USDA Offers New Forest Management Incentive for Conservation Reserve Program

Indianapolis, Indiana, Jan. 19, 2021 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making available $12 million for use in making payments to forest landowners with land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in exchange for their implementing healthy forest management practices. Existing CRP participants can now sign up for the Forest Management Incentive (FMI), which provides financial incentives to landowners with land in CRP to encourage proper tree thinning and other practices. 

USDA Reminds Specialty Crop Growers of Deadline to Apply for Assistance for 2023

Apply by January 31, 2024

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, December 19, 2023 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds specialty crop growers that assistance is available for producers who incur eligible on-farm food safety program expenses to obtain or renew a food safety certification through the Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) program.  Producers can apply for assistance on their calendar year 2023 expenses through January 31, 2024.  

USDA Reminds Producers of Continuous Certification Option for Perennial Forage 

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds agricultural producers with perennial forage crops of an option to report their acreage once, without having to report that acreage in subsequent years, as long as there are no applicable changes on the farm. Interested producers can select the continuous certification option after USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) certifies their acreage report.