The USDA leaned in on efforts to support farmers and ranchers in the second half of 2022, boasting a wide span of initiatives that included everything from providing emergency relief to bolstering the organic program.
Overall, the USDA sought to build capacity, support underserved farms and ranches across the U.S., and promote adoption of climate-smart and organic agricultural practices. The agency ended the year on a high note with a second wave of funding, investing a grand total of over $3 billion in Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities across the U.S.
USDA: Emergency Relief Program delivers timely assistance to commodity and specialty crop producers
Aug. 4
By Tom Karst
USDA has made approximately $6.1 billion in payments to commodity and specialty crop producers to help offset eligible losses from eligible 2020 and 2021 natural disasters. The agency processed more than 255,000 applications for its Emergency Relief Program.
By breaking-down agency barriers, the USDA’s Farm Service Agency and Risk Management Agency have been able to expediently provide economic relief and save producers and staff over a million hours of time.
“Our streamlined, successful ERP implementation is a testament to the USDA team’s creativity, dedication, and willingness to break down traditional divisions between agencies and resolve complicated information technology challenges to further the shared goal of better serving farmers and ranchers,” said USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Robert Bonnie said in a news release.
Q&A: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on the USDA’s $300M investment in organics
Aug. 22
By Jennifer Strailey
The Packer spoke with Tom Vilsack about the USDA’s investment of $300 million into a new Organic Transition Initiative aimed at helping to build new and better markets, as well as streams of income for farmers and producers.
The Organic Transition Initiative includes a Transition to Organic Partnership Program, which includes direct farmer assistance and organic market development support. The initiative builds on first step taken by the USDA in the Biden Administration to reduce the cost of organic certification.
“Today, we’re taking the second step if you will — a fairly significant step — in creating an Organic Transition Initiative, which is essentially designed to do three basic things: It’s designed to provide wraparound technical assistance and farmer-to-farmer mentoring, so that those who are interested in becoming organic farmers can learn from those who already are; financial support for the costs that are involved in conservation and in risk management; and the development of adequate supply chains and market opportunities,” said Vilsack.
USDA announces $400M in funding available to create USDA regional food business centers
Sept. 7
By The Packer Staff
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $400 million in investments in the USDA’s new regional food business centers. The regional food business centers will assist small and mid-sized producers, and food and farm businesses, with the goal of creating a more resilient, diverse and competitive food system.
“The USDA regional food business centers will be a new, critical asset as we continue our work to strengthen and enhance local and regional food systems across the nation,” Vilsack said in a news release. “Regional food business centers will serve as USDA’s cornerstone in the development of the local and regional supply chains, building on lessons learned during the pandemic, providing technical assistance and creating new market opportunities in areas where the need is greatest.”
USDA funded six regional centers to provide coordination, technical assistance and capacity-building to help farmers, ranchers and other food businesses access new markets and navigate federal, state and local resources, thereby closing the gaps or barriers to success.
How USDA’s $2.8 billion climate-smart investment might impact your operation
Sept. 14
By Jenna Hoffman
In the first of two waves, the USDA invested $2.8 billion in 70 projects under the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding pool. The projects, which seek funds ranging from $5 million to $100 million, include everything from flood control to building carbon markets.
Funding recipients included government entities, farmer coopers, conservation groups, universities and businesses of all sizes.What’s more, among the recipients was Trust in Food, the sustainability division of Farm Journal, receiving funding for its coalition-driven Connected Ag Project.
USDA gives Elevated Foods $20M to expand climate-smart agriculture practices and markets
Oct. 4
By Kristin Leigh Lore
Elevated Foods was the latest in a series of Climate-Smart Commodities program grant recipients, receiving $20 million from USDA to accelerate its work improving the U.S. food system. Elevated Foods’ plan is to advance climate-smart production practices on hundreds of farms and several hundred thousand acres of working land. It’s ultimate goal? To sequester more than a half million metric tons of carbon over the next five years, according to a news release.
The historic $2.8 billion investment from USDA into its new Climate-Smart Commodities Program, launched in February 2022, is designed to expand markets for climate-smart commodities and encourage climate-smart agricultural practices on a diverse range of farms and ranches. Climate smart practices include cover cropping, water management, conservation tillage, integrated pest management, promoting biodiversity and nutrient management.
