Press Releases

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene praised an announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that $4.2 million in grants were awarded to Washington state through the USDA’s Specialty Crop Block Grant (SCBG) Program. These grants will support Washington producers of fresh fruits and vegetables by funding research to improve growing practices and help farmers gain access to new international markets.  Specifically, the announcement includes a $250,000 grant to support raspberry producers in Whatcom County.

“Washington’s specialty crops represent millions of dollars of economic activity and thousands of jobs. For us, healthy farms mean a healthy economy,” said Congresswoman DelBene. “This funding will help Whatcom County farmers succeed and enhance the competitiveness of their businesses.”

The only member from Washington state on the Conference Committee to negotiate a final Farm Bill, DelBene fought to include record increases in funding for research and programs that help Washington state’s specialty crop growers.

Specifically, the award for Whatcom County works to:

Improve soil quality and increase crop yield for Whatcom County raspberry producers by developing a model for a data-driven, collaborative, non-regulatory approach to help red raspberry growers maintain environmentally friendly, viable agriculture practices.