 |
 |
Dear
Farmers and members of the Organic Farming and research Coalition,
Please
take a moment and give them your 2 cents worth. The farm bill is written to provide
services to organic farmers, this is your chance to help make that really
happen.
NRCS
is working with farmers and educational groups (such as OFRF and MSU) to create
useful application to their funds for organic farmers.
Some
of the opportunities offered by the 2008 FARM Bill include:
Organic
cost-share certification (up to $750 of annual certification fee)
National
AG services to include data on organic production: crops, fruit vegetables and
animals in the ag census.
NRCS
conservation practices are to include specialty crops (fruit and vegs) and
organic crops
Crop
insurance is to be evaluated for feasibility of organic farmers paying the surcharge
as organic crops
NRCS
is including organic farms for payment of good conservation stewardship in the
Conservation stewardship Program
This
survey is seeking your input on the EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives
Program) program. NRCS is seeks your input to help them to identify appropriate
and fair criteria for organic farmers to be paid for conservation practices on
farm land through the conservation programs including EQIP. If you have applied
in the past or started to apply for any of these funds and have ideas how to
make the programs more appropriate to organic farmers this is a good place for
your input.
DEADLINE for your input is Nov 10th!!!
Click
here to take
the survey and share your ideas.
Vicki Morrone
303 Natural Resources Bldg
C.S. Mott Group
Dept of CARRS
East Lansing, MI 48824
517-353-3542/517-282-3557 (cell)
www.MichiganOrganic.msu.edu for
information on organic and sustaianable farming and news & events
From: Annette Higby, NSAC
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, November 02, 2009 11:01 AM
To: Vicki Morrone
Subject: WANTED: Farmer Feedback on EQIP Organic Initiative
|
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition |
|
The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) is seeking the input of
conventional and organic farmers to help improve the 2010 Organic Initiative
- a program administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Offered first in 2009 as part of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program
(EQIP), the program provided $50 million for financial and technical
assistance to agricultural producers wanting to improve their organic
operations or transition land to organic production. |