crops have their challenges. For starters, in most areas across the country, year-round production is impossible. And, unlike row crops, specialty crops can’t be raised in bulk and stored to be sold throughout the year due to freshness concerns.

According to Gellings, specialty crops are often much more weather sensitive than their counterparts. The good news, he said, is an annual growth rate of 2.6 percent is projected over the course of the next decade, and commodity prices have already climbed nearly 40 percent since 2011.

One specialty crop that has gained momentum in recent years in Ohio is the fig. Dr. Gary Gao, professor and Extension specialist at OSU South Centers, has performed extensive research on the fig and its ability to be grown in Ohio’s climate. Gao has conducted research trials on high value fruit crops.

“Most Americans are more familiar with fig cookies than fresh figs,” Gao said. “The fig has been grown as a fruit crop for many centuries and even considered an ancient fruit. In the U.S., fig production is concentrated in California since most edible fig cultivars are not cold hardy and can be killed to the ground when temperatures are 20 degrees or below.”

Gao said there are two types of figs suitable for growth in Ohio: the Brown Turkey and Hardy Chicago.

“There are hundreds of fig cultivars available in the commercial trade, but most of them are not well suited for Ohio due to their lack of cold hardiness, long fruit ripening cycle and unique pollination requirements,” Gao said. “Brown Turkey and Hardy Chicago are the only two suggested cultivars.”

According to Gao, “super berries” such as Aronia, Chinese goji and elderberries are recommended to specialty crop growers because the public is very health-conscious and these berries offer great nutritional values. He sees them as a viable cash crop.

To qualify for the specialty crop program, the grants must be used to support projects that raise awareness about and increase demand for specialty crops grown in Ohio. Eligible specialty crops include both fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture. Successful grant applications should explain how projects will improve specialty crop production through marketing and promotions, research and development, expanding availability and access to specialty crops, or addressing local, regional and national challenges confronting specialty crop producers. Projects that demonstrate profit potential for growers and those that could boost employment opportunities in the specialty crop industry are prioritized.

For more information on the 2022 program, available forms, or a copy of the request for proposal, visit the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s website at www.agri.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/oda/divisions/markets/resources/SCBG