In the News
Farm bill raises funds for Skagit specialty cropsFarm bill raises funds for Skagit specialty crops
Mount Vernon, WA,
February 5, 2014
MOUNT VERNON — A significant piece of the federal farm bill for Skagit County agriculture is the increased and permanent funding for specialty crop research and grant programs. The bill is the first to provide long-term investments for the programs and raises funding 50 percent over levels offered in the last farm legislation, providing $80 million per year to the Specialty Crop Research Initiative and $72.5 million per year, to start, for the Specialty Crop Block Grant program. Most northwest Washington agricultural products are not commodity crops like corn or soybeans grown elsewhere in the U.S., but specialty crops that lack the financial backing of nationwide commissions for research of diseases and problems, said Stephen Jones, director of the Washington State University Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center in Mount Vernon. Specialty crops include some of Skagit County’s most valuable crops, including fruits, potatoes, vegetables, nursery crops and horticulture. Washington is the third-highest recipient of specialty crop grants, behind Florida and California. To read the full story, click HERE. |