SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Food and Agriculture is currently accepting proposals for the 2018 California Agriculture Special Interest License Plate (CalAgPlate) grant program.

This program makes available $250,000 in grant funding to promote agricultural education and leadership activities for students at the K-12, post-secondary, and adult education levels.

Proceeds generated through the sales of specialized, agriculture-themed license plates through the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) have made this opportunity available.

"I’m so very pleased to announce our fifth year of CalAgPlate funding,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “This program directly supports agricultural education and leadership opportunities throughout the state. Without the support of consumers who purchase agricultural special interest license plates and the dedication of students in FFA, 4-H and other programs this funding opportunity would not be possible.”

A purchase of a CalAgPlate helps to fund educational opportunities statewide which include agricultural workshops, farm tours and the State FFA Leadership Conference.

The CalAgPlate program has funded more than $994,629 in youth educational activities since the program's inception.

Funding is available on a competitive basis for state-adopted Agricultural Education Programs (Education Code Section 52450-52454), government agencies, and non-profit organizations that administer agricultural education programs.

The application deadline is Oct. 5, 2018.

For further information and grant application materials, please visit: www.cdfa.ca.gov/calagplate.

You can help support agricultural education and the CalAgPlate program by purchasing a special interest license plate at your local DMV office or online today.