USDA awards Missouri wine producer over 300 thousand dollars

Programs that help Missouri’s wine producers and urban gardeners are among those sharing $300,000 in federal funding. State officials say the money comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. The largest grant nearly $60,000 will help Missouri State University research ways to make the Norton grape more resistant to fungal disease. The University of Missouri’s Grape and Wine Institute is receiving nearly $34,000 to help wine grape growers make good decisions about harvest and management. Nearly $30,000 is going to the Kansas City Community Gardens. Money also will be used to research methods to improve production of nuts, berries, vegetables and flowers throughout the state.