Next week, NYFC will testify at a USDA listening session on organic agriculture and we need your input on what to tell agency officials. We need to know about your experiences with the National Organic Program and conservation programs like EQIP, as well as the challenges that you may be facing as an organic producer and ideas about how the USDA can help.
In the comments section, please tell us:
- Your experience with the National Organic Program
- Your experience with USDA conservation programs, such as EQIP and CSP
- Your experience with USDA as an organic farmer
- Challenges that you’re facing as an organic farmer.
We’ll compile these comments and post our testimony after next week’s hearing.
Hello;
Here in emporia ks, the usda doen’t give out all their information about programs for farmers. While talking with the head lady here in emporia she told me that they don’t have money for “hobby farms”. I told her that my sheep herd breeding is NOT a hobby farm. They make you feel that you have to know what the programs are first and if you are a small farm, don’t even bother them.
The NOP standards and definitions don’t always make a lot of sense to us (um, compost definition?), but we find value in being able to market our produce as certified organic. I wish there were more or better resources for understanding the standards and definitions. Some 3rd party certifying agencies offer good resources and assistance, and NCAT (formerly ATTRA) has some good publications, but more affordable in-person technical assistance could be useful.
In the North Coast of CA, our experience with EQIP has been generally positive. The local NRCS staff genuinely wants to work with us. I was impressed when they recently hosted a TSP (technical service provider) training at our farm – basically working with NCAT to train organic inspectors to be TSPs to NRCS staff. Everyone was interested in the bigger economic picture we face as small-scale organic farmers. The EQIP cost-share assistance contracts we received for several projects are still in process. The biggest challenge is that it works as a reimbursement, so even though we’re receiving $1,800 in assistance for the high tunnel, we still needed to find the $5,000 to buy it in the first place. We didn’t really explore the FSA loan option for conservation projects (see below).
“Experience with USDA”? Aside from interacting with NRCS, we talked with the FSA about getting a loan for the high tunnel project. We thought it would be a good idea to get into their system for a pre-approved loan, too, but we ended up not doing the paperwork. The money for the high tunnel became available elsewhere, and the paperwork was too onerous at the time. As such a diverse farm (veg CSA, poultry & pork CSAs, RSA, grains, hay, lamb), our business plan, past financials, and projections would not translate easily into the FSA template. We may go through with it in the future, although we like to work within the associative economic paradigm whenever possible…Our other experiences with USDA have been indirect. We’re grateful that there is USDA food stamp & WIC money out there so low-income folks can afford our produce, We benefitted from ARRA funds over a year ago.
Challenges we face as organic farmers:
-Access to capital
-Lack of local demand
We are compelled to scale up so that we can meet the consumer’s price point. Perhaps this is because we are in California where much larger established farms have market traction even though they are not “local.” If we could charge more for our product, we could afford to farm at our current scale. But a lot of foods seem to have a price ceiling in our local markets, so we need to invest in more mechanization and infrastructure to scale up and charge less.
I have a small farm in Maine and became certified organic through MOFGA Certification Services this year. Though I have access to great resources- MOFGA namely, I went through the NRCS Program to Transition. I’m lucky that one of the few Technical Services Providers to write farm plans works for MOFGA. The paperwork was much easier and the review of products and mineral supplements (used for animals) was much smoother. In addition I’ve really benefited from the EQIP programs and now have perimeter fencing on my land and watering facilities, manure storage, and reseeding projects planned for the next three years. I have worked with two very very dedicated county agents so my experience may not be the norm. The program has helped many of my friends (mostly young farmers) who focus on veggie production too- high tunnel initiative, access roads, manure storage, etc.
The biggest challenges to organic livestock production are: affordable organic grain, infrastructure investments (fencing, housing, grain storage), winter management, access to slaughter (availability of slaughter). Most of my operation has been bootstrapped which means lots of time spent moving animals in less than efficient ways, using flexi-net temporary fencing, and slaughtering animals on farm which limits sale. It would be amazing to see more incentives and training for butchers and grain growers.