Specialty Crop Block Grants and Deadly Colorado Dairy Accident
From the Ag Information Network, this is your Agribusiness Update.
**The Washington State Department of Agriculture is accepting proposals for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program’s 2026 funding year.
Grant awards will range from $25-to-$250,000 per project.
Non-profit and for-profit organizations; local, state, federal, and tribal government entities; and public and private colleges and universities may apply.
Concept proposals must be submitted electronically by noon October 15.
Visit WSDA’s Specialty Crop Block Grant web page for more information.
##Georgia third through fifth grade students are encouraged to put their science, technology, engineering, and math skills to work by entering the Fall 2025 STEM Challenge: Grow More with Less.
www.gfb.org reports those taking part in this challenge will learn to design a hydroponic system to grow food using nutrient-rich water instead of soil, and household or classroom items in a limited space.
Go to https://www.gafoundationag.org/stemchallenge and register by September 15.
www.gfb.org/news/ag-news/post/georgia-elementary-students-encouraged-to-enter-gfa-stem-challenge
**Cattle and calves on feed for the U.S. slaughter market in feedlots with 1,000 or more head totaled 10.9 million head on August 1.
That’s 2% below a year earlier, and in line with pre-report trade estimates of 98.1%.
Drovers said the August 1 level is an eight-year low.
The state-by-state breakdown showed a steady increase across most states, but Southern feedlots were well below 2024 due to the border closures.
**Six people in Northeast Colorado died last week after what’s being described as a “dairy accident” at Prospect Valley Dairy.
Three other people were taken to a local hospital and released.
Officials say the deaths were due to hydrogen sulfide exposure due to a pipe leak.
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration says hydrogen sulfide occurs naturally in crude petroleum and natural gas, but is also produced by decomposing manure.
