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USDA Announces Specialty Crop Investment Thanks to Working Families Tax Cuts

Today in Michigan alongside U.S. Representative Tom Barrett, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the availability of over $275 million in grant funding in FY2026 for the specialty crop industry in the United States through the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI), the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP), and the Specialty Crop Multi-State Program (SCMP).

Thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts, USDA is able to provide $175 million per year for SCRI, more than double the previous amount of $80 million per year. The Working Families Tax Cut also increased the total funding available for SCBGP and SCMP from $85 million per year to $100 million per year starting in FY2026.

“The Working Families Tax Cuts provided the largest investment in American agriculture, including boosting support for America’s specialty crop producers. At a time when more Americans are demanding whole, nutritious foods aligned with the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, at USDA we are ensuring the farmers who grow these foods have the tools necessary to continue their operations,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins. “It’s thanks to members of Congress like Tom Barrett that Michigan specialty crop producers and those around the country will be able to use these boosted investments.”

“I was proud to deliver tax relief and real investments for Michigan agriculture in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, including in research, education, and marketing for our state’s many specialty crops,” said Congressman Tom Barrett.

Source : usda.gov

Trending Video

Supplemental Nitrogen on Soybeans: Can Early Nitrogen Increase Yield?

Video: Supplemental Nitrogen on Soybeans: Can Early Nitrogen Increase Yield?

Can supplemental nitrogen help soybeans reach higher yield potential? Technical Agronomist Tim Sickman walks through an ongoing trial at the Nutrien Innovation Farm in Owensboro, Kentucky, exploring whether a modest amount of nitrogen applied at planting can support higher-yielding soybean environments.

The trial compares 30 pounds of supplemental nitrogen across both 15- and 30-inch rows, along with treatments that include sulfur and micronutrients. Similar trials conducted in 2024 and 2025 delivered a six- to seven-bushel yield response, prompting the team to expand the research this season.

Early observations show that treated soybeans are slightly taller and averaging about two additional nodes on the main stem. These added nodes could create more opportunities for blooms and pods, but the true results will come at harvest when the team evaluates pod development, seed fill and final yield.

In This Video:

Why high-yield soybeans may need supplemental nitrogen

Results from the 2024 and 2025 trials

Nitrogen treatments in 15- and 30-inch rows

Fertilizer placement and application methods

Differences in plant height and node counts

Potential effects on pod development and yield