Deadline Extended For Milk Loss Program

Late last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) extended the deadline to sign up for the Milk Loss Program to the day before Halloween. The original five-week application period has been lengthened by two weeks, with a new deadline of Monday, October 30.

Administered by the Farm Service Agency, the Milk Loss Program (MLP) is available for farms that dumped milk or had milk removed without compensation because of qualifying weather events in 2020, 2021, and 2022. This includes the consequences of those weather events that prevented delivery or storage of milk, such as power outages, impassable roads, and infrastructure losses.

Droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, winter storms, freeze (including a polar vortex), and smoke exposure are considered qualifying events. Tornados are a qualifying disaster event for 2022 only. A total of $10 billion is available for crop losses, including milk, due to qualifying disasters that took place in 2020 and 2021. Approximately $3 billion is available for 2022.

“We recognize that MLP benefits are critical to the financial recovery of dairy operations significantly impacted by weather-related disasters that inhibited their ability to deliver or store their milk in one, or even multiple years,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux in a press release about the adjusted deadline. “We also understand that dairy farming is a 24/7, 365-day commitment. We hope the application deadline extension ensures that all dairy farmers in need of assistance will now have adequate time to apply.”

To apply, dairy producers must complete the FSA-376 Milk Loss Program Application and submit a milk marketing statement from the affected month and the month prior to when milk was removed or dumped. There also needs to be a detailed statement of the milk removal circumstances including the weather event, transportation limitations, and what was done with the removed milk. A few additional forms will be needed for producers who have not previously participated in FSA programs.

USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program Pays More Than $1.77 Billion to America’s Producers in Support of Conservation and Climate-Smart Agriculture

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued more than $1.77 billion this year to agricultural producers and landowners through its Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), a critical piece of the Department’s efforts to support climate-smart agriculture and forestry on working lands. Right now, CRP’s more than 667,000 participants received payments from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) for their voluntary conservation efforts on more than 23 million acres of private land. Since 2021, CRP has grown by 21 percent in terms of acres enrolled, testament to the Biden-Harris administration’s program improvement efforts. 

“Through the addition of tools to sequester carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and better quantify these efforts, while also bringing into the fold more Tribes and underserved producers, we’ve made the Conservation Reserve Program better for our nation’s natural resources and for our agricultural producers and landowners,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “These producers and landowners voluntarily place their land under contract and, in the spirit of stewardship, agree to establish and maintain prescribed conservation practices for the life of contract. We’re grateful to all CRP participants who are making a tremendous difference by proactively addressing climate change and conserving natural resources now and for future generations.”

CRP is a voluntary program contract with agricultural producers through which environmentally sensitive agricultural land is devoted to conservation benefits. CRP participants establish long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees to control soil erosion, improve water quality and develop wildlife habitat. In return, FSA provides participants with rental payments and cost-share assistance. Contract duration is between 10 and 15 years.

To learn more about CRP and other FSA programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center. 

Compost Reimbursement Program

The Washington State Department of Agriculture’s Compost Reimbursement Program (established under RCW 15.04.420) NOW OPEN. To apply, submit an eligibility application here: https://arcg.is/18PP5L. Responses will be processed on a first come, first served basis until we reach our participation limit. After which time, the survey will close unless more applications are considered later this year.

For participating farms, the program will pay up to 50% of the cost to obtain, transport, and spread eligible compost, not to exceed $10,000, per farm per fiscal year. For incurred costs to be found eligible, compost must be purchased from a compost facility with a solid waste handling permit (map found here).

If found eligible to participate in the program, the following steps must be completed before compost is transported and applied, to qualify for reimbursement:

1. Sign the Grant Agreement Contract within 60 days of receipt. For farms on leased land, landowner permission and signature will be required.
2. Complete the Crop & Field Survey.
3. Collect a soil sample prior to compost application. 

Once each of the above steps are completed, participating farms can submit a reimbursement application to our Plant Inspection Services & Certification Electronic System (PISCES). This application will include itemized costs, a brief description of how each item was used, and an invoice, receipt or other documentation associated with that cost.

For more information on this program, please visit bit.ly/wsdacompost. If you have any questions regarding the application and review process, please contact compost@agr.wa.gov or (360) 890-0625.

Environmental Qualities Incentive Program

EQIP provides technical and financial assistance to agricultural producers and forest landowners to address natural resource concerns, such as:

• Improved water and air quality
• Conserved ground and surface water
• Increased soil health
• Reduced soil erosion and sedimentation
• Improved or created wildlife habitat
• Mitigation against drought and increasing weather volatility

How It Works

NRCS works one-on-one with producers to develop a conservation plan that outlines conservation practices and activities to help solve on-farm resource issues. Producers implement practices and activities in their conservation plan that can lead to cleaner water and air, healthier soil and better wildlife habitat, all while improving their agricultural operations. EQIP helps producers make conservation work for them. Financial assistance for practices may be available through EQIP. Some producers may also qualify for advance payment.

Farmer/Rancher SARE Grant

The Western SARE Farmer/Rancher Research & Education Grant Program focuses on advancing on-farm sustainability solutions by funding innovative producer-driven research and outreach. This grant program involves agricultural producers (main applicants) and technical advisor(s) implementing projects to address identified needs in sustainable agriculture.

How the Program Works

Projects with 1-2 producers may apply for up to $25,000 and projects with 3 or more producers working together may apply for up to $29,900.

With a Farmer/Rancher Grant, a producer and a technical advisor work together to develop a project (1-3 years in scope) that conducts both research and outreach on a sustainable agriculture topic. With the support and guidance of the technical advisor, producers must integrate research and education to conduct on-site/on-farm experiments to address social, environmental, and economic aspects of agricultural sustainability.

The goal of this program is to achieve results that can be communicated to other producers and professionals; sustain and improve the environmental quality and natural resource base on which agriculture depends; improve the profitability of producers and associated agricultural businesses; and enhance the quality of life for producers in local communities. Outreach activities may include on-farm/ranch demonstrations, farmer-to-farmer educational activities, and other approaches to assist producer adoption of sustainable agricultural practices.

Conservation Innovation Grants- Classic

The purpose of CIG is to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies in conjunction with agricultural production.

CIG projects present innovations that are expected to result in the transfer of conservation technologies, management systems, and inventive approaches to agricultural producers (such as market-based systems) into technical manuals and guides and to be used in the private sector.

CIG generally funds pilot projects, field demonstrations, and on-farm conservation research. On-farm conservation research is defined as an investigation conducted to answer a specific applied conservation question using a statistically valid design while employing farm-scale equipment on farms, ranches, or private forest lands.

Organic Certification Cost Share Program

Administered by the Farm Service Agency, OCCSP provides organic producers and handlers with financial assistance to reduce the cost of organic certification. The program reimburses producers and handlers for a portion of their paid certification costs. Once certified, organic producers and handlers are eligible to receive reimbursement for 75 percent of certification costs for program year 2023, up to a maximum of $750 per certification scope—crops, livestock, wild crops, handling, and State Organic Program fees.

Certified organic producers and handlers who have paid certification fees during the 2023 program years may apply for reimbursement of the incurred costs.

Rural Energy For America Program

The program provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements. Agricultural producers may also apply for new energy efficient equipment and new system loans for agricultural production and processing.

How may the funds be used?

Funds may be used for the purchase and installation of renewable energy systems, such as:

• Biomass (for example: biodiesel and ethanol, anaerobic digesters, and solid fuels).
• Geothermal for electric generation or direct use.
• Hydropower below 30 megawatts.
• Hydrogen.
• Small and large wind generation.
• Small and large solar generation.
• Ocean (tidal, current, thermal) generation.

Funds may also be used for the purchase, installation and construction of energy efficiency improvements, such as:

• High efficiency heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC).
• Insulation.
• Lighting.
• Cooling or refrigeration units.
• Doors and windows.
• Electric, solar or gravity pumps for sprinkler pivots.
• Switching from a diesel to electric irrigation motor.
• Replacement of energy-inefficient equipment.

Energy Efficiency Improvement applications must contain an Energy Audit, or Energy Assessment (depending on Total Project Costs) that complies with Appendix A to RD Instructions 4280-B

Agricultural producers may also use guaranteed loan funds to install energy efficient equipment and systems for agricultural production or processing.

Funding for the USDA's Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Grant program has increased tenfold and they are now offering to pay for 50% of the cost to install a solar system. When one adds a 30% to 40% Federal Tax Credit and in many cases an Energy Trust incentive too, the simple payback on solar can be about a year. Perhaps more importantly, each net $1 invested should save $20 plus on future power bills.