Massachusetts Announces About $403,500 in Grants to Strengthen Specialty Crop Farms
By Tiffany Williams –
Massachusetts is directing about $403,500 in federal grant funding toward projects designed to help specialty crop producers reach customers, improve production and compete in the marketplace. The Healey-Driscoll administration announced six Specialty Crop Block Grant awards supporting work ranging from statewide flower and farmers market promotion to greenhouse tomato research and pesticide drift studies.
The grants are funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service and administered by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. Specialty crops include fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture.
“Specialty crops set Massachusetts apart and are essential to the state’s agricultural identity,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “These grants are aimed at helping our specialty crop producers compete in a crowded marketplace – by funding projects that improve quality, expand marketing and create new opportunities for local businesses.”
Cape Cod Cooperative Extension in Barnstable will receive $51,363.50 to work with the Association to Preserve Cape Cod on native Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens specialty crops. The project combines research, grower support and public education to strengthen producers’ capacity and expand use of those crops in managed landscapes.
The Massachusetts Flower Growers Association will receive $43,375 for grower education, expansion of cut-your-own flower farming and a statewide marketing campaign, Pick Local…Flowers. Its online Massachusetts Flower Map: Explore the Blossom Byway will guide customers to participating cut-your-own farms.
Mass Farmers Markets in Westborough will receive $73,028 for a coordinated campaign encouraging shoppers to buy locally grown produce at farmers markets. The organization plans social media, radio, print and online advertising, along with digital promotional materials that market managers and food system partners can use in their own outreach.
Florence-based EcoAg Collaborative, operating as Momentum Ag, will receive $82,714 to advance cover cropping with American Farmland Trust. A two-year peer learning cohort will develop strategies for five specialty crop farms, combining individualized technical guidance and financial assistance. Field walks, a winter symposium, a farmer report and conference presentations will share the findings statewide.
UMass Amherst will receive $79,684 for Professor Lynn Adler’s greenhouse tomato research. The project will test established and novel insectary plants, which support beneficial insects, assess their value in rural and urban settings, and provide growers with information about their costs and benefits for biological pest control and pollination.
A separate $73,355.48 award will support UMass Amherst Cranberry Station research measuring off-target pesticide drift from unmanned aerial systems. Findings will inform growers about drift risks and be shared with MDAR’s Division of Crop and Pest Services to help develop a regulatory framework. Commissioner Ashley Randle said the federal-state partnership is intended to strengthen supply chains, increase marketplace visibility and support the long-term sustainability of Massachusetts agriculture.
