- Author: Annie Edwards, Urban Conservationist
- Author: Catherine de la Peña, Soil Conservationis
Are you an urban grower looking to improve the sustainability of your farm? If so, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) may be able to help you achieve your conservation goals. NRCS is a federal agency focused on implementing on-farm conservation across agricultural operations. NRCS provides America's farmers and ranchers with financial and technical assistance to voluntarily put conservation on the ground, helping both the environment and agricultural land. While NRCS is a federal agency, our office in California tailors our financial assistance to meet the unique natural resource concerns we see across the state.
As NRCS evolves to address the changing needs of our farmers and ranchers, the agency has taken strides to better serve urban producers. As of today, 17 Urban Service Centers have opened in major metropolitan centers across the US, with an additional 10 offices being planned. In California, we have two new Urban Service Centers.
- Oakland Urban Service Center Contacts:
- Compton Urban Service Center Contacts:
NRCS has a variety of programs to assist producers, including our flagship programs, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). These programs provide financial assistance to producers for implementing and maintaining conservation practices including high tunnels, hedgerows, structures for wildlife, and irrigation systems. To learn if your operation would be a good fit, refer to Is EQIP Right for Me? and Is CSP Right for Me?.
NRCS is also connected to the USDA Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovation Production (UAIP), which offers the UAIP Grant and Composting and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) Cooperative Agreements.
In-ground beds with drip irrigation at Florence Fang Community Farm, San Francisco.
NRCS can provide financial assistance for microirrigation.
How to apply. We recommend that once you have a basic idea of what your conservation goals are, you reach out to your closest Urban Service Center and set up an appointment. At this meeting, you can connect face-to-face with your county's NRCS and USDA Farm Services Agency (FSA) staff. Before you come in, review USDA's getting started guide and take a moment to look over NRCS definitions of historically underserved farmers and ranchers (HUFR). Many NRCS programs— including EQIP and CSP offer higher rates for self-identified HUFR. A specific guide for HUFR can be found here.
If you are interested in applying to any of our programs, you'll need to work with FSA to establish a farm and tract number. Along with registering for NRCS programs, there are added benefits of receiving a farm number, including alerts about new programs, inclusion in the agricultural census, and becoming eligible to elect FSA county committee members. To create a farm and tract number, you will need the following:
- A completed New Customer Data Worksheet, submitted to your local NRCS office. Find the form, as well as instructions on how to apply, here.
- A deed/lease certifying that you have control of the land.
To apply for NRCS programs, you will need to submit a CPA-1200 application to your local NRCS office, which accepts applications year-round. After we receive your application, we will work with FSA to ensure that you are eligible for our programs.
NRCS is committed to helping people help the land— that means all people, including urban and small-scale growers. We look forward to working with you and providing the best service possible to you on your journey.
- Author: Pamela S Kan-Rice
Small grants (up to $25,000) to support professional development opportunities in sustainable agriculture targeted primarily to agricultural professionals such as extension staff, nonprofits, state and federal agency staff, PCAs/CCAs, etc. are available from Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education of California. Farmers and ranchers may be included but should not be the primary audience.
The goal of the WSARE California program is to increase the capacity of agriculture professionals who work in California to apply the principles of sustainable agriculture while working with their clientele (farmers, ranchers, consumers, youth, businesses, government or communities).
Applications will be accepted through Sept. 25, 2024. For more information regarding priority areas, eligibility and the application process, please visit https://sarep.ucdavis.edu/news/western-sare-mini-grants24-26.
- Author: Ben Faber
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![irrigation valves irrigation valves](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/104309.jpg)
- Author: Michael D Cahn
- Author: Aparna Gazula
Thursday December 7, 2023
9:00 am - 11:00 am
Workshop will be presented on Zoom
Apply for California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) grant funding – Healthy Soils Program (HSP) and/or State Water efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP). Receive up to $200,000 in grant funding to improve soil health of your farm or increase irrigation and energy efficiency through two CDFA incentive grant programs. Grants can pay for cover crops, and soil amendment applications, as well as irrigation system improvements, variable frequency drives (VFD) for pumps, and solar arrays to offset energy costs associated with pumping.
During the workshop we will:
- Provide a comprehensive review of HSP and SWEEP grant programs
- Show you how to assemble a strong grant proposal
When: Thursday, December 7, 2023, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Where: Via Zoom, link will be emailed to registered participants
Registration:
Register for the workshop and workshop resources: https://ucanr.edu/hsp-sweepworkshop
OR send an email to either:
Bailey Smith-Helman, bsmithhelman@ucanr.edu
Aparna Gazula, agazula@ucanr.edu
Questions: Contact bsmithhelman@ucanr.edu | 831-239-9465 or others as listed above.
Grant info.: Online applications. More details at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/
Free One-On-One Technical Assistance to Apply for Grant Funds Need help in developing and/or submitting your project proposal? Schedule your free one-on-one Technical Assistance session, contact Bailey Smith-Helman, or others as listed above, for additional information. |
- Author: Jodi Azulai
The Extension Foundation is accepting applications for the New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) Program — an initiative funded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) in partnership with the University of New Hampshire.
The goal of the New Technologies for Ag Extension grant is to incubate, accelerate and expand promising work that will increase the impact of the Cooperative Extension System in the communities it serves, and provide models that can be adopted or adapted by Extension teams across the nation.
Four types of projects
The grants are intended to spur development of projects that lead to local impact and align with both USDA Strategic Goals and the ECOP Program Priority Areas. Project leaders may apply for one of the four types of projects this grant will support: Incubation, Acceleration, Expansion and Scaling.
Programs with a special focus on diversity, equity, inclusion and climate are encouraged, but not required. All land-grant universities are welcome to apply regardless of membership status, but UC ANR is a member of Extension Foundation.
Depending on the type of project, teams may receive fellowships of up to $100,000, and all projects receive support from Extension Foundation "Catalysts, Coaches and Key Informants." Catalysts are experienced Cooperative Extension administrators who provide mentorship and guidance to projects, and Key Informants have subject matter expertise across areas such as publishing, evaluation, partner development, leadership and team development, marketing, communications and more. Through NTAE, the Extension Foundation provides a set of services most projects rarely have access to — services create deeper impact and greater sustainability for the project.
Community is Our Jam
Amira Resnick, statewide director of community nutrition and health, benefited from the NTAE resources after she received a grant last year for a project that addresses the connection between food safety, food insecurity, food waste and health equity. The Community is Our Jam publication, produced with NTAE staff including Rose Hayden-Smith, emeritus UC Cooperative Extension advisor for digital communications in food systems, offers an in-depth look into the UC Master Food Preserver program.
Apply at https://webportalapp.com/sp/ntae. For more information, visit https://extension.org/2023/11/15/extension-foundation-announces-new-technologies-for-ag-extension-funding-opportunity-applications-due-december-22nd-2023.
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