Federal Policy
FEDERAL POLICY ISSUES
- 2012 Farm Bill
- Farmers Market Promotion Program
- Value-Added Producer Grants
- Conservation Stewardship Program
- Mississippi River Basin Initiative
No piece of legislation or government policy does more to structure our food and farm system than the federal omnibus piece of legislation known as the Farm Bill.
Despite the Farm Bill’s impressive price-tag, there is ample evidence that U.S. farm policy has not achieved its stated goals of fostering a family farm system of agriculture, ensuring that farmers receive a fair return, conserving natural resources and providing a wholesome nutritional food supply. The past failures threaten the very future of farming, rural communities, watersheds, and our fundamental ability to feed ourselves.
But the problems and trends with our current food and farm system are not inevitable. They are the direct result of policy choices that have encouraged concentration, short-term corporate profit and production at any cost over long-term sustainability and health.
ISA is working with stakeholders in Illinois and on the national level in D.C. to advocate for and support federal farm policy reforms in the 2012 Farm Bill to achieve a healthier, more just, and environmentally sustainable food and farming system.
To learn more about ISA’s vision and priorities for the next Farm Bill click here.
Join our efforts in advocating for a healthier, more just, and environmentally sustainable Farm Bill by becoming an active and engaged citizen advocate. Learn about how the federal policy process works and ways you can get involved and influence the debate by viewing our 2012 Farm Bill Federal Policy Advocacy Guide. For more information about the 2012 Farm Bill contact Wes King.
Local & Regional Food Systems Priorities
Learn more about ISA’s local and regional food system priorities for the 2012 Farm Bill here.
ISA's conservation priorities for the Farm Bill include re-authorization and adequate funding for the Conservation Stewardship Program and strengthening conservation compliance provisions within the Farm Bill. Learn more about ISA's conservation priorities for the 2012 Farm Bill here.
On June 2nd, 2011 ISA, the Izaak Walton League of America (IWLA) and Prairie Rivers Network (PRN) hosted a forum of stakeholders to discuss the upcoming 2012 Farm Bill. Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Tom Jennings gave the keynote address about his agency’s local food and conservation priorities for the 2012 Farm Bill. Director Jennings was followed by State Conservationist Bill Gradle who discussed the National Resource Conservation Service's Conservation programs available to producers from 2008 Farm Bill.
The event was well attended and brought together a diverse group of stakeholders to discuss, prioritize and plan for the 2012 Farm Bill. In addition, to the keynote presentations, Stacy James from PRN talked about water quality issues in Illinois and the role of agriculture, Brad Redlin from IWLA talked about conservation compliance and the Farm Bill, Claudia Emken from ISA talked about the Conservation Stewardship Program and Wes King from ISA talked about local and regional food systems.
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Farmers Market Promotion Program
The Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) aims to increase and strengthen direct producer-to-consumer marketing channels. Through a competitive grant application process, FMPP funds marketing proposals for community supported agriculture programs, farmers markets, roadside stands, and other direct marketing strategies.
For more information about the program and how to apply for grant funding visit: http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/FMPP
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The United States Department of Agriculture's Value-Added Producer Grant program (VAPG) is now accepting proposals. Two years of funding totaling more than $37 million will be awarded. Proposals are due August 29th, 2011.
VAPG is a competitive grants program that awards grants to producers to help them develop farm-related businesses that add value to basic agricultural products through branding, processing, product differentiation, labeling and certification, and marketing. VAPG includes projects that market inherently value-added production, such as organic crops, grass-fed livestock, and locally produced and marketed food products. VAPG also funds regional food supply networks that benefit small and mid-sized farms by incorporating producers into larger farm-to-plate value chains.
Grants may be used to fund one of the following two activities:
- Develop business plans and feasibility studies (including marketing plans or other planning activities) needed to establish viable marketing opportunities for value-added products; or
- Acquire working capital to operate a value-added business venture or alliance. Working capital applications generally must be supported by an independent feasibility study as well as a business plan.
- Grant funds may not be used for repair, acquisition, or construction of a building or facility or to purchase, rent or install fixed equipment. Cash and/or in-kind matching funds are required, must be at least equal to the amount of Federal funds awarded, and must be expended in advance, such that for each grant dollar advanced, an equal amount of match shall have been expended first.
USDA Contact Information and Online Resources
The complete application package will be available from the USDA Rural Development site. The agency has also provided an application template.
You can also find out more about eligibility and the application process guidelines by contacting your local USDA Rural Development Office, or contact the national program staff Lyn Millhiser at 202-720-1227 or Tracey Kennedy at 202-690-1428, or by emailing cpgrants@wdc.usda.gov for additional information.
If you are an agricultural producer or producer-controlled entity interested in applying, read this guide to applying from the University of Wisconsin’s Agricultural Innovation Center. Templates for applications are available from the University of Nebraska’s Food Processing Center.
To see how the FY 2009 awards were distributed and 15 examples of the projects that were funded, go to the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition's two page summary of the 2009 VAPG projects.
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Conservation Stewardship Program
- Read a Profile of a CSP Farmer
- Rewards Existing Conservation
- Rewards New Conservation
- Continuous Sign-up
- Includes Owned or Rented Land
- For Working Land
- Program Funding
- How do Farmers Apply?
- For any CSP related questions contact:
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) launched the new
Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) on August 10, 2009. CSP provides payments
to agricultural producers for conservation practices that reduce soil erosion, improve soil
fertility, conserve energy, enhance wildlife and pollinator habitat, and improve water
quality.
What’s Unique about CSP
The new CSP provides incentive payments to agricultural producers for conservation
practices that are already in place on the farm. With other USDA conservation programs,
such as EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program), farmers only receive
payments for additional conservation activities, not those in already in place. Farmers
that have been doing good conservation on their working land for years, but haven’t
qualified for other programs, now can be rewarded for their dedicated land stewardship.
Not only do farmers receive a higher payment for existing conservation, but CSP assists
with the expensive maintenance of these activities.
Rewards New Conservation
New conservation practices on the farm are expensive and often have a long payback
period. There are over 70 difference activities that are rewarded under CSP, and farmers
can choose new conservation activities that they would like to implement over the 5 year
CSP contract on their farm. To access the CSP activity list click here.
Unlike other programs that have a short sign-up period, once a year, CSP now has a
continuous sign-up, which allows farmers to enroll in the program at any time throughout
the year. There will be periodic cut-off dates for ranking applicants, but if a farmer
misses a ranking period, they will be automatically entered into the next ranking period.
Statewide Enrollment.
Unlike the old CSP, the Conservation Security Program of 2004, the new CSP doesn’t
prioritize select watersheds. All working, agricultural land throughout Illinois is eligible.
CSP contracts are for 5 years and include the whole farm operation, whether it’s owned
or rented. If cash rented, proof that the land will be farmed by the farm operator during
the contract period is required. If the rented land cannot be secured for the entire contract
period, that does not disqualify the whole farm operation. Only that piece of land will not
be included in the contracted acreage.
CSP only includes working land that is in production. Land that has been fallow or out of
production for the past two years is not eligible. Eligible lands include cropland,
grassland, prairie, improved pastureland, rangeland, non-industrial private forestland - a
new land use for the program - and agricultural land. CSP does not prevent farmers or
ranchers from receiving other farm program payments, although lands currently enrolled
in the Conservation Reserve Program, Grassland Reserve Program, Wetlands Reserve
Program, or the old Conservation Security Program are ineligible for the program until
those existing program contracts conclude.
Successful farmers will receive five-year contracts and up to $200,000 in benefits over
the five year contract period for each farm. CSP has $12 billion over the next 10 years,
allowing an estimated 13 million acres to be enrolled nationwide every year.
The first ranking period cut-off will be September 30, 2009. The first step to enrolling in
CSP is to determine your eligibility. Click here for a Producer Self-Screening Checklist.
If you think that CSP may be right for you, contact your local NRCS district office. For a
list of NRCS service centers in Illinois, click here. For a CSP Application, click here.
Visit the USDA NRCS CSP site here for complete program details.
For any CSP related questions contact:
Claudia Emken
Conservation Policy Advocate
cemken@winco.net
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Mississippi River Basin Initiative (MRBI)
What is the MRBI?
To improve the health of the Mississippi River Basin, The USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) has established the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative. Through this initiative NRCS and its partners will assist producers in selected watersheds in the Mississippi River Basin to voluntarily implement conservation practices that avoid, control, and trap nutrient runoff; improve wildlife habitat; and maintain agricultural productivity. MRBI is a 12 state effort including: Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.
The primary focus of MRBI is to address nutrient contributions, specifically nitrogen and phosphorus, which originate from farms and enter the Mississippi River Basin and cause both local water quality problems and Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. Partnering with local watershed groups, farm organizations, and other non-governmental organizations NRCS will help producers in selected watersheds in the Mississippi River Basin voluntarily implement conservation practices that avoid, control, and trap nutrient runoff; improve wildlife habitat; and maintain agricultural productivity.
These improvements will be accomplished through a conservation systems approach to manage and optimize nitrogen and phosphorous within fields to minimize runoff and reduce downstream nutrient loading. NRCS will provide producers assistance with a system of practices that will control soil erosion, improve soil quality, and provide wildlife habitat while managing runoff and drainage water for improved water quality.
In Illinois, Where is it Available?
In Illinois, four 8-digit hydrologic unit code (HUC) watersheds were chosen as the focus areas for the MRBI. Those targeted watersheds are the: Lower Illinois Senachwine, the Upper Illinois, the Vermillion (Upper Ohio), and the Vermillion River. Many factors have contributed to the selection of these watersheds, but primarily, these watersheds have both high mean total concentrations of nitrate and phosphorus as identified by Illinois EPA.
Click here to see a map Illinois indicating where the MRBI targeted watersheds are located.
How does it Work?
The program is implemented by NRCS through the Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI), Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program (WREP), and Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG). The CCPI funding will be sourced from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQUIP), the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP).
NRCS will offer this initiative in federal fiscal years 2010 through 2013, dedicating up to $80 million in financial assistance each fiscal year. Additionally, other Federal agencies, States, partners, and producers will contribute to the effort. The MRBI Request for Proposals (RFP) process in fiscal year 2011 will seek proposals to utilize the Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI) and the Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program (WREP) to leverage investment from non-Federal sources and ensure coordination of NRCS efforts with other Federal, State, Tribal, and local efforts. The RFP will allow eligible partners to submit proposals addressing the conservation objectives to be achieved in one or more 12-digit HUC sub-watersheds within designated 8-digit focus areas. Through agreements, partners and NRCS will provide assistance to eligible participants in the approved proposal watersheds.
MRBI emphasizes a “systems approach” to address water quality resource concerns. A cornerstone of this approach is to use screening and ranking criteria to focus program support on participants who will implement a suite of complimentary conservation practices to address the nitrogen and phosphorous generated from agricultural runoff. NRCS has approved a number of core and supporting conservation practices, which are recognized methods of avoiding, trapping and controlling pollutants, for use in MRBI participant contracts.
In addition to implementation of these conservation practices, MRBI has adopted a three-tiered monitoring and evaluation approach designed to assess environmental outcomes at the edge-of-field, in-stream, and at the 12-digit HUC level.
Additionally, a special Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) category will be designated for MRBI. CIG affords a competitive opportunity for matching funds to implement innovative projects related to nutrient management, drainage water management, bio-filters, market-based approaches to conservation on a watershed scale, and other high-priority interest areas where field trails and demonstrations are needed.
Role of Partners
MRBI relies on successful partnerships with private organizations to achieve the outreach and education goals of the programs. Farm organizations, watershed groups, and other non-governmental organizations partner together to submit proposed agreements with the NRCS to inform agricultural producers and landowners of the future availability of funds for approved MRBI partnerships projects. This includes providing education and outreach activities; providing technical and educational assistance; targeting their agency’s or organization’s programs toward the Initiative’s watersheds; and assisting with monitoring, evaluation, and assessment.
Illinois Stewardship Alliance would love to work with your watershed group to in setting up an information workshop about the MRBI. If your watershed group is located in one of the targeted watersheds and are interested in learning more about the MRBI initiative and what goes into forming a partnership and submitting a proposal to NRCS, please contact Illinois Stewardship Alliance’s Conservation Policy Advocate Claudia Emken, cemken@winco.net.
Accepted Proposals
The following is a list of proposals that have been accepted by the NRCS. If you are an agricultural producer in one of the watersheds in these accepted proposals you may be eligible to receive funding from NRCS to implement conservation practices on your property.
Starting Clean to Finish Healthy: Engaging Farmers in Reducing Nutrient Loads
- Lead Partner: American Farmland Trust
- Watersheds: Spoon River (051201090303)
- Counties – Champaign, Vermillion
Improving Nutrient Efficiency in Indian Creek Watershed
- Lead Partner: Livingston County Soil and Water Conservation District
- Watersheds: Indian Creek (071300202030), Belle Prairie-Indian Creek (0713000202040), Town of Fairbury (071300020205)
- Counties: Livingston, McLean, Ford
Reducing Pollutant Loading from Senachwine Creek Watershed in HUC – 07130001
- Lead Partner: Tri-County Regional Planning Commission
- Watersheds: Saratoga Church (071300011401), Little Senachwine Creek (071200011402), Gilfillan Creek (071300011403)
- Counties: Marshall, Peoria
Illinois River Water Quality Initiative – Upper Peoria Lake WREP
- Lead Partner: Ducks Unlimited
- Watersheds: Blalock Creek (071300011702)
- Counties: Woodford, Peoria
For more information contact Claudia Emken, Conservation Policy Advocate, cemken@winco.net or visit the Illinois’ MRBI Website hosted by NRCS.