Secretary's Column: Farm Bill Supports Specialty Crop Growers, Improves Access to Healthy Food

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, on April 18, 2014 at 12:00 PM

The 2014 Farm Bill has already set in motion and accomplished so much for our country. With historic support for specialty crop producers across the country, the bill will touch every one of our lives through one of the most basic of human needs: food.

Specialty crops make up the bulk of what we eat—all of our fruits and vegetables, tree nuts and dried fruits—as well as things like cut flowers and nursery crops. They are half of MyPlate at every meal, and the daily source for most of our vitamins and nutrients. For many in rural America, these crops not only provide nutrition, they are also a primary source of income.

For nearly a decade, USDA supported specialty crop growers across the country through the Specialty Crop Block Grant (SCBG) program. These grants enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops, sustain the livelihood of American farmers, and strengthen rural economies.

Last year, the program provided $55 million for 700 state-selected projects nationwide that contributed to food safety improvements, increased access to healthy food, and provided new research to help growers increase profitability and sustainability. The new farm bill expands support through the SCBG program to more than $66 million in grants for specialty crop growers—a historic high.

With projects focusing on everything from food safety to business planning, the block grants are designed to increase the long-term success of producers and broaden the market for specialty crops.  Many states select projects that dovetail with community needs, such as establishing farm to school programs, providing training in good agricultural handling practices (GAP), creating organic and sustainable production practices, and developing food hubs that will increase opportunities for small-scale growers.

In Michigan, a 2009 grant helped the state Department of Agriculture and Resource Development work with partners to increase sales opportunities for specialty crop farmers in Southeast Michigan. They were able to identify and overcome barriers that prevented schools from purchasing products directly from local farmers, and ended up increasing the sales of apples, cucumbers, peppers, red potatoes, broccoli and several other crops within their state.

Another grant in Idaho established a partnership between the state Department of Agriculture and Boise State University-Tech to provide workshops that helped improve food safety and implement sustainable production practices for onions, potatoes, apples, cherries, peas and lentils. The project resulted in higher audit scores, increased efficiency and sustainability for participating companies, which both improve consumer confidence and help producers’ bottom lines in the long run.

Our dedication to strengthening rural America and increasing opportunities for specialty crop farmers will help keep our nation’s economy—and people—healthy for years to come. This week, we made the next round of SCBG funds available so that states can begin funding projects. If you’re interested in applying, I encourage you to contact your state department of agriculture. You can find more information atwww.usda.gov/farmbill.

A New World-Old World Problem and How Genetic "Fingerprints" May Help

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Dennis O’Brien, Agricultural Research Service, on September 3, 2013 at 11:00 AM

ARS scientists and NIFA-funded researchers work to improve the tools and processes to develop better grapes and grapevines. Their discoveries will make it easier for grape breeders to identify vines that combine the most desirable traits.

This post is part of the Science Today feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from USDA’s rich science and research portfolio.

When it comes to grapes, there’s a New World-Old World dichotomy. Grapevines originating in the Americas (e.g. Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia) can resist pests and diseases, but they generally don’t have the taste or aroma of grapes with European origins (Vitis vinifera).  But European grapes are more susceptible to pests and disease.

Grape breeders try to combine the best of both worlds, but here’s the problem: if you cross one grape with another, there is no guarantee your progeny will inherit the desirable traits. And because it takes so much time to grow a grapevine, produce grapes from those vines, and for those grapes to be evaluated, bringing a new grape to market can take 20 years or more. Scientists can speed things up by identifying genes that give grapes the right blend of the best characteristics. Identifying the genes will tell you the characteristics of the vine without having to wait for it to grow.

VitisGen, a project partially funded by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture Specialty Crop Research Initiative, is helping scientists pick up the pace. The $9 million project, which is supported with matching grants from the grape industry, brings together scientists from 11 research institutions across the United States. They’re focused on improving the tools and processes used in traditional breeding. As part of the project, scientists at Cornell University, South Dakota State University and the USDA Agricultural Research Service operate three “Phenotyping Centers,” where breeders can send vine samples for laboratory evaluations and genetic analyses. Breeders usually send samples from “families” of 100 to 200 vines, and each center is equipped to screen one of three key traits: fruit quality, cold tolerance or resistance to powdery mildew.

The project started in 2011 and is slated to run until 2016. In its first two years, scientists have created the largest genetic database for any specialty crop in the United States, according to Lance Cadle-Davidson, the USDA-ARS scientist who helps oversee the effort.  They have developed genetic fingerprints of 8,000 grapevines, identified 1.2 million DNA markers and discovered linkages between these markers and the traits. These discoveries make it faster and easier for breeders to identify vines combining the most desirable traits.