Timeline Extended For Conservation Aid To Organic And Transitional Growers
June 1, 2009 Organic farmers, as well as farmers transitioning to organic production, now have some extra time to apply for conservation assistance from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). June 26 is the new deadline for producers to apply for assistance in fiscal year 2009 through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
“We have received numerous requests from partners to extend the timeline for this program in California,” says Alan Forkey, assistant state conservationist for NRCS in California. “Recently we have received many, many calls from farmers who were hearing about the program for the first time.”
Applications received by the original May 29 deadline will be ranked first, and if funds are left over, a second round of funding will occur.
Organic farmers can receive up to $20,000 per year or $80,000 over six years through the program. The initiative targets six core conservation practices: conservation crop rotation, cover crop, nutrient management, pest management, prescribed grazing, and forage harvest management.
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