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Wisconsin distributes USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant dollars

Fifteen Wisconsin projects are getting funded by the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant program.

State ag officials say the projects will get more than a million dollars for work designed to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crop industries using research, education, and market development.

The funded projects range from promoting the growth of chestnuts to improving honeybee health and from scouting for potato diseases to making sure ginseng roots meet export standards for pesticides.

Funding will also promote cranberry consumption and pay for research into using natural plant hormones to both promote growth and eliminate early-season weeds.