Goehring awards more than $3 million in specialty crop block grants.

Bismarck, ND – Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring has awarded 24 grants totaling over $3 million to promote the development, cultivation, production and sales of specialty crops in North Dakota.

“North Dakota is already a leading producer of several specialty crops, such as dry edible beans, dry peas, potatoes and lentils,” Goehring said. “As our farmers seek to diversify their production, these grants help provide important information through specialty crop research, education, and trade missions.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA-AMS) approved $3,020,369.05 for the 2026 grants. The grants are distributed based on a formula that takes into account specialty crop acreage and production value.

Specialty crops are defined in law as “fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops, including floriculture.”

Organizations and agencies receiving grants are:

North Dakota State University (NDSU) - $85,358 to expand knowledge and use of specialty crops among adults and children
NDSU - $128,418 to improve virus detection in fields for managing corky ringspot disease of potato
NDSU - $6,185 to identify tomato varieties for higher yields, better fruit quality and healthier diets
NDSU - $139,957 to develop eco-friendly integrated management strategies for controlling soybean cyst nematode in dry bean
NDSU - $108,659 for integrated management of Aphanomyces and fusarium root rot in field peas and lentils
North Dakota Department of Agriculture (NDDA) - $83,565.50 for detection and outreach for invasive horticultural pests in North Dakota
NDDA - $110,189.25 for local foods specialty crop access, awareness and education
NDSU - $93,022 for identification and promotion of the health benefits of dry edible bean derived resistant starch
NDSU - $74,230 to accelerate breeding of new slow-darkening light red kidney and cranberry beans using genomic tools
NDSU - $119,000 to enhance North Dakota dry bean export competitiveness through development of bruchid-resistant cultivars
NDSU - $64,096 to evaluate underutilized native U.S. trees for the North Dakota nursery and landscaping industry
National Agricultural Genotyping Center (NAGC) - $233,357 to expand a DNA screening panel for herbicide resistance across multiple weed species impacting North Dakota specialty crops
NDSU - $134,113 to evaluate in-furrow products for management of root rots impacting dry edible bean
NDSU - $184,939 to combat fungicide insensitivity in Alternaria leaf spot pathogens of potatoes
NDSU - $118,663 for germplasm enhancement of chickpea and lentil using mutation induction technology
NDSU - $85,574 for integrated white mold management in pinto beans, optimizing dry bean yield, quality and profitability
NDSU - $28,685 to evaluate rootstock influence on oaks for North Dakota
NDDA - $95,529.50 for detection and monitoring of honey bee viruses
Northland Potato Growers Association - $124,998.75 to determine the role of potatoes in GLP-1 friendly eating
NDSU - $119,000 to breed and select vegetable crops for the northern climate
NDSU - $126,921 to combat infectious diseases on tomatoes and peas
NDSU - $196,402 to assess reservoir risks of rotational and cover crops for potato mop-top virus (PMTV)
NDSU - $81,891.20 to reduce risk and market barriers for emerging cold-climate grape varieties in North Dakota
North Dakota Trade Office - $235,543.51 for international market access and growth for North Dakota specialty crop producers and processors.

NDDA received 45 applications, which were reviewed and scored by a select committee and approved by Goehring. Of the 45 applications, 24 were forwarded to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for final approval.

The application for the 2027 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program for the timeframe of Sept. 30, 2027, to Sept. 29, 2030, will open in early December 2026 and close in January 2027. Applications will then be reviewed, scored, ranked and provided to Agriculture Commissioner Goehring to determine which applications will be forwarded to the USDA for final approval in May 2027. Questions regarding the upcoming application process may be directed to 701-328-2191 or scbg@nd.gov.

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