USDA-AMS-TM-MGFSP-G-26-0009 Micro-Grants for Food Security Program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), requests applications for the fiscal year (FY) 2026 Specialty Crop Multi-State Grant Program (SCMP). The SCMP supports collaborative multi-state partnerships to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through competitively funded projects. A multi-state partnership is a project that implements activities with measurable outcomes that benefit two or more U.S. States and/or Territories along with non-profit entities. The focus is to address regional or national level specialty crop issues, including, but not limited to, food safety, plant pests and disease, research, crop-specific projects addressing common issues, and marketing and promotion. Projects must enhance the competitiveness of U.S. or U.S. territory-grown specialty crops in either domestic or foreign markets.

MGFSP assists agricultural agencies or departments in eligible states and territories to increase the quantity and quality of locally grown food in food insecure communities through small-scale gardening, herding, and livestock operations by competitively distributing subawards to eligible entities.USDA promotes climate-resilient landscapes and rural economic systems, including tools to support agriculture, forests, grazing lands, and rural communities. AMS encourages applicants to consider including goals and activities related to reducing and stabilizing the levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere or adapting to the already occurring climate change in their project"s design and implementation.

To support the efforts of States, Tribal governments, and research institutions to promote the domestic maple syrup industry through the following activities: promotion of research and education related to maple syrup production, promotion of natural resource sustainability in the maple syrup industry, market promotion for maple syrup and maple-sap products, Encouragement of owners and operators of privately held land containing species of trees in the genus Acer: to initiate or expand maple-sugaring activities on the land; or to voluntarily make the land available, including by lease or other means, for access by the public for maple-sugaring activities.