Title X Horticulture in Farm Bill 2.0: Specialty Crops, Organic, Farmers Markets

TL;DR: Title X of H.R. 7567 (Farm Bill 2.0) covers horticulture programs for fruit, vegetable, tree nut, and nursery growers. It reauthorizes the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, the Specialty Crop Research Initiative, organic certification cost-share, and the Local Agricultural Market Program that funds farmers markets and food hubs. Several funding levels remain to be confirmed as of July 2026.

Key takeaway

Title X is the primary farm bill vehicle for specialty crops, organic agriculture, and local food, reauthorizing block grants, research, cost-share, and farmers market programs.

What this section does

Title X of H.R. 7567 covers horticulture programs, including specialty crops (fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery products), organic agriculture support, and local and regional food systems including farmers markets. Specialty crops are defined broadly to exclude commodity grains and oilseeds, making this title the main policy home for fresh produce and ornamental horticulture.

The title reauthorizes several long-standing programs. Key provisions include:

• Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP): formula grants to state departments of agriculture for projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops.
• Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI): a competitive grant program run by USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), funding research on production, pest and disease management, and food safety.
• Organic certification cost-share assistance: helps producers and handlers offset the cost of obtaining and maintaining USDA-accredited organic certification.
• Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP): competitive grants for direct-to-consumer market development and intermediary supply chain infrastructure.
• Local Agricultural Market Program (LAMP): the umbrella that administratively consolidates FMLFPP and the Value-Added Producer Grant program, continued in some form. Exact structural changes are to be confirmed.
• National Organic Program (NOP) and its Organic Integrity Database functions receive continued authorization.

As of July 2026, this title is among the less controversial portions of the House-passed bill, but it contains contested points around organic cost-share funding levels and local food infrastructure spending. Funding levels for individual programs are to be confirmed pending final Congressional Budget Office (CBO) scoring. You can see how it fits the full package in our full bill summary.

What it means

Title X mainly benefits producers who cannot access the commodity title programs used by row-crop growers. The people most directly affected include specialty crop growers, organic operations, local food businesses, and state agriculture agencies.

• Specialty crop growers (fresh fruit, vegetable, tree nut, nursery, and floriculture producers) gain access to block grants and research funding tailored to their sectors.
• Certified organic producers and handlers benefit from cost-share that lowers the financial barrier to USDA organic certification, which matters most for small and mid-size farms.
• Farmers market operators, food hubs, and direct-marketing enterprises benefit from FMLFPP and LAMP competitive grants aimed at local and regional food infrastructure.
• State departments of agriculture administer SCBGP funds and are affected by formula allocation and any new reporting requirements.

Several changes from the 2018 Farm Bill shape the picture. The 2026 bill largely maintains the consolidated LAMP structure created in 2018 rather than splitting the market programs back apart. Value-Added Producer Grants remain under the LAMP umbrella. Whether organic cost-share reimbursement caps rise to account for inflation is to be confirmed. For a broader comparison, see our overview of what's new vs the 2018 bill.

Citrus disease research is one continuing emphasis. The 2018 bill included targeted SCRI funding for citrus greening (huanglongbing), and the 2026 bill is reported to continue or expand that disease-specific focus, though exact set-aside figures are to be confirmed.

What's next

As of July 2026, the most important open question for Title X is funding. Final mandatory funding levels for SCBGP and SCRI are unresolved and will depend on budget dynamics affecting the overall farm bill baseline. The mandatory versus discretionary funding mix for SCBGP is a key structural question that may shift with title spending caps. Our funding breakdown tracks these figures as they are confirmed.

Implementation will require USDA rulemaking. Any changes to organic certification cost-share caps or eligibility must go through the rulemaking process, which creates a lag between enactment and when producers see the benefit.

Several conference-committee questions remain open. Whether the Senate will seek to expand local food infrastructure spending beyond House-passed levels is a live question as of July 2026. The ongoing regulatory dispute between USDA and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over hemp-derived products also creates legal uncertainty for specialty crop producers in that market. You can follow the reconciliation process on our Senate status page.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as a specialty crop under the farm bill, and does it include hemp?

Specialty crops are defined broadly to include fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery and floriculture products, while excluding commodity grains and oilseeds. Hemp is not addressed solely in Title X. In H.R. 7567, hemp provisions are handled separately in the commodity or general provisions, reflecting hemp's evolving regulatory status under USDA and FDA jurisdiction.

How does a state apply for Specialty Crop Block Grant funds, and who decides which projects get funded?

The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program directs formula grants to state departments of agriculture. Each state agriculture department administers its share and decides which in-state projects to fund to enhance specialty crop competitiveness. Producers and organizations apply through their state agency rather than directly to USDA. Exact reporting and accountability requirements for states in the 2026 bill are to be confirmed.

How much of my organic certification cost can the federal program reimburse, and has that cap changed?

Organic certification cost-share assistance helps producers and handlers offset the expense of obtaining and maintaining USDA-accredited organic certification. The 2018 Farm Bill set specific per-producer and per-handler reimbursement caps. Whether H.R. 7567 raises those caps to account for inflation is to be confirmed. Any change would also require USDA rulemaking before producers see it applied.

Can a food hub or cooperative apply for LAMP grants, or are grants only for individual farmers?

Food hubs, cooperatives, and other intermediary supply chain enterprises can benefit from the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program and the broader Local Agricultural Market Program. These programs fund both direct-producer-to-consumer market development and intermediary infrastructure, so grants are not limited to individual farmers. The exact structure of LAMP in the 2026 bill is to be confirmed.

How is Title X specialty crop research different from the broader agricultural research in other titles?

The Specialty Crop Research Initiative in Title X is a competitive grant program run by USDA NIFA that funds research specifically on specialty crop production, pest and disease management, and food safety. It is targeted at fruit, vegetable, tree nut, and nursery crops, unlike the broader research programs in the research title that cover agriculture generally.

What happens to existing LAMP grant recipients if the program structure changes?

The 2026 bill largely maintains the consolidated LAMP structure created in the 2018 Farm Bill rather than splitting the market programs apart. Value-Added Producer Grants remain under the LAMP umbrella. Exact structural changes are to be confirmed, so how any adjustments would affect existing grant recipients is not yet locked in as of July 2026.