By TIM ALEXANDER
Illinois Correspondent

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Up to $50 million in conservation funding is available for organic producers under the third year of the USDA’s Organic Initiative program, which helps organic farmers and those transitioning to such production to implement conservation resource practices on their farms.

Under terms of the 2008 farm bill, organic producers who are registered with the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) and others are eligible for up to $20,000 per year, or a total of $80,000 over six years, in cash reimbursements for the implementation of various conservation practices falling under the USDA’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

“The USDA uses the (NOP) to certify organic farmers or ranchers who establish certain standards,” said EQIP specialist Mark Parson, of the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). “Certifying agents look at the plans of transitioning or already-certified organic operations in order to confirm that they are working in the direction of the requirements of the NOP.

“As part of our assistance, we use our EQIP program to help provide technical and financial assistance that help (organic producers) implement conservation practices, that aid them in their transition process or to maintain their certification.”

Helping organic farmers plan and carry out conservation practices which control erosion at a level meeting NOP standards is one way Organic Initiative funding can aid fledgling and established producers.

“An integrated pest management plan can also be one of the things we provide financial assistance for, as well as for its implementation,” Parson said.
Though the USDA and NRCS have made every effort to “simplify and streamline” the application process for the Organic Initiative, producers should contact their state’s NRCS office for state-by-state payment rates and schedules, Parson urged, before applying for the program.

“We’ve set up payment schedules that establish a standard payment for a conservation practice once it is implemented in a certain timeline. (Producers) must incur the cost of implementing that practice,” he said, explaining the payment process for producers seeking reimbursement for expenses associated with the initiative.

“Once that practice is done, the practice is certified if it meets NRCS’ design standards. Once certified, we make payments in short order to that producer.”
Organic producers are eligible if certified through NOP or if they are transitioning to certified organic production. Producers who meet organic standards but are exempt from certification with less than $5,000 in annual sales from organic products are also eligible.

Though the NRCS doled out nearly $24 million through the USDA’s Organic Initiative in 2009, many organic farmers and ranchers remain unaware of the program, according to Parson.

“We’re trying to reach out to the organic community,” he explained. “One of the reasons, I think, that legislators put (the initiative) in the farm bill is because some folks tended to shy away from technical and financial assistance they felt was for more traditional agriculture. Its inclusion in the farm bill helped us provide a necessary service, but the message still has not gotten out to many of the organic growers.”

Some organic farmers and ranchers may not wish to fill out required paperwork they perceive as cumbersome and intrusive, Parson conceded.
“My opinion is that (the application process) is not as formidable as one might think,” he said. “If you are working to achieve an organic certification for your operation, we’d sure like to see you come into our office and ask for our assistance.”

NRCS was unable to provide a state-by-state listing of funds appropriated under the Organic Initiative program, by press time. Paige Buck, Illinois NRCS public affairs specialist, said the state expects to receive just over $1 million in financial assistance in fiscal year 2011, under the program.
To access a listing of states’ NRCS office contacts, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/organic/index.html