Funds Available to Support Organic Farming

Speaking to the USDA National Organic Standards Board, Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan announced the availability of 50-million dollars for a new initiative to meet the Obama Administration's promise to encourage more organic agriculture production. Merrigan said, - the objective of this initiative is to make organic food producers eligible to compete for EQIP financial assistance.

Under the Organic Initiative required minimum core conservation practices will be determined by specific resource concerns. The practices are: Conservation Crop Rotation; Cover Crop; Nutrient Management; Pest Management; Prescribed Grazing; and Forage Harvest Management. States must consider using any appropriate practice that meets the resource concern on a particular operation. Applications received from organic producers or producers in transition to organic farming will be accepted between May 11 and May 29.

Senate Ag Committee Chair, Tom Harkin said, - organic farmers have not been able to fully utilize federal conservation programs such as EQIP. The 2008 farm bill and the funding announcement will support sound conservation among farmers wanting to get into organic agriculture. There is a limited application time frame and I encourage organic farmers to take advantage of this program.