2009 Specialty Crop Block Grants
March Grants
Highland Community College
HCC Research and Instruction Vineyard
We have seeked additonal funding to plant a Research and Instruction Vineyard. Our goal is to train future vineyard and winery employees and (hopefully future) owners. We plan to hire fulltime viticulture and enology facutly this summer and begin offering certificate and degree programs in Fall 2009. This Research and Instruction Vineyard will provide vital infrastructure for training students and will eventually provide product for an Instruction and Commercial Winery to be built later. HCC has already expended funds and assigned additonal funding to viticulture and enology endeavors, but the vineyard project is not yet fully funded. All funding received from KDA will go toward the vineyard, and monies from other sources could then be diverted toward further curriculum development and basic winery equipment to be used for enology training.
Grant awarded: $16,650
Flint Hills Technical College
High Tunnel Agriculture - Construction and Use
"The construction of and use of a high tunnel greenhouse. For growing food to be used by the Culinary Arts program at Flint Hills Technical College. Also to be used in workshops and classes in the community for farmers, growers, and vocational agriculture programs in our region. The purpose is to offer training and information on high tunnel agriculture to help develop a stronger local market agriculture in our region and throughout that state of Kansas. Also to help promote nutrition, health and wellness in our community by showing the benefits of locally produced food. The high tunnel will be constructed using low cost materials available locally, using the information supplied by Ted Carey at K-State Research and Development Center in Olatha, KS."
Grant awarded: $2,432
Kansas State University
Growing, Marketing, and Training for Edible Mushroom Production in Kansas
We propose to grow shitake and oyster mushrooms on a commercial scale, using inexpensive locally obtained materials (oak log, wheat straw), out-of-doors at the KSU Horticultural Willow Lake Student Farm. The students are currently selling vegetables and herbs at the farmers markets and other venues, and will benefit from product diversification. Keith Unruh-Carey has worked out the detailed growing requirements for the oyster mushroom in KS and has been selling them for a year, and is willing to teach this to student farm interns and others through hands-on workshops and training. Rhonda Janke has been growing shitake mushrooms on her farm in Wamego for over 6 years, and will share her experiences as well. The net result of this project will be more trained mushroom growers in Kansas, more supply, and hopefully continued increase in demand to absorb this supply through consumer education and marketing events ("shop with a chef" etc.).
Grant awarded: $36,810
Kansas Grape Growers and Winemakers Association
Increase Winegrape Production Using Cost-Share Monies to Purchase Specialized Equipment
To assist Kansas winegrape growers who are producing crops for Kansas Farm Wineries, this project will provide cost-share monies for the purchase of specialized vineyard equipment. Specialized vineyard equipment will mechanize operations and yield efficiencies in the vineyard. This would allow growers to increase both quantity and quality of Kansas grapes supplied to Kansas Farm Wineries. The overall result: indusrty growth.
Grant awarded: $20,000
Kansas Rural Center
Expanding the Kansas River Valley Local Foods Website to Serve All Kansas Communities
To increase the volume and market share of specialty crops in Kansas through expansion of the Kansas River Valley Local Foods website to a state-wide local foods/ specialty crop website. This website will link local farmers and ranchers with wholesale institutional buyers such as school systems, universities, and restaurants, along with retail buyers such as buying clubs and individual Kansas families.
Grant awarded: $28,050
October Grants
Kansas Rural Center
Providing a more consistent and intentional framework for food safety training in good agricultural practices for specialty crop producers through updated educational materials and increased training opportunities.
Grant awarded: $24,853.95
Washington County Farm Bureau
Partner with five other county Farm Bureau associations to create farmers’ markets where none exist, to identify new growers and to build a cooperative grower effort to explore new opportunities involving institutional markets, creating retail opportunities and contract grower arrangements.
Grant awarded: $45,049.91
Kansas Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom
Create resource lesson plans with factual information about Kansas specialty crops to increase student knowledge about and consumption of local fruits and vegetables.
Grant awarded: $14,225
Kansas State University Cooperative Extension
Share information about high tunnel technology to specialty crop growers across Kansas through a series of workshops, farm tours and field days, and to support research involving high tunnel production and cultivar evaluation of heirloom and commercial tomatoes, mini cucumbers, onion plants and raspberries.
Grant awarded: $34,000
Kansas Grape Growers and Winemakers Association
Lease a mechanical grape harvester and to collect data regarding labor savings, harvested crop quality and any noteworthy anecdotal information that will help establish baseline cost information related to mechanically harvesting grapes for wine production.
Grant awarded: $39,250
Kansas State University
Establish a research and evaluation planting to examine several alternate conifer species that may be adapted to the region and used as Christmas trees or in the nursery and landscaping industry.
Grant Awarded: $44,688
Kansas Department of Agriculture
Conduct a survey of the grape and wine industry to gather valuable data about the different grape varieties grown in the state, the different fruits used to make wine, the type and amount of wine produced, the level of tourism tied to grape and wine production, and other economic data.
Grant awarded: $11,045.34
The department also received $943.48 for work tied to administering the specialty crop block grants, including making sure that grant recipients abide by state and federal requirements and regulations.
