- Author: Chris M. Webb
Earlier this month, the USDA announced a new project under the “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” initiative. The new three year study will provide funds to growers in 38 states in the country, including California! Funds will be used to install high tunnels aka hoop houses in an effort to increase the availability of locally grown produce. The entire press release can be found here.
A video highlighting the opportunities available for producers can be found on USDA’s YouTube channel.
Funding will come through the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP), the EQIP Organic Initiative and the Agricultural Management Assistance program.
To sign up or learn more about EQIP assistance for high tunnel projects, contact our local NRCS office.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
The Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) is a relatively new USDA program. It is a voluntary conservation initiative which provides assistance, both technical and financial to agricultural producers with the goal of conserving surface and ground water and/or improving water quality.
Eligible partners enter into multi-year agreements with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Eligible partners include, but are not limited to:
- Federally-recognized Native American tribes
- states
- units of local government
- agricultural or silvicultural associations or other groups of such producers such as
- an irrigation association
- an agricultural land trust
- or other nongovernmental organization with experience working with agricultural producers.
Owners and operators engaged in livestock or agricultural production are eligible for the program. Eligible land includes cropland, rangeland, pasture, private non-industrial forestland, and other farm or ranch lands.
For fiscal year 2010, applicants will compete for their share of $73 million dollars set aside for this program. Details, including previously funded projects, can be found on the USDA NRCS website.
I’ll be out of the office on Wednesday, but will add a new post when I return on Thursday.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
The Santa Barbara/Ventura County USDA Farm Service Agency would like to remind ranchers and livestock produces of some upcoming deadlines for the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP).
The “LFP provides payments to eligible livestock producers that have suffered livestock grazing losses due to qualifying drought or fire. For losses due to drought, qualifying drought ratings are determined using the U.S. Drought Monitor located at http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html.Eligible livestock under LFP include beef cattle, alpacas, buffalo, beefalo, dairy cattle, deer, elk, emus, equine, goats, llamas, poultry, reindeer, sheep and swine. Fire losses apply only to federally managed rangeland.”
The deadline for losses incurred during calendar year 2008 is December 10, 2009. For losses incurred during the 2009 calendar year, the deadline to apply for benefits is January 30, 2010.
Additional details can be found by contacting our office, or by contacting Breda Farias at brenda.farias@ca.usda.gov or daisy.lopez@ca.usda.gov.