California accepting proposals for 2016 specialty crop grants

Oct 29, 2015

Grants can be worth up to $450,000

Only weeks after announcing it will receive nearly $20 million in specialty crop funding from the United States Department of Agriculture, California is already accepting proposals for next year’s round of specialty crop grants.

“Specialty crops define much of California agriculture,” said California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) secretary Karen Ross in an earlier press release. “This grant funding is an important piece of our partnership with the USDA as we work together to promote and protect a part of the food supply that is relied upon in California, across the country, and around the world.”

Specialty crops include fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and floriculture.

Those interested in applying for specialty crop funding must follow a two-phase approach:

Phase one includes submitting a concept proposal that is subject to review by the CDFA and a panel of volunteers who are experts in related fields. Successful proposals will be invited to participate in phase two, which consists of a detailed grant proposal.

The CDFA will be holding a series of workshops and webinars to assist applicants with the process:

Workshop	When	Where	Time
Orange County	Tuesday, November 3rd	OC Fair and Event Center	9:30 - 11:30AM
Fresno County	Wednesday, November 4th	Fresno County Farm Bureau	9:30 - 11:30AM
Sacramento County	Tuesday, November 10	University of Phoenix	9:30 - 11:30AM

Webinars are scheduled for Thursday, November 5th from 1:30 - 3:30PM and Thursday, November 12th from 9:30 - 11:30AM

Concept proposals need to be submitted Friday, December 4^th, by 5pm PST. Invitations to participate in phase two will be sent out in February 2016 and award announcements will be made in October 2016.

Join the discussion and tell us about any ideas you have for specialty crops in California. Would you consider applying for a grant?

Video: Seaweed-Based Solutions: Building Natural Performance in Modern Swine Production

In today’s pork industry, producers are under increasing pressure to do more with fewer inputs—while maintaining performance, improving animal health, and meeting sustainability expectations.

we sit down with Sylvain David and Scott Preston from Olmix to explore how seaweed-based solutions are emerging as a foundational tool in modern swine nutrition.

Rather than acting as simple alternatives, these solutions are designed to support gut health, immune resilience, and overall system consistency—especially during key stress periods like weaning, feed transitions, and disease challenges.

The conversation dives into:

• What seaweed-based solutions actually are and how they work

• Why consistency and standardization matter in “natural” products

• How gut health connects to immune function and performance

• Where producers are seeing real-world impact today

• The role of natural solutions in the future of sustainable pork production