PFI members Frances Zacharakis-Jutz, Susan Jutz and Daniel Rosmann Visited Washington to inform elected officials about sustainable agriculture. For Daniel's views on beginning farmer programs, click here.
At the request of our membership, PFI is giving our members a voice in the making and implementation of the governmental policies that affect them. As a result, the PFI Board of Directors has approved the scope and structure of a Policy Committee. Committee members Eric Franzenburg, Laura Krouse, Ron Dunphy, Jeff Klinge, Jerry Peckumn and Sarah Carlson will review and make recommendations to the Board of Directors on policy positions concerning three farm bill programs:
Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) — formerly called the Conservation Security Program, is a working lands conservation program designed to protect and improve natural resources and the environment. Under this program farmers and ranchers can apply for financial and technical assistance to help implement conservation activities on land in agricultural production. CSP targets funds to protect watershed; improve soil, water and air quality; provide biodiversity and wildlife and pollinator habitat; sequester carbon to mitigate climate change; and conserve water and energy.
CSP Application Experience Study - While an impressive 27% of PFI members have participated in CSP, it is estimated that a mere 1.6% percent of all Iowa farmers have received Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) contracts since 2007. PFI set out to discover why this number is so low and to look for ways to increase participation. Wilbeck Consulting conducted in-depth interviews with six PFI farmers who have been awarded CSP contracts. Read the research report here: The CSP Application Experience
Check out two PFI families with CSP contracts:
Fred and Vicki Abels — are using CSP funds to add solar-electric fence, low-drift nozzles and fall cover crops.
Matt Russell and Patrick Standley — are using CSP funds to recycle oil and lubricants, and provide locally grown produce, poultry and beef.
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) — is a voluntary conservation program, administered by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), in which farmers and ranchers implement conservation practices on agricultural working land in return for financial cost-share assistance and technical assistance. The 2008 Farm Bill also authorized nationwide use of EQIP Organic Initiative (OI) funding for organic production and transition to organic production.
Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) — is a competitive grant program administered by the Cooperative State Education and Extension Service that funds education, extension, outreach and technical assistance initiatives directed at helping beginning farmers and ranchers. Grants support entrepreneurial training, mentoring and apprenticeships as well as programs that connect retiring farmers with new farmers and innovative ways to transfer land from retiring farmers to new farmers. PFI’s Next Generation Program is an example of this. A related program, Beginning Farmer and Rancher Individual Development Accounts (IDA) Pilot program provides assistance to farmers and ranchers of limited means to finance their agricultural endeavors through business and financial education and matched savings accounts, such as PFI’s Savings Incentive Program (SIP).
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program — Since 1988, the SARE program has helped advance the farming systems that are profitable, environmentally sound and good for communities through a nationwide research and education grants program.
Attend State Technical Advisory Committee meetings with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
Provide farmers with the latest information about the Farm Bill and working lands programs .
Encourage farmers to speak out in order to guide the USDA in continually improving the Farm Bill.
Serve as a hotline to improve farmers' knowledge of opportunities that exist in the Farm Bill.
Share stories of farmers' successful use of CSP, EQIP and BFR to improve their economic viability and environmental stewardship.
Offer forums for discussion of policy issues through PFI’s email discussion group, newsletter and workshops. (To join PFI’s email Policy discussion group, contact Ann Seuferer, ann@practicalfarmers.org.)
Support farmers’ individual participation in policy discussions and advocacy.
Conservation Security Program — PFI supports a fully funded Conservation Security Program, which is now the Conservation Stewardship Program. For PFI farmers’ opinions on this landmark program, read The Conservation Security Program: An Assessment of Farmers’ Experience with Program Implementation. Also see Conservation Security Program drives resource management, and CSP: The best of times, the worst of times: Two PFI farmers’ experience.
Policy Resources:
PFI's policy work has been supported by
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