Secretary Naig Awards 13 Grants to Support Specialty Crop Production in Iowa
DES MOINES, Iowa (Oct. 14, 2026) - Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today announced that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has awarded 13 Specialty Crop Block Grants to support education and outreach, research, and market development that benefits Iowa’s specialty crop producers, including Choose Iowa members.
“Specialty crop producers are finding new ways to grow, diversify and create value right here in Iowa, and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship wants to help continue that momentum,” said Secretary Naig. “These Specialty Crop Block Grants support research, education and outreach that spur innovation and help Iowa’s specialty crop producers tap into new markets. Not only do these investments strengthen our state’s agriculture-based economy, but they also provide more opportunities for consumers to buy Iowa-grown, Iowa-made and Iowa-raised food, beverage and horticultural products.”
Annual funding for the Specialty Crop Block Grants is authorized by the Farm Bill and provided through a partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). This year, Iowa received more than $435,000 through the federal grant program, and the funding will be distributed to the following grant recipients:
Iowa Specialty Crop Growers Association*
2027 Iowa Specialty Producers Conference
Iowa State University
Managing Soil pH for Iowa Specialty Crops
Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development
Alternative Farm Food Safety Assessments for Wholesale Customers
Iowa State University
Viral Threats to Iowa Apple Production: A Comprehensive Virome Survey of Malus Domestica
Iowa State University
New Shrubs for Iowa's Nursery Industry to Diversify the Landscape in the Upper Midwest
Iowa State University
Optimizing Fermentation of Iowa Specialty Fruits to Expand Value-added Opportunities
Practical Farmers of Iowa*
Cover Crops for Weed Suppression in Specialty Crop Systems
Iowa Wine Growers Association
Iowa Wine Growers Association Annual Conference
Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation
The Buzz About Bees: Pollinators and Specialty Crop Connections
Lutheran Services in Iowa*
Expanding Iowa's Access to Naturally Grown Vegetables and Farmer Market Opportunities
Iowa State University
Effects of Pre-harvest Conditioning on Sod Establishment under Deficit Irrigation
Iowa State University
Supporting Producers in Navigating Loans, Grants, and Funding Opportunities: Cultivating Capital, Train the Trainer and Producer Trainings
Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
Choose Iowa Grown Specialty Crop Products Campaign to Increase Consumer Awareness and Consumption of Local Iowa Agricultural Products
A complete list of Specialty Crop Block Grant recipients, and more details about each project, is available on the USDA AMS website.