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)

[log in to unmask]

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

 

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WANTED: Farmer Feedback on EQIP Organic Initiative

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.  

OFRF wants to hear from conventional and organic producers; from producers who applied to the Organic Initiative and from those who didn't.  All survey responses are confidential and will be used to provide feedback to NRCS on how to improve the program.  Click here for more information and here to complete the survey.  And please distribute the link among your farmer friends or members and urge them to complete the survey by November 10th.