USDA Still Accepting Applications for Organic Initiative

News provided by

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

Mar 19, 2010, 04:32 ET

HARRISBURG, Pa., March 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- David Brown, Acting State Conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Pennsylvania has announced that applications are still being accepted for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) organic initiative.

Pennsylvania farmers transitioning to organic agriculture or those who are certified organic are encouraged to apply for assistance to implement conservation practices on their land. The cutoff date for the first ranking was March 12th. However, applications will be accepted and considered for 2010 contracts as long as funds are available. Applications not funded in 2010 can be retained for consideration in 2011.

NRCS in Pennsylvania has set aside $760,000 to support organic agriculture. Approved applicants may be eligible to receive up to $20,000 per year, totaling up to $80,000 over six years.

The EQIP organic initiative is designed to provide financial assistance in the form of payments of 75 percent of the average cost of a conservation practice, or 90 percent of the average cost of a conservation practice if the producer is in a traditionally underserved group, such as limited resource, beginning, or minority farmers.

Technical and financial assistance is available for a large number of conservation practices. Core practices that receive additional consideration as part of the application evaluation process include conservation crop rotation, cover crop, prescribed grazing, nutrient and pest management, conservation cover, field border, riparian herbaceous cover, riparian forested buffer, and windbreaks.

For more information about EQIP or to apply, go to www.pa.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/, or contact your local USDA Service Center.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).

SOURCE USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service