4-6 IAN Organic Grants

                     FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE FOR IDAHO’S ORGANIC PRODUCERS

 The Natural Resources Conservation Service is looking for organic producers interested in protecting their land’s resources. The NRCS’s Organic Initiative can help certified organic producers as well as producers transitioning to organic production invest in resource conserving practices. NRCS Public Affairs Specialist Alexis Collins had this explanation: “The organic initiative was in the 2008 farm bill. Helping organic producers was one of the things that the 2008 farm bill wanted to do. Because we are a USDA agency, and NRCS looks for a way that they could help organic producers. “There are conservation practices that can help any organic operation big or small,” said Marlon Winger, NRCS State Agronomist.  “Two of those practices are cover crops and pollinator plantings.”

 Cover crops are grown to benefit soil health and future crops. They can protect soil from wind and water erosion, increase soil biodiversity, and add nitrogen to the soil. “Organic producers benefit from cover crops because they add organic matter to the soil,” Winger said. “Most organic producers lack nitrogen in their crop rotation and cover crops can help. Farmers can increase the nitrogen available to plants with a legume cover crop.” Cover crops also suppress annual weeds, potentially reducing the need to till the soil to remove weeds. The cover crop conservation practice can pay $30 to $89 per acre.