MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2021. BY SARE.
It can be difficult for farmers and ranchers to navigate the wide range of USDA resources and stay up to date with program changes after each Farm Bill.
Thanks to the newly updated Building Sustainable Farms, Ranches and Communities, producers, researchers, nonprofits, and landowners can easily find USDA programs that can help them achieve their goals.
The 101-page guide covers 62 government programs and has been updated to include program updates from the 2018 Farm Bill. Each program listing provides a description of the program’s available resources, information on how to apply, and in some cases, examples of how the funding has been used. The guide also includes basic information on how to design sound projects, find appropriate programs and write grant applications.
“Farmers are hungry for resources to help them get started or answer specific questions. Building Sustainable Farms, Ranches and Communities provides a comprehensive, one-stop-shop to many helpful programs,” says Kerri Ebert, coordinator of the Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops.
Building Sustainable Farms, Ranches and Communities is now available as a free download. Free print copies are also available from the National Center for Appropriate Technology’s ATTRA program. To order, email pubs@ncat.org with your request. Don’t forget to include your shipping address. Building Sustainable Farms, Ranches, and Communities was produced through the collaboration of SARE, the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute (MFAI), the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC). Funding was provided by SARE, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), and the McKnight Foundation.
The Lodi Winegrape Commission, Dr. Kent Daane, and a team of growers were awarded a $50,000 Professional + Producer Western SARE grant in 2019 to demonstrate beneficial insect release and pheromone mating disruption for mealybug biocontrol in Lodi vineyards. Click HERE for a SARE Factsheet describing this project. Interested in incorporating pheromone mating disruption into your farming? You may be eligible for USDA NRCS EQIP or CSP financial assistance, using the IPM code 595 as part of a full farm conservation plan. Contact your local USDA District Conservationist or check out the NRCS EQIP website to learn more. In San Joaquin Co., our contact is Brandon Bates (brandon.bates@usda.gov).
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