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Posts Tagged: grants
NRCS in the City
- 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.
Lawn-pocalypse! Surviving Drought
Ah, summer! The season of sunburns, pool parties, and… lawn droughts. If your once lush, green carpet now looks like a crunchy brown doormat, you're not alone. Let's dive into why your yard is staging a dramatic death scene and what you can do to...
Bermuda grass and weeds overtaking drought stressed turf grass.
Contracts & Grants Director Nolan to retire
Dear Colleagues:
It is with mixed emotions that I inform you of the upcoming retirement of Kathleen (Kathy) Nolan, director of ANR Office of Contracts & Grants (OGC), effective June 27, 2024. There's no doubt that Kathy's retirement is well deserved, after 24 years of service to the University of California, the last 11 years serving UC Agriculture and Natural Resources.
I have had the privilege of working with Kathy throughout her years with ANR, and found her to be a pillar of strength, competence, dedication, and of service for the division. Kathy is recognized for her commitment to providing exceptional leadership to her OGC team. Under Kathy's leadership, the OCG team has reached a high-level of professionalism and expertise in Research Administration in ANR and has played a critical role in promoting and enabling the growth of ANR's research enterprise.
When Kathy joined ANR, the volume of contract and grants was less than $30M annually. That portfolio has today grown to over $100M. Kathy led the team that helped ANR achieve this level, while providing our academics with outstanding and exemplary customer service, as consistently evidenced in our customer service surveys.
Please join me in congratulating Kathy on her upcoming retirement. She will be greatly missed as a friend and a colleague. I will update you with our progress of filling this important vacancy in the near future. Kimberly Lamar, associate director, has agreed to serve as interim director until the position is filled.
Best regards,
Tu M. Tran
Associate Vice President, Business Operations
Grants to Improve Irrigation and Soils
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irrigation valves
CDFA HSP/SWEEP Incentives Program - Grants Opportunity Workshop
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/
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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. |
