Specialty Crop Block Grant Proposals and Net Cash Farm Income Forecast Higher
From the Ag Information Network, this is your Agribusiness Update.
**The Washington State Department of Agriculture is now accepting proposals for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program’s 2026 funding year.
WSDA will grant awards ranging from $25,000 to $250,000 per project and projects may last for up to three years.
Concept proposals must be submitted electronically by noon on October 15.
Applicants should visit WSDA’s Specialty Crop Block Grant web page for more information.
www.morningagclips.com/wsda-now-accepting-specialty-crop-block-grant-proposals-for-2026/
**The USDA’s Economic Research Service says net cash farm income, defined as gross cash income minus cash expenses, is forecast to increase 25% from 2024 to $180.7 billion in 2025 inflation-adjusted dollars.
NET farm income is forecast to increase 37%, to $179.8 billion.
Most of the projected increase in 2025 corresponds with higher direct government payments to farmers, projected to increase from $10.4 billion to $40.5 billion in 2025.
**Specialty crop growers scored a significant win last week when the USDA announced its intention to discontinue the Farm Labor Survey.
The FLS helped the Department of Labor determine the AEWR, the minimum wage for H-2A workers in every state, as rates spiraled out of control in recent years.
Michael Marsh, president and CEO of the National Council of Agricultural Employers, says it’s unfortunately made U.S. employers non-competitive with their foreign competition.
