USDA Now Accepting Applications for Available Funds to Help Cover Organic Certifications Costs

Warwick, Rhode Island, May 16, 2024 – Through the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP), USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will cover up to 75% of organic certification costs at a maximum of $750 per certification category. FSA is now accepting applications, and organic producers and handlers should apply for OCCSP by the Oct. 31, 2024, deadline for eligible expenses incurred from Oct. 1, 2023, to Sept. 30, 2024.

USDA Announces 2021 Signup Period for its Soil Health and Income Protection Program

Contact: FPAC.BC.Press@usda.gov

FARGO, N.D., May 10, 2021 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that agricultural producers in the Prairie Pothole states can now sign up for the Soil Health and Income Protection Program (SHIPP), which provides a short-term option to plant cover on less productive agricultural lands while improving soil health and carbon sequestration.

USDA Highlights Disaster Assistance Available to Florida Producers Impacted by Hurricane Ian

Polk County, Florida, March 10, 2023 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack yesterday visited a citrus grove in Polk County, Florida to survey the impact of Hurricane Ian and meet with producers impacted by the storm. During the visit, the Secretary highlighted efforts by the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help Florida producers rebuild their operations and increase their bottom lines as they recover from the devastating impact of hurricanes.

USDA Awards $50 Million to Support Farmworkers and Agricultural Employers

PALISADE, Colo., June 14, 2024 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is awarding $50 million to 141 awardees in 40 states and Puerto Rico, through the Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot Program (FLSP Program), reaching 177 unique agricultural operations and over 11,000 workers. The awards will help improve the resiliency of the U.S.

USDA Designates 19 Wyoming Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas

This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation or the refinance of certain debts.

USDA Opens Application Period for Composting and Food Waste Reduction Cooperative Agreements

WASHINGTON, June 12, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting applications for Composting and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) pilot projects for fiscal year 2024. The cooperative agreements, using remaining funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, are jointly administered by USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

USDA Designates Three Texas Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas

This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation or the refinance of certain debts.

USDA’s Farm Service Agency Encourages Producers to Consider Offers for Continuous Conservation Reserve Program

Contact:
joshua.coleman@usda.gov

COLLEGE STATION, Texas, March 13, 2023 – The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Texas is encouraging eligible producers to make offers for enrollment in the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program’s (CRP) State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) Initiative.