MADISON, Wis. - Farm officials say Wisconsin's specialty crops industry, which includes fruits, vegetables, nuts and flowers, will get most of a $750,000 grant awarded to the state by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The money is to be used to make specialty crops more competitive, and is part of $49 million awarded nationally.
For example, the Wisconsin Grape Growers will get $35,000 to develop educational materials of use to consumers and winemakers about popular grape varieties.
The Wisconsin Cranberry Growers Association gets $16,500 to study whether marshes are useful for wind and solar energy production.
The state Agriculture Department also gets money for cooperative projects, such as $35,000 for SavorWisconsin.com., an online site that allows specialty crop farmers to promote their businesses directly to consumers.
Internation Agriculturel news quoted from Chicago Tribune
