Over the first few months of 2022, the House Agriculture Committee has held several hearings to review United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs as Congress looks to develop the 2023 Farm Bill. The Committee held a hearing on March 16 to examine the role USDA programs play in addressing climate change. Six expert witnesses provided testimony, including Charles F. Conner, President and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives; Kristin Weeks Duncanson, Owner and Partner of Duncanson Growers; Former U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Policy Center's Farm and Forest Carbon Solutions Task Force; Shakera Raygoza, Owner and Operator of Terra Preta Farm; Dr. Glenda Humiston, Vice President of the University of California’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources; and Dr. Joe Outlaw, Co-Director of the Agriculture and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M University. Written testimonies provided by the witnesses can be found on the House Agriculture Committee’s website.

The hearing also emphasized the importance of allowing new producers to participate in conservation programs, as beginning farmers often face many barriers to reaping the benefits of conservation practices. Weeks Duncanson’s testimony focused on the need to provide more support for producers to incorporate conservation practices on their own lands. Raygoza, representing the National Young Farmers Coalition, shared the struggles she faced as a beginning farmer accessing land and USDA conservation programs. 

In 2021, the Duval Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) introduced the Start Farming Mentorship Program to support new farmers by providing tours of local farm operations and onsite workshops about sustainable practices, including water conservation, composting, and permaculture. The year-long program, made possible by a $2,500 grant award from NACD, selected 15 applicants to explore farming opportunities in Duval County.

“In an urban district like ours, new farmers often have not grown up on the farm, so it is essential that they have mentors to provide advice and guidance,” said Jennifer Casey, Duval SWCD Chair. “We are thrilled that beginning farmers had the opportunity to explore diverse farm operations and learn how sustainable regenerative solutions like composting, permaculture, and rainwater catchment can help them overcome some of the challenges of starting a farming endeavor.” The district hopes that more farms will drive new jobs and economic growth for their county.

Over the course of the year, participants took guided tours of four farms, from an urban farm in a food dessert, to a rural commercial operation. In addition, each participant received a Sustainable Solutions Kit (valued at more than $150) which included a rain barrel for water conservation, a compost kit, and seeds to attract beneficial pollinators. Mentors included local farm owners and managers from White Harvest Farms, Juicy Roots Farm, Congaree and Penn and Celestial Farms. Workshops were taught by volunteers from Apple Rabbit Compost, NativeJax Permaculture Design, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS), and the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ (UF/IFAS) Duval County Extension.

“What I’ve found is there is no substitute for first-hand experience and seeing things with your own eyes,” said participant Don DeStephano. “I read a lot on the internet, but seeing composting in action and no till gardening and farming, and learning about programs I wasn’t aware of…I’m very grateful and pleased I was a part of it.”

The Duval SWCD plans to continue the Start Farming Mentorship in the future and raised funds at the Start Farming Panel Discussion and Market to benefit the program moving forward.

Read the full story on NACD's blog.

Last week, USDA Farm Production and Conservation leaders joined NACD on a webinar to discuss their new Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program and respond to members’ questions about this new funding opportunity. Speakers included Alyssa Charney, NRCS Chief of Staff and Katina Hanson, FPAC Acting Senior Advisor for Climate-Smart Commodities. More than130 participants joined in the presentation and Q&A.

Hanson and Charney discussed the goals for its $1 billion grant program. These include: 1) Implementation of climate-smart production practices, activities, and systems on working lands; 2) Measurement, quantification, monitoring, and verification of associated GHG benefits; and 3) Market development and promotion of climate-smart commodities. You can visit USDA’s website for additional information and updated FAQs. A recording of the webinar can be found here.

Any additional questions can be submitted to [email protected].

“Working with invasive species can be all-consuming and it can be very frustrating,” said NRCS Indiana State Forester Dan Shaver. “It is necessary work; we just need to take the time to control a problem that has been building in our forest understories for decades. We have to keep coming up with ways to do a better job of treating and controlling invasive species.”

Three years ago, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Southern Indiana Cooperative Invasive Management (SICIM) joined forces through a cooperative agreement that uses matching funds to promote awareness, educate the public, and establish cooperative invasive species management areas (CISMA) across the state. The five-year agreement helps landowners consider enrollment in Farm Bill programs, provides invasive species control information, and has added five full-time invasive species specialists, an executive director, and a part-time coordinator to reach out to Indiana’s 92 counties and work with conservation districts.

Efforts focus on developing management plans for invasive treatment on lands under 10 acres.

“Relationships are the most important part of the program,” said Indiana Invasives Initiative Project Coordinator Dawn Slack. “We are still building them and have a long way to go, but people are interested in high-quality land management. They want to help and be part of the solution. So, I hope – dare I say expect – that we will continue to build the collaborations to improve our land management techniques.”

To date, more than 30 CISMAs have been established, representing 41 counties. Work continues in others – 71 counties are engaged in some type of invasive species work, including outreach, committee formation, setting goals, and establishing metrics for outcomes.

Read the full story on NACD's blog.

NACD encourages members to reach out to the offices of their congressional representatives to schedule virtual fly-in meetings starting TODAY, Tuesday, March 22. Though traveling to Washington, D.C. is not possible this spring due to ongoing concerns with COVID-19 and restrictions on Capitol Hill, it is still incredibly important that you meet with the offices of your federal representatives to share your priorities and the great work conservation districts are doing in your state. As you begin to schedule meetings with your legislators, please let our Government Affairs Team know via email or by filling out our meeting information form.

Earlier this month, NACD’s Government Affairs Team hosted two advocacy trainings via Zoom for members and partners participating in the Virtual Fly-In. In addition to reviewing federal policy priorities, the advocacy training provided tips on meeting with legislators and their staffs. A recording of the training is available for those who missed these sessions. To view NACD’s Issue Papers and other resources, please visit the Spring Fly-In Event page on NACD’s website.

Please contact NACD’s Director of Government Affairs, Chris Young if you have any questions about NACD’s Virtual Fly-In, the Zoom training, or if you need additional information at [email protected].

NACD is seeking candidates for a full-time Staff Accountant based in the Washington, D.C. office. The position will be responsible for managing general ledger accounting, financial reporting, grants management, and auditing. The Staff Accountant will report to the Chief Operating Officer.

See the full job description on NACD's website. For interested candidates, please send cover letter and resume to the attention of NACD HR with ‘Staff Accountant’ in the subject line to [email protected] no later than Friday, April 1, 2022 to receive priority consideration.

On March 21, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced the release of the 2022 Request for Proposals (RFP) for the National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF), which provides grant funding to restore, increase, and strengthen our nation’s natural infrastructure, including coastal wetlands, reefs, and barrier islands that provide a critical first line of defense for coastal communities and important habitat for fish and wildlife. 

NCRF pre-proposals are due April 21, 2022. The full RFP can be found here.

NACD’s March 2022 Urban and Community Conservation Webinar featured speakers from Throwe Environmental sharing information about this NCRF opportunity with districts. Watch the webinar and learn more here.

NFWF Announces Midwest Cover Crop Initiative 2022 RFP

Proposals must be submitted online by March 28, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Learn more and submit a proposal here.  

Promote your conservation district or state association's tree sale, annual meeting, webinar, field day, or other events on NACD's Calendar of Events!