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Farmers and ranchers in the USA are concerned that the latest iteration of the Farm Bill, due this month, may undermine some of the climate-smart agriculture funding that was included in the Inflation Reduction Act. In 2023, the IRA made US$850m available for climate-focused conservation, while applications totalled US$2.8bn. Farmers are using funds to build climate-resilience into their operations, with particular focus on erosion, soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat. But it’s unclear whether the climate-focused approach will be retained in the new bill. https://lnkd.in/eWKgxcNs #usagriculture #climate #climatesmart #conservation #resilience

🤔 Have you been reading/watching the 📰 on the Farm Bill expiration in September? Curious about what it is and why it's important? Here is some helpful info: (Source NRCS) The Farm Bill continues its strong support for conservation efforts of America’s farmers and ranchers through reauthorization and expanded flexibility of NRCS conservation programs.  The 2018 Farm Bill made updates to NRCS programs, which are outlined below as well as the What's New with NRCS Programs fact sheet (can be found on NRCS website). In general, the Farm Bill:  - Strengthened and expanded support to producers who address significant natural resource concerns through adoption of conservation practices and activities. - Ensured that voluntary conservation programs balance farm productivity with conservation benefits so the most fertile and productive lands remain in production while land retired for conservation purposes favors more environmentally sensitive acres. - Supported conservation programs that ensure cost-effective financial assistance for improved soil health, water and air quality, and other natural resource benefits. - Encouraged entry into farming through increased access to land and capital for young, beginning, veteran, and underrepresented farmers. For more info, check out this article from Field & Stream on how this piece of legislation affects you: https://lnkd.in/d9dnKF2H

MANKATO, Minn., April 3, 2024 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the availability of an historic $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2024 to invest in partner-driven conservation and climate solutions through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting project proposals now through July 2, 2024, that will help farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners adopt and expand conservation strategies to enhance natural resources while tackling the climate crisis. These projects in turn can save farmers money, create new revenue streams, and increase productivity. The investments in climate-smart agriculture that USDA has made since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, and will continue to make through the Inflation Reduction Act and Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, are estimated to support over 180,000 farms and over 225 million acres in the next 5 years. #twira #regenerativeagriulture #regenerativefarming #usda Read more here... https://lnkd.in/ewvNF5tu

FARMERS & RANCHERS: NOW IS THE TIME TO SIGN UP FOR CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAMS   Land conservation and remediation have never been more important to American agriculture. Mid- and long-term projected demand for grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy and meat produced in the United States remains strong.   However, soil depletion has been and continues to be a growing problem. Additional productivity challenges are arising as extraordinary and extreme weather conditions are taking significant tracts of agricultural land offline - in some cases requiring years for recovery.   The need to improve sustainability, rely less on soil amendments, and maximize the utility of acreage rendered fallow for whatever reason has never been greater. Fortunately, federal programs exist today that can help farmers and ranchers meet these challenges. The federal government's Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) provides American farmers and ranchers the opportunity to idle large tracts of environmentally fragile farmland in exchange for an annual rental payment. Enrollment for 2024 started yesterday (March 4th) and runs through March 29th.   Offered through USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), CRP gives agricultural producers the resources and support to conserve wildlife habitat while achieving other conservation benefits, including sequestering carbon and improving water quality and soil health. For example, CRP can help producers and landowners establish long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees. Additionally, the CRP program offers qualifying participants a Climate-Smart Practice Incentive to help increase carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by helping producers and landowners establish trees and permanent grasses, enhance wildlife habitat and restore wetlands. THE CLOCK IS TICKING! CRP enrollment currently is scheduled to close in approximately three weeks. Ag-landowners and producers interested in CRP should contact their local USDA Service Center to learn more or to apply for the program before the March 29th deadline.  #farmconservation #ranchconservation #CRP #agriculture #agriculturalland #ranchland #agconservation

The Oxford Farming Conference (OFC) 2024 saw a number of announcements regarding #countrysidestewardship (CS) and the Sustainable Farming Incentive #sfi. Payment rates are being increased as of 1st January 2024 and new options are being added to the schemes such as #agroforestry. Although CS is not yet open for applications, SFI is open all year round. By designing a scheme to suit your #land and #farming operations, income from #agrienvironment schemes is a useful top-up to #farm income and can play a major part in #naturalhabitat restoration and preservation. With increasing concerns around the impacts of #climatechange and #biodiversityloss, it has never been a more appropriate time to farm our land whilst enhancing the #naturalenvironment around it. Here are a few tips to guide you in embracing a nature-friendly approach to designing an agri-environment scheme for your land: 🐝 Create an environment on your farm in which #pollinators can thrive - for instance, you can cut grass less often and establish vigorous herb-rich and legume swards 🦉 Manage the land in a way to support priority habitat and #nativespecies - this can be done through offering over-winter feeding and establishing flower-rich habitats 🦔 Create #wildlife corridors around the farm - establish buffer strips around fields, manage #hedgerows allowing for species and structural diversity around the farm 🌊 Protect water features from run-off and #livestock poaching - buffer strips can also prevent #soil runoffs and support a better #soilstructure 🌱 Protect your soils - include winter cover in your rotation and minimise bare soils You can read our full blog post for much more tips and advice! https://lnkd.in/gu-_65wD And please get in touch with us if you would like to know more about who we are, what we do, and our accreditation process 🧐

In Idaho, water issues are governed by the doctrine of prior appropriation. This means that older senior water rights take priority over newer junior water rights. When there isn't enough water to go around, senior water rights get priority, while junior rights may be curtailed or shut off². 👉👉👉Recently, the Idaho Department of Water Resources issued a water curtailment order affecting 6,400 junior groundwater rights holders. These farmers and water users are subject to curtailment because they are not in compliance with a state plan. The curtailment is necessary due to a predicted water shortfall this year, and it could impact up to 500,000 acres of farmland in Idaho¹. Farmers like Adam Young are already facing challenges, with up to 70% of their family farms drying up this year unless there's an emergency stay to the curtailment order¹. The situation is critical for many agricultural businesses, and the impact could be significant for both crops and livelihoods¹. Source: Conversation with Copilot, 6/10/2024 (1) Idaho farmers say water curtailment order will dry up land, push them .... https://lnkd.in/gSuP7C85. (2) Idaho farmers say water curtailment order will dry up land, push them .... https://lnkd.in/ggHnHAcy. (3) Overview and Background on the Director's May 30, 2024 Final Order .... https://lnkd.in/grSXQc5K. (4) State official issues water curtailment order for many eastern Idaho .... https://lnkd.in/gzczSdgh.

Supporting landholders through incentives for better land management is crucial. Programs like Farm Household Allowance, Rural Financial Counsellors, and concessional loans provide financial and counselling support for those in hardship, promoting resilience against droughts and market disruptions. The Farm Management Deposit Scheme and tax concessions for sustainable practices underscore the importance of proactive, preventive approaches to land care. Encouraging investment in infrastructure and practices that improve land resilience helps reduce the need for emergency drought support, emphasising Landcare's preventive role in sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship. Let me explain further. Engaging in Landcare offers landholders significant benefits, such as access to knowledge and practices that improve soil health, water retention, and biodiversity, which are essential for sustainable farming and resilience against environmental challenges. Participation in Landcare not only enhances farm productivity and environmental health but also provides a supportive community network, sharing resources and expertise to innovate and implement sustainable land management practices. This collaborative approach strengthens local ecosystems and economies, making a compelling case for landholders to actively participate in Landcare initiatives. Our movement can help reduce Government support in solving the problems from drought by incentivising Landcare strategies that reduce the impacts of droughts in the first instance. https://bit.ly/3HNC0LX Landcare NSW Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry NSW Department of Primary Industries Department of Regional NSW

Supporting landholders through incentives for better land management is crucial. Programs like Farm Household Allowance, Rural Financial Counsellors, and concessional loans provide financial and counselling support for those in hardship, promoting resilience against droughts and market disruptions. The Farm Management Deposit Scheme and tax concessions for sustainable practices underscore the importance of proactive, preventive approaches to land care. Encouraging investment in infrastructure and practices that improve land resilience helps reduce the need for emergency drought support, emphasising Landcare's preventive role in sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship. Let me explain further. Engaging in Landcare offers landholders significant benefits, such as access to knowledge and practices that improve soil health, water retention, and biodiversity, which are essential for sustainable farming and resilience against environmental challenges. Participation in Landcare not only enhances farm productivity and environmental health but also provides a supportive community network, sharing resources and expertise to innovate and implement sustainable land management practices. This collaborative approach strengthens local ecosystems and economies, making a compelling case for landholders to actively participate in Landcare initiatives. Our movement can help reduce Government support in solving the problems from drought by incentivising Landcare strategies that reduce the impacts of droughts in the first instance. https://bit.ly/3HNC0LX Landcare NSW Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry NSW Department of Primary Industries Department of Regional NSW

Supporting landholders through incentives for better land management is crucial. Programs like Farm Household Allowance, Rural Financial Counsellors, and concessional loans provide financial and counselling support for those in hardship, promoting resilience against droughts and market disruptions. The Farm Management Deposit Scheme and tax concessions for sustainable practices underscore the importance of proactive, preventive approaches to land care. Encouraging investment in infrastructure and practices that improve land resilience helps reduce the need for emergency drought support, emphasising Landcare's preventive role in sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship. Let me explain further. Engaging in Landcare offers landholders significant benefits, such as access to knowledge and practices that improve soil health, water retention, and biodiversity, which are essential for sustainable farming and resilience against environmental challenges. Participation in Landcare not only enhances farm productivity and environmental health but also provides a supportive community network, sharing resources and expertise to innovate and implement sustainable land management practices. This collaborative approach strengthens local ecosystems and economies, making a compelling case for landholders to actively participate in Landcare initiatives. Our movement can help reduce Government support in solving the problems from drought by incentivising Landcare strategies that reduce the impacts of droughts in the first instance. https://bit.ly/3HNC0LX Landcare NSW Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry NSW Department of Primary Industries Department of Regional NSW