5-29 IAN Organic Money

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. Producers must sign up by June 1 to be eligible for 2012 funds.

Examples of practices include cover crops, mulching, irrigation water management and nutrient management. I talked with Marlon Winger, NRCS State Agronomist. “Tell me what the skinny is. Why money for organic producers? They have been targeted at the national level as an underserved audience or perceived underserved audience in the past. Maybe some of the producers are small or even big, there have been special monies put aside, pools of money specifically for transitioning organic producers so that they are not having to compete with conventional ag, it’s just kind of been an idea to promote more conservation with that group of producers.