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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">Specialty Crop Block Grant Program – Farm Bill</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">The 2016 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program – Farm Bill grant manual is now available and applications are now being accepted. To view the manual, please go to:
</span><b><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif"><a href="http://searchagriculture.az.gov/act/grantopportunities.aspx">http://searchagriculture.az.gov/act/grantopportunities.aspx</a>
</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b> </b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">This year$B!G(Bs grant application deadline is</span></b><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">
<b>11:59:59 (MST)</b> <b>Monday, April 18, 2016</b>. </span><b><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">Application Packets are required to be submitted on-line. See instructions at the website above and Section II.H. of the manual. It is highly recommended
that you review the instructions as soon as possible to become familiar with the on-line application process.</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">There will be two webinar workshops held on Wednesday, March 23, 2016. See page 12 of the manual or the website above for more details.</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">The purpose of this program is
<b><u>solely to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in Arizona</u></b>.
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">The Arizona Department of Agriculture anticipates that these grant monies will be available to successful applicants by late 2016. Although USDA-AMS has
not officially released SCBGP</span><span style="color:black">$B!>(B</span><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">FB funds to the states, ADA projects that approximately $840,000 will eventually be available to be distributed in the fiscal year
2016 funding cycle.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">Please forward this information to all interested parties. For more information or to be added to the grant program mailing list, please contact:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">Lisa A. James</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">Grant Program Manager</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">Arizona Department of Agriculture</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">1688 W. Adams Street</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">Phoenix, AZ 85007</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">Phone: 602-542-3262</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">Fax: 602-364-0830</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="mailto:ljames@azda.gov"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">ljames@azda.gov</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">or</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">Ashley Estes (Worthington)</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">Grant Program Specialist</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">Arizona Department of Agriculture</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">1688 W. Adams Street</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">Phoenix, AZ 85007</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">Phone: 602-542-0972</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">Fax: 602-364-0830</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif"><a href="mailto:aestes@azda.gov">aestes@azda.gov</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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