Natural Resources Conservation Service Environmental Quality Incentives Program Organic Initiative

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Did you know there is a provision in the 2014 Farm Bill that offers financial assistance to farmers and ranchers who want to implement conservation practices? Provided by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Organic Initiative offers financial assistance to help them to implement a wide array of conservation practices to  address resource concerns including, but not limited to assistance with:

  • Developing a conservation plan
  • Creating buffer zones
  • Planning and installing pollinator habitat
  • Improving soil quality and organic matter while minimizing erosion
  • Developing a grazing plan and supportive livestock practices
  • Improving irrigation efficiency
  • Enhancing cropping rotations and nutrient management

This assistance helps producers plan and implement conservation practices to support the environmental sustainability of their organic operations. Highlights of the organic provisions in the 2014 Farm Bill and requirements for participation in the program include:

  • Financial and technical assistance to implement conservation practices and planning to address resource concerns associated with organic operations
  • Financial assistance is limited to totals of a maximum of $20,000 per fiscal year and no more than $80,000 over a rolling six year Farm Bill for all contracts approved through this authority
  • Producers must meet all the other eligibility requirements associated with EQIP
  • Participants who are not certified or exempt from certification agree to develop and work towards implementing an Organic System Plan to meet National Organic Plan organic certification through United States Department of Agriculture.

For more information about the program, and how to apply, please see one of the websites listed below. Applications for the EQIP Organic Initiative are accepted on a continuous basis. The NRCS has Technical Service Providers to provide support for organic transition. Contact your state office to find one in your area.

Resources

Extension, “Webinars by eOrganic,” http://articles.extension.org/pages/25242/webinars-by-eorganic [accessed October 18, 2016].

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, “Environmental Quality Incentives Program,”  http://sustainableagriculture.net/publications/grassrootsguide/conservation-environment/environmental-quality-incentives-program/ [accessed October 17, 2016].

United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, “EQIP Organic Initiative,” http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/programs/?cid=nrcs143_008224 [accessed October 17, 2016].

United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, “Organic Farming,” http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/national/landuse/crops/organic/?cid=nrcs143_023940 [accessed October 18, 2017].

 

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