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USDA Technical Assistance Program for Organic Producer
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Organic Initiative - NRCS’ EQIP Organic Initiative provides technical and financial assistance to producers who plan and implement conservation practices that support environmental sustainability. Certified or transitioning organic producers are eligible to receive up to $20,000 per fiscal year to use toward activities such as developing a conservation plan, improving soil quality, minimizing erosion, developing supportive livestock practices, improving irrigation efficiency, and enhancing cropping rotations. For more information on the EQIP Organic Initiative, please visit NRCS’ EQIP Organic Initiative page at http://1.usa.gov/1TQrJhC.
- USDA NRCS Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) Program - USDA NRCS’ AMA program provides technical and financial assistance to help producers incorporate conservation practices into their farming operations through activities such as water management, water quality improvement, and erosion control. The AMA program is available to organic, transitioning, and conventional producers in 16 states: CT, DE, HI, ME, MD, MA, NV, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, UT, VT, WV, and WY. For more information on the AMA Program, please visit http://1.usa.gov/Qrlo0i.
- General USDA NRCS Technical Assistance - In addition to the two programs listed above, USDA NRCS provides free, general technical assistance to all agricultural producers, including certified organic and transitioning farmers. This includes direct technical assistance from NRCS conservationists, monthly webinars, and informational materials on organic practices. Organic and transitioning farmers are also eligible for all NRCS financial assistance programs. For more information on NRCS assistance programs, please visit http://1.usa.gov/1MphcIb.
- NRCS resources on organic agriculture are available at http://1.usa.gov/1Dvg9yV.
- USDA National Agricultural Library (NAL) Alternative Farming Systems Information Center (AFSIC)—NAL’s AFSIC houses resources on sustainable and alternative agricultural systems, crops, and livestock including information on organic agriculture. Librarians are available to help producers locate materials on all aspects of organic farming, including in the “Organic Roots” digital collection, an archive of historical USDA documents published before the common use of synthetic fertilizers and chemicals. For more information on AFSIC organic resources, please visit http://afsic.nal.usda.gov/organic-production.
- USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) - USDA's principal social science research agency, ERS tracks and reports on economic trends in agriculture, food, the environment, and rural development. As part of this service, ERS publishes specific information on the organic market including organic price premiums, consumer demand for organic food, the adoption of organic farming systems, and other economic characteristics of organic agriculture. To review ERS data and reports on organic agriculture, please visit http://1.usa.gov/1IjfMgz.
USDA Financial Assistance Program for Organic Producer
USDA has several programs that offer purely financial assistance to organic producers. A list of these programs with links to additional information include:- USDA Organic Certification Cost Share Programs - administered by the NOP, AMA, and State departments of agriculture, these programs reimburse eligible operations for up to 75 percent of organic certification costs each fiscal year - http://bit.ly/OrganicCostShareInfo
- USDA NRCS Conservation Stewardship Program – offers producers financial assistance of up to $200,000 per fiscal year to address resource concerns in a comprehensive manner by undertaking or continuing conservation activities including many critical components of organic production, such as crop rotation and integrated pest management—http://1.usa.gov/19Q9Ff2
- USDA FSA Transition Incentives Program – provides incentives for retired or retiring owners and operators to transition land enrolled in FSA’s Conservation Reserve Program to a beginning farmer or rancher or a socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher for production using sustainable methods—http://1.usa.gov/1HSsFup.
Source: USDA