The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture has awarded $1 million in block grant funds to New York for research, development and promotion to boost the market competitiveness of the state’s specialty crops. They include fruits and vegetables, tree nuts and nursery crops.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in announcing the award said $200,000 of the federal funding will help support the growth of the state’s wine, beer, and spirits industry. The governor in October hosted the state’s first wine, beer and spirits industry summit in Albany.
Most of the funds will go to Cornell University in Ithaca and Cornell Cooperative Extension county offices across the state.
