Going organic gets easier - USDA unveils support package

May 16, 2024

By Farms.com

The USDA is unveiling a new support package designed to make organic farming a more achievable goal for American farmers. These initiatives aim to address the challenges that often deter producers from transitioning to organic practices.

A key program is the Organic Market Development Grant, which awards funding to projects that promote organic products and create new market opportunities. The USDA recently awarded $24.8 million in grants and plans to award an additional $10 million soon.

Another initiative is the NRCS Organic Expertise Program, a partnership with organizations like Oregon Tilth. This program provides $5 million to support training and technical assistance for organic producers, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed.

Additionally, the USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) offers the Organic Certification Cost Share program. This program helps ease the financial burden of organic certification by covering up to 75% of the costs.

By providing financial support, training opportunities, and market development assistance, the USDA aims to make organic farming more accessible and encourage the growth of the organic sector in the United States.

Video: Learning to Wrench From Dad the Hard Way

Harvest is a week out and the farm picked this week to fall apart. The truck needs a battery, the barn curtain's got a problem, and the corn and beans are telling us we're out of time to get it all fixed.

So it's a full day of wrenching. Tork supervises while I get the truck back running, then we're out at the hog barn where one rusted up part has the whole curtain system hung up. Ladder work, cable work, and a little dad-and-son disagreement about the right way to do it. We close it out walking the fields, shelling beans and checking corn, because whether everything's fixed or not, harvest starts when harvest starts.

Chapters: 00:00 Everything breaks the week before harvest 01:00 Tork supervises while I fix the truck 12:30 Out to the barn to find the curtain problem 14:30 One rusty part hung up the whole curtain 20:00 Running the curtain cable from the ladder 24:00 Walking the beans and corn before harvest 26:30 Wrapping up

We're a 6th generation family farm in southeast Iowa showing the real ups and downs of pig farming and row crop farming. No script, just the work. Subscribe and follow along.

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