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2011 Montana Organic Production EQIP Special Initiative

Overview

Organic food sales remain the fastest growing sector in the food industry, swelling by 18 percent in 2007. Organic food sales more than tripled, to $1.7 billion in 2007 from $393 million in 2002, according to USDA’s Agriculture Census.

The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill) provided funding specifically to help organic farmers and those agricultural producers transitioning to organic farming. In Montana, more than $1.5 million is available through a special allotment for organic farmers through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

2011 Montana Organic Production EQIP Special Initiative Fact Sheet

Financial Assistance

Successful applicants will develop contracts with the NRCS to cost share the installation of conservation practices. These practices are to assist organic producers or transitioning producers to meet the objectives of their Organic System Plan (OSP). The OSP is administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS).

Payments are not authorized for activities or practice components which are solely production related and are not linked to an identified resource concern. Payments may not be used for any costs related to organic certification.

Farmers or ranchers who want to apply for financial assistance may receive up to $20,000 per year and are limited to $80,000 over a six-year period under the Organic Initiative.

Organic 2011 EQIP Payment Schedule

Eligibility Requirements

Must be an agricultural operation that produced at least $1,000 in agricultural products in two of the last five years or has IRS Schedule F form showing profit or loss from a farm operation OR have ownership in the agricultural operation.
Must own or have control of the land (by lease or rental agreement) for the length of the EQIP contract.
May be an individual, entity, or joint operation.
Must be certified as organic according to the National Organic Program OR be in the process of transitioning to organic production OR gross less than $5000 in organic sales annually but still comply with the requirements of organic certification.
Must be in compliance with the highly-erodible land (HEL) and wetland conservation provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985.
Must have adjusted gross income (AGI) of less than $1 million in non-farm income.

Conservation Planning Assistance

For more than 70 years, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has placed a high priority on helping agricultural producers with conservation plans to meet their environmental and economic goals, while at the same time planning for the protection of the soil, water, air and wildlife resources.

Conservation goals are highly individual and may include transitioning to organic agriculture (or boosting pollinator populations, increasing biodiversity including soil-borne organisms, enhancing water quality, controlling invasive species or dozens of other resource-enhancing possibilities).

NRCS conservationists will come to your farm and work with you to develop a conservation plan based on your farm goals. The plan will specify a timeline to implement the conservation practices. Conservation planning assistance is free and does not require participation in financial programs. Producers may be eligible for other conservation programs.

New in 2011, applicants have the opportunity to sign-up for financial assistance to develop a conservation activity plan to develop a Conservation Plan Supporting Organic transition. The conservation activity plan must be written by a Technical Service Provider.

Confidentiality

All information provided to NRCS for conservation planning purposes is strictly confidential.

How Do I Get Started?

The first step is to visit your local USDA Service Center and speak with the NRCS District Conservationist and complete an application.

Your application may be submitted at your local NRCS field office. You can use the USDA Service Center Locator to find your local NRCS field office or look in your local phone book under federal government.

Note that applications are accepted at any time. An application cut-off is announced annually. Any applications received after the deadline will be deferred to the following funding cycle.

What Do I Bring with Me?

If you are already certified:

Proof of ownership or control of land.
Your Organic System Plan. The OSP is administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS).

If you are transitioning:

Proof of ownership or control of land.
The name of the USDA-accredited certifying agent contacted to begin the organic certification process.
You will be required to submit a self-certification letter to the District Conservationist stating that you “agree to develop and implement conservation practices for certified organic production that are consistent with an Organic System Plan.”

You will be asked to complete the following documentation:

CCC-1200 Conservation Program Application and Appendix to the CCC-1202
AD-1026 Highly Erodible Land Conservation and Wetland Conservation Certification
CCC-901 Member's Information (for entities only)
CCC-926 Adjusted Gross Income Certification
SF-1199 Direct Deposit Form (if your application is funded)

For More Information

On other Web sites:

MontGuide MT200901AG "From Conventional to Organic Cropping: What to Expect During the Transition Years" (PDF; 295 KB)

National Organic Program (PDF; 67 KB)

Contacts

Ron Nadwornick, State Resource Conservationist and Organic Contact
Phone: 406-587-6998
Email: Ron.Nadwornick

Kris Berg, Program Specialist
Phone: 406-587-6849
Email: Kris.Berg

Tim Ouellette, Assistant State Conservationist for Programs
Phone: 406-587-6794
Email: Tim.Ouellette

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Last Modified: 12/09/2011