Golden Apples (photo by Emily Roesly, courtesy of morgueFile.com)

After viewing the Oscar nominated “Food Inc.” it hard to deny that the current industrial food system is fatally flawed and unsustainable. Fortunately, specialty crops have helped develop new markets where creative chefs, restaurateurs, daring cooks and adventurous foodies can find rarer, tastier, and healthier ingredients.

The growing numbers of farmers markets and other specialty venues offer a fine alternative to the plethora of highly processed foods of dubious nutritional value spewing forth from giant factory farms. As local, family-scale farms operated in a sustainable manner tend to be the beneficiaries, it is a healthful trend that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) deems worthy of support.

Last week, Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan announced the award of block grants to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. The USDA defines specialty crops as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops, including floriculture.

"We are pleased to support diverse efforts to help specialty crop growers market their products in a global marketplace and encourage all Americans to increase their fruit and vegetable consumption," said Merrigan. "These grants are instrumental in helping specialty crop growers tackle the issues they are facing today."

Specialty Crops for Healthy School Meals

One recipient is partnering with an agency to coordinate a Farm to School program where school districts will purchase specialty crops from a variety of growers for direct use in school meals, and provide nutrition and agriculture education about the benefits and nutritional qualities of specialty crops to students and school personnel.

The 54 grants total approximately $55 million and will fund 827 projects, a 10% increase over last year. They will support the competitiveness of America's specialty crop farmers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

To view summaries of all the awards, go to: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

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