Podcasts about eqip

Farmers are now dealing with the impacts of the climate crisis on a daily basis. Experts predict weather events including droughts and flooding will only get worse. Young and beginning farmers, especially BIPOC farmers, are feeling those impacts the most. Are there opportunities to advance water and climate action and justice through the Farm Bill? We interview Abi Fain, Chief Legal and Policy Officer at the Intertribal Ag Council. And we'll talk to young farmers building solutions to address water access and climate issues.  Abi Fain, Chief Legal & Policy Officer, Intertribal Agriculture Council (IAC)Abi works with her colleagues at IAC to develop and implement education and advocacy strategies that support the policy priorities identified by IAC's member Tribes and advance IAC's overall mission of pursuing and promoting the conservation, development and use of Tribal agriculture resources for the betterment of Tribal people. To this, Abi and IAC's policy team focus their efforts on ensuring Tribal producers have opportunities to meaningfully participate in programs administered by the United States Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs through administrative or legislative solutions. Prior to joining IAC in May 2022, Abi practiced law for seven years at Pipestem Law and specialized in the representation of tribal governments, tribal enterprises, and Native organizations. Abi is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Susan Mitchell, Owner and Operator, Cloverleigh Farms + Young Farmers Land FellowSusan Mitchell is the owner/operator of Cloverleigh Farm in Columbia, CT. As a first-generation farmer, she grows certified organic vegetables, herbs, and flowers for a robust CSA program alongside her partner Josh Carnes, who raises pastured-livestock. They landed on their “forever farm” a few years ago after leasing land for many years while searching for long-term tenure and security. Susan is one of the co-founders of the New Connecticut Farmer Alliance, the Connecticut Chapter of Young Farmers. facebookinstagram Matt Hollenbeck, Hollenbeck's Cider Mill + Young Farmers Land FellowMatt Hollenbeck lives and farms in Virgil, NY and is the 4th generation steward of Hollenbeck's Cider Mill. He has been a factory worker, cubicle jockey, geologist, outdoor adventure guide, worked on a small organic csa farm, a butcher shop, and many other varied jobs before settling into continuing his family's 90+ year old ag processing business. He's a first generation orchardist with impostor syndrome, a staunch and vocal advocate for rural issues, smallholder agriculture, and appropriate technology. Matt is also a firm believer that family is the most important part of a family business. And a luddite to boot! LeVar Eady, CEO and Founder, BluRok Farms + Young Farmers Water FellowBluRok Farm was born out of LeVar's determination to grow the best hemp/cannabis possible while building a business that helps people become business owners and heal the planet. His path started in the garden where I learned to grow roses with his grandmother. Visit BluRok Farms at https://blurokfarm.com/. Shannon Maes, Rancher, San Juan Ranch + Young Farmers Water FellowWhat's a ground-level view from a cattle ranch in southern Colorado as fall turns to winter amidst prolonged drought and as legislative work on Farm Bill 2024 wraps up? Shannon Maes shares some of her experiences of drought, working with water and grazing for soil health and climate resilience as well as a few thoughts on agricultural and food policy from her perspective of working on ranches and ditchriding in her home region of Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico. Shannon has worked in agriculture since 2017 and completed a Water Advocacy Fellowship through the National Young Farmer's Coalition during 2023. Currently she works with cows, dogs, horses, people, soil, grass, and weather at San Juan Ranch in the San Luis Valley. Check out the Intertribal Agriculture Council hereLearn more about the USDA's EQIP program here and the crop insurance agent training program Abi mentions hereMore information about the Small Farms Conservation Act and the Farmer to Farmer Education Act can be found here and hereConnect with the farmers featured in this episode. Visit Cloverleigh Farm, Hollenbeck's Cider Mill, San Juan Ranch, and BluRok FarmThe Farm Report is hosted by Leigh Ollman and Alita Kelly, produced by Leigh Ollman, Evan Flom and H Conley, and edited by Hannah Beal and H Conley. Audio engineering is by Armen Spendjian and H Conley. Music is by Breakmaster Cylinder and JangwaLearn more about the National Young Farmers Coalition here and consider becoming a member. Click here to take action on the farm bill and other important policy issues.The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.

On this episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman Mitch is joined by Steve Chilcote to discuss various aspects of forest management, funding opportunities for landowners, and the challenges faced in property renovation. They delve into the importance of forest management plans, the role of NRCS and EQIP in providing funding, and the significance of addressing invasive species. The discussion also highlights the need for reinvestment in land management and the potential for creating food plots and orchards. The conversation concludes with a focus on the importance of native plants and the ongoing challenges of deer pressure in agricultural settings. In this conversation, Mitch and Steve discuss the challenges faced by modern agriculture, particularly in relation to deer management and soil health. They explore the impact of invasive species, the importance of sustainable farming practices, and the role of fire in forest management. The discussion emphasizes the need for incremental changes in farming to maintain profitability while also considering wildlife and environmental conservation. Steve shares insights on managing natural resources beyond just food plots, highlighting the importance of understanding the ecosystem and making informed decisions for long-term sustainability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman Mitch is joined by Steve Chilcote to discuss various aspects of forest management, funding opportunities for landowners, and the challenges faced in property renovation. They delve into the importance of forest management plans, the role of NRCS and EQIP in providing funding, and the significance of addressing invasive species. The discussion also highlights the need for reinvestment in land management and the potential for creating food plots and orchards. The conversation concludes with a focus on the importance of native plants and the ongoing challenges of deer pressure in agricultural settings. In this conversation, Mitch and Steve discuss the challenges faced by modern agriculture, particularly in relation to deer management and soil health. They explore the impact of invasive species, the importance of sustainable farming practices, and the role of fire in forest management. The discussion emphasizes the need for incremental changes in farming to maintain profitability while also considering wildlife and environmental conservation. Steve shares insights on managing natural resources beyond just food plots, highlighting the importance of understanding the ecosystem and making informed decisions for long-term sustainability.

Farmers and organizations across the country are feeling uncertain about government contracts tied to USDA programs like EQIP, CSP, and REAP. With funding frozen and contract decisions unclear, producers are left wondering what to do next. "We've been getting a lot of questions from farmers who already started projects or hired contractors," said Rachel Armstrong, Executive Director and Attorney with Farm Commons. "Many are worried they won’t get reimbursed as promised." Farm Commons is working to help farmers understand their legal options. Armstrong emphasized that communication is key. "The first step is to call your USDA contact and ask for an update," she advised. "It's important to document that conversation." For more information and access to legal resources, visit Farm Commons' website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NRCS Announces Cheatgrass Challenge Project Proposal Application Period

Why should our next generation of farmers – and just about everyone who eats – care about the Farm Bill? Celize Christy, an Organizer at HEAL Food Alliance explains the basic details on what's in the legislation, how it gets written, and how it impacts you. Then, Young Farmers' Policy Campaigns Co-Director Vanessa Garcia Polanco lays out the path forward in terms of the most important issues this time around. And we talk to farmers KD Randall and Matt Hollenbeck about what they need from their policymakers in D.C. Celize Christy, Organizer, HEAL Food AllianceAs an Organizer at HEAL Food Alliance, Celize facilitates connections among members, campaigns, and programs building collective power through HEAL's multi-sector, multi-racial coalition. Celize comes to HEAL's campaign and policy work by coordinating farmer-led education programming, advocating for BIPOC farmers in Iowa, and coalition building and organizing with sustainable agriculture organizations. At HEAL, Celize isn't just an organizer; she's a passionate agent of change, weaving connections and networks that celebrate the multifaceted voices of our food and farm systems. Read her full bio.Vanessa Garcí­a Polanco, Policy Campaigns Co-Director, National Young Farmers CoalitionVanessa García Polanco co-designs the strategy and implementation of Young Farmers' policy campaigns, ensuring we are pursuing and advocating for equity-driven, farmer-centric research, policy, and programmatic interventions. She serves as the organizational council member and co-chair of the Farming Opportunities & Fair Competition Committee of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. She has previously worked with Food Solutions New England, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems, University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension, and the Executive Office of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. She is an alumna of Michigan State University and the University of Rhode Island. She is a James Beard Foundation Scholar, AFHVS Innovation Leader, and an Emerging Leader in Food and Agriculture. As an Afro-Dominican immigrant, she brings her experiences and identities to her policy and advocacy activities.KD Randall, Farmer, Home Grown Farm + Young Farmers Land FellowKD is a returning generation farmer who developed a deep appreciation for the land and the ways that it constantly care for us. Inspired by the stories of their family, KD decided to pursue a career in agriculture, determined to contribute to the legacy and sustainability of southern rural agriculture. Recently, KD's work has focused on healing and fostering remembrance, reconnection, and growth in all of the places they call home, grounding in their southern rural agrarian roots. This passion has inspired them to create Home Grown Farms, a small rural farm that is still blooming into its first form. A component of KD's long-term vision is to explore ways to offer a diversity of wellness experiences through food, recreation, and spiritual services.Follow KD @farmerinthekells.Matt Hollenbeck, Hollenbeck's Cider Mill + Young Farmers Land FellowMatt Hollenbeck lives and farms in Virgil, NY, and is the 4th generation steward of Hollenbeck's Cider Mill. He has been a factory worker, cubicle jockey, geologist, outdoor adventure guide, worked on a small organic CSA farm, a butcher shop, and many other varied jobs before settling into continuing his family's 90+-year-old ag processing business. He's a first-generation orchardist with impostor syndrome, a staunch and vocal advocate for rural issues, smallholder agriculture, and appropriate technology. Matt is also a firm believer that family is the most important part of a family business. And a Luddite to boot! Check out HEAL Food Alliance's farm bill priorities here.Learn more about Hollenbeck's Cider Mill here.Follow KD Randle @farmerinthekellsLearn more about the USDA's EQIP program here, and the NRCS program here.The Farm Report is hosted by Leigh Ollman and Alita Kelly, produced by Leigh Ollman, Evan Flom and H Conley, and edited by Hannah Beal and H Conley. Audio engineering is by Armen Spendjian and H Conley. Music in the original episode is by Breakmaster Cylinder and JangwaLearn more about the National Young Farmers Coalition here and consider becoming a member. Click here to take action on the farm bill and other important policy issues. The Farm Report was originally air by HRN and is Powered by Simplecast.

*How will the upcoming elections affect Texas cattle feeders?  *The EQIP signup deadline is coming up soon.  *Texas wheat planting has passed the half-way mark.  *The hot, dry August caused a big setback for crops on the Texas High Plains.  *Rumors of a last-minute Farm Bill have resurfaced.  *It's fall fair season all across Texas.  *Leaders in agricultural organizations are teaming up to educate elementary students in the Coastal Bend.  *Fever ticks in cattle have been a problem in South Texas for over a hundred years. 

In this conversation, Jaden Bjorklund (Northland Habitat), Josh Streichert (JWS Logging) and Jon Teater discussion revolves around making hunting properties more appealing for logging. The main themes discussed include access to the property, volume and value of timber, and the role of landowners in facilitating the logging process. The guests emphasize the importance of factors such as property size, access, and timber contracts in attracting loggers. They also discuss potential pitfalls, such as dealing with pipelines and wetlands, that can complicate logging operations. The conversation highlights the need for clear communication and setting realistic expectations between landowners and loggers.  The guests also touch on the benefits of having a professional forester or consultant involved in the process and the importance of flexibility on the part of landowners. In this conversation, Jon Teater, Josh Streichert, and Jaden Bjorklund discuss various strategies for making timber cutting more valuable and beneficial for landowners. They explore the use of government funding programs, such as EQIP funding from the USDA or NRCS, to supplement the income from logging. They also emphasize the importance of considering the long-term goals of the property and the potential impact of invasive species on timber regeneration. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the value of firewood and the potential benefits of cutting mature trees to promote forest health and increase wildlife forage. Takeaways: Access and property size are important factors in attracting loggers to a hunting property. Dealing with pipelines, wetlands, and other obstacles can complicate logging operations. Clear communication and setting realistic expectations are crucial for a successful logging process. Having a professional forester involved can ensure efficient and effective timber management. Landowners should be flexible and willing to make compromises to facilitate the logging process. Government funding programs, such as EQUIP funding from the USDA or NRCS, can provide additional income for landowners who are cutting timber. It is important to consider the long-term goals of the property when making decisions about timber cutting. Invasive species, such as buckthorn, can hinder timber regeneration and should be addressed before logging. Firewood can be a valuable resource and a way to remove non-preferred tree species from the property. Cutting mature trees can promote forest health and increase wildlife forage. Social Links https://whitetaillandscapes.com/ https://www.facebook.com/whitetaillandscapes/ https://northlandhabitat.com/ https://www.instagram.com/northland.habitat/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this conversation, Jaden Bjorklund (Northland Habitat), Josh Streichert (JWS Logging) and Jon Teater discussion revolves around making hunting properties more appealing for logging. The main themes discussed include access to the property, volume and value of timber, and the role of landowners in facilitating the logging process. The guests emphasize the importance of factors such as property size, access, and timber contracts in attracting loggers. They also discuss potential pitfalls, such as dealing with pipelines and wetlands, that can complicate logging operations. The conversation highlights the need for clear communication and setting realistic expectations between landowners and loggers. The guests also touch on the benefits of having a professional forester or consultant involved in the process and the importance of flexibility on the part of landowners. In this conversation, Jon Teater, Josh Streichert, and Jaden Bjorklund discuss various strategies for making timber cutting more valuable and beneficial for landowners. They explore the use of government funding programs, such as EQIP funding from the USDA or NRCS, to supplement the income from logging. They also emphasize the importance of considering the long-term goals of the property and the potential impact of invasive species on timber regeneration. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the value of firewood and the potential benefits of cutting mature trees to promote forest health and increase wildlife forage.Takeaways:Access and property size are important factors in attracting loggers to a hunting property.Dealing with pipelines, wetlands, and other obstacles can complicate logging operations.Clear communication and setting realistic expectations are crucial for a successful logging process.Having a professional forester involved can ensure efficient and effective timber management.Landowners should be flexible and willing to make compromises to facilitate the logging process. Government funding programs, such as EQUIP funding from the USDA or NRCS, can provide additional income for landowners who are cutting timber.It is important to consider the long-term goals of the property when making decisions about timber cutting.Invasive species, such as buckthorn, can hinder timber regeneration and should be addressed before logging.Firewood can be a valuable resource and a way to remove non-preferred tree species from the property.Cutting mature trees can promote forest health and increase wildlife forage.Social Linkshttps://whitetaillandscapes.com/https://www.facebook.com/whitetaillandscapes/https://northlandhabitat.com/https://www.instagram.com/northland.habitat/

Rebecca Anderson joins Mary and Andrew to discuss her work with National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and government body under the purview of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Steeped in Permaculture, with a degree in Environmental Science and Resource Management, and time as a Woofer, Rebecca shares what the NRCS provides and what she does in her job to support anyone interested in conserving soil, water, and other natural resources with technical and financial support. As a permaculture practitioner, I recommend listening to this conversation because assistance from NRCS is free and isn't just for farmers and it's easy to start the process. All you need to do is contact your local NRCS office. Resources Natural Resources Conservation Service NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP):  Environmental Quality Incentives Program | Natural Resources Conservation Service (usda.gov) National Payment Schedules:  Payment Schedules | Natural Resources Conservation Service (usda.gov). Recommend navigating to individual states and choosing the EQIP link. Definitely overwhelming regarding choices for each practice, which is why working with a local planner is super key. NRCS Service Center Locator:  Service Center Locator | Natural Resources Conservation Service (usda.gov) NRCS Solutions for Small-Scale Farms Fact Sheets:  Solutions for Small-Scale Farms | Natural Resources Conservation Service (usda.gov) Additional National Funding Sources AgWest Farm Credit New Producer Grant:  https://agwestfc.com/about/community-engagement/grants/new-producer-grant American Farmland Trust Brighter Future Fund: https://farmland.org/brighter-future/ Farm Service Agency Farm Loan Programs: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/farm-loan-programs/index Farm Service Agency Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/disaster-assistance-program/noninsured-crop-disaster-assistance/index National Young Farmer Coalition Young Farmer Program: https://www.youngfarmers.org/young-farmer-grants/ Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Innovation Grants: https://cig.sc.egov.usda.gov/ RAFI FOCN Infrastructure Fund Grants: https://www.rafiusa.org/programs/farmers-of-color-network/farmers-of-color-network-infrastructure-fund-grants/ Rodale BIPOC Famer Micro Grants: https://rodaleinstitute.org/education/bipoc-farmer-micro-grants/ Rural Development Rural Energy for America Program (REAP):Rural Energy for America Program Renewable Energy Systems & Energy Efficiency Improvement Guaranteed Loans & Grants | Rural Development (usda.gov) Rural Development Value Added Producer Grant: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/business-programs/value-added-producer-grants USDA Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Grants: https://www.usda.gov/topics/urban/grants USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife: Partners for Fish and Wildlife | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (fws.gov)         Additional Washington State Funding Sources Tilth Organic & Sustainable Farming Grant:  https://tilthalliance.org/our-work/wa-farming-agriculture/washington-state-organic-sustainable-farming-fund/ Western WA Food Systems Partnership Project Accelerator:  https://wwfsp.org/food-systems-project-accelerator/ Washington State Conservation Commission (WSCC) Grant Programs:  Grant Programs (wa.gov) Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) Farm to School Program:  https://agr.wa.gov/departments/business-and-marketing-support/farm-to-school/wsda-farm-to-school-program WSDA Local Infrastructure Grant:  https://agr.wa.gov/departments/business-and-marketing-support/small-farm/infrastructure-grant. Note: Most states will have a state department of agriculture that funds programs like this whether it's for infrastructure, beginning farmers, etc.

The NRCS and Wild Turkey Habitat Management with Mike Hansbrough This week, Mike Hansbrough, who is the Area Resource Biologist in West Tennessee for the NRCS, joins Cameron and Andy today to discuss the role the NRCS can play in habitat management on private property. Mike discusses a few of the programs, such as CRP, EQIP, and CSP that are available to help private landowners manage their properties for targeted wildlife species. These programs not only help to provide a management plan for a landowners property, but they can provide needed dollars to help offset the cost of performing the services needed to improve the habitat. Mike is very passionate about his job and the programs available through the program, and this episode is loaded with information that any landowner will find useful. Listen in! Buy some merch and great sounding The Turkey Hunter diaphragm turkey calls from our Shopify store by clicking here: https://theturkeyhunterpodcast.myshopify.com/ Join our Patreon group and get additional content, discounts on merch, and other great perks by clicking here: https://www.patreon.com/TheTurkeyHunterPodcast80  

Odds are you've sat through a meeting on various Farm Bill programs that began to sound like “acronym soup”—EQIP, CRP, GRIP, WHIP, LIP, and the list goes on. Undoubtedly dollars for conservation abound within the Farm Bill (and other incentive programs), but are you getting your fair share therefrom? Join Dr. Dale and RPQRR's new ranch manager Mitchell Riggs as Riggs describes strategies for making the Farm Bill “all it can be” for Texans interested in quail management.

Join Phil Carroll and Kevin Hornsby on this week's Sunday Roast as they delve into the top news stories and market movers. They are joined by Paul Atherley, Chairman of Alkemy Capital, to discuss the latest developments in lithium demand and the progress of Tees Valley Lithium (TVL). Also, Sara-Louise Porter from Aquis Stock Exchange (AQSE) joins the conversation to talk about the exchange's role in championing entrepreneurship, investment, and growth, highlighting top-performing companies. Don't miss out on the usual rundown of market movers and shakers of the week. 0:00 - 7:53  weekly news roundup 7:54 - 18:16 #ALK interview 18:17 - 40:28 #AQSE interview 34:16 - #SNOX 34:40 - #EQIP 34:58 - #INC 35:09 - #SHEP 35:29 - #OHGR 40:38 - #RTOP 40:48 - #EUA 40:51 - #PFAC 41:32 - #CHLL 45:31 ~ #INC 45:36 - #IMM 50:37 - #EPP 53:02 - #COBR 54:44 - #TUN 57:00 - #ALK Disclaimer & Declaration of Interest The information, investment views, and recommendations in this podcast are provided for general information purposes only. Nothing in this podcast should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any financial product relating to any companies under discussion or to engage in or refrain from doing so or engaging in any other transaction. Any opinions or comments are made to the best of the knowledge and belief of the commentator but no responsibility is accepted for actions based on such opinions or comments. The commentators may or may not hold investments in the companies under discussion

As a part of our Farm Bill series this week David spoke with Iowa Cattlemen's Association Director of Government Relations Cora Fox about the things ICA needs to see prioritized in the upcoming Farm Bill. Among the things top of mind are supporting foreign animal disease prevention, the livestock indemnity program, the EQIP program, and trade.

Habitat Podcast #275 - In today's episode of The Habitat Podcast, we are back in the studio talking with Richard Rappley. Richard works for the NRCS in Illinois and is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to government programs for your land. We discuss: Timber stand improvement CRP vs. EQIP Tackling invasive species Benefits of native plants Financial perks of eco-care Advice on brush and honeysuckle control Tips on getting conservation funding And So Much More! PATREON - Patreon - Habitat Podcast Brand new HP Patreon for those who want to support the Habitat Podcast. Good luck this Fall and if you have a question yourself, just email us @ info@habitatpodcast.com A Week In The Field YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYhBCa2cBQo -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Patreon - Habitat Podcast Latitude Outdoors - Saddle Hunting: https://bit.ly/hplatitude Stealth Strips - Stealth Outdoors: https://bit.ly/stealthstripsHP Contact Rich at Tagged Out Seed Products: (740) 856-5207 or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063715565466 Midwest Lifestyle Properties - https://bit.ly/3OeFhrm Vitalize Seed Food Plot Seed - https://bit.ly/vitalizeseed Down Burst Seeders - https://bit.ly/downburstseeders 10% code: HP10 Morse Nursery - http://bit.ly/MorseTrees 10% off w/code: HABITAT10 Packer Maxx - http://bit.ly/PACKERMAXX $25 off with code: HPC25 Exodus Outdoor Gear - Use Code: HP - https://exodusoutdoorgear.com/discount/HP First Lite --> https://bit.ly/3EDbG6P LAND PLAN Property Consultations – HP Land Plans: LAND PLANS Leave us a review for a FREE DECAL - https://apple.co/2uhoqOO Morse Nursery Tree Dealer Pricing – info@habitatpodcast.com Habitat Podcast YOUTUBE - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmAUuvU9t25FOSstoFiaNdg Email us: info@habitatpodcast.com habitat management / deer habitat / food plots / hinge cut / food plot Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode we share how you can get involved in the State Water Plan update and when you should apply for Arkansas Century Farm status. We also cover new EQIP funding in Arkansas, give the forecasted timing for La Niña, share the latest data trends for ag industry greenhouse gas emissions and a lot more.

Welcome back to another stirring installment of The Hot Dish, where we unwrap the complex layers of issues that hit close to home for America's heartland communities. In this timely episode, we tackle the poignant issue of food insecurity in areas often dubbed the country's breadbasket. We bring together the voices of advocates and policymakers who are at the frontline of this challenge.Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small joins us with a wealth of knowledge and a commitment to action. She sheds light on the pressing need for a robust farm bill that provides certainty to our farmers and addresses the sting of food insecurity many feel. Through our conversation, listeners will gain an appreciation for the importance of programs like EQIP and rotational grazing, especially for the smaller farm units striving to survive and stay intact.We also welcome Zach Rodvold from Second Harvest Heartland, diving into the startling levels of food scarcity in rural communities and the critical role federal policies play. Our discussion will reveal the staggering statistics and the human stories behind hunger in the Midwestern landscapes, where the soil is rich, but the tables can be sadly bare.Hosts Heidi and Joel Heitkamp bring a personal touch to the episode, sharing their family experiences with food assistance, from a pastor's reliance on SNAP benefits to distributing government cheese. The duo will not only make you feel at home with their down-to-earth banter about cooking liver and deer sausage, but they also drive home the point that providing school meals should be as fundamental as supplying books.Listeners can expect a balanced plate of discourse, from the hearty successes of past farm bills to the potential roadblocks that might delay the next one. Deputy Secretary Torres Small emphasizes opportunities for all farmers, the need for both efficient and resilient markets, and the USDA's role in rural development, encompassing energy, housing, and infrastructure.So, stir the pot with us as we delve into these heartfelt stories and discuss the vital connections between nutrition, healthcare, and agriculture. You'll leave with a greater understanding of the administrative focus on implementing laws like the Inflation Reduction Act while navigating the complex fabric of federal farm policies.This episode of The Hot Dish is informative and invites you to reflect on the convergence of policy and the dinner plate. Remember, your feedback is as welcome as a hot supper on a cold day, so tune in, think, and talk back. We'll be simmering on these thoughts and returning in two weeks to serve more food for thought.The Hot Dish is brought to you by the One Country Project. For more information, visit https://onecountryproject.org. Save the data for the 2024 Rural Progress Summit, June 4-6. Send your thoughts, questions, and topic ideas to podcast@onecountryproject.org. 

Farmers are now dealing with the impacts of the climate crisis on a daily basis. Experts predict weather events including droughts and flooding will only get worse. Young and beginning farmers, especially BIPOC farmers, are feeling those impacts the most. Are there opportunities to advance water and climate action and justice through the 2024 Farm Bill? We interview Abi Fain, Chief Legal and Policy Officer at the Intertribal Ag Council. And we'll talk to young farmers building solutions to address water access and climate issues. Check out the Intertribal Agriculture Council hereLearn more about the USDA's EQIP program here and the crop insurance agent training program Abi mentions hereMore information about the Small Farms Conservation Act and the Farmer to Farmer Education Act can be found here and hereConnect with the farmers featured in this episode. Visit Cloverleigh Farm, Hollenbeck's Cider Mill, San Juan Ranch, and BluRok FarmThe Farm Report is hosted by Leigh Ollman and Alita Kelly, produced by Leigh Ollman, Evan Flom and H Conley, and edited by Hannah Beal and H Conley. Audio engineering is by Armen Spendjian and H Conley. Music is by Breakmaster Cylinder and JangwaLearn more about the National Young Farmers Coalition here and consider becoming a member. Click here to take action on the farm bill and other important policy issues.The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast.

Why should our next generation of farmers – and just about everyone who eats – care about the farm bill? Celize Christy, an Organizer at HEAL Food Alliance explains the basic details on what's in the legislation, how it gets written, and how it impacts you. Then, Young Farmers' Policy Campaigns Co-Director Vanessa Garcia Polanco lays out the path forward in terms of the most important issues this time around. And we talk to farmers KD Randall and Matt Hollenbeck about what they need from their policymakers in D.C. Check out HEAL Food Alliance's farm bill priorities here.Learn more about Hollenbeck's Cider Mill here.Follow KD Randle @farmerinthekellsLearn more about the USDA's EQIP program here, and the NRCS program here.The Farm Report is hosted by Leigh Ollman and Alita Kelly, produced by Leigh Ollman, Evan Flom and H Conley, and edited by Hannah Beal and H Conley. Audio engineering is by Armen Spendjian and H Conley. Music is by Breakmaster Cylinder and JangwaLearn more about the National Young Farmers Coalition here and consider becoming a member. Click here to take action on the farm bill and other important policy issues. The Farm Report is Powered by Simplecast. 

On this episode, we talk with Alvin Peer from Arkansas NRCS about the new ACT NOW funding model for EQIP applications. If you're pursuing funding for high tunnel, soil health or energy initiatives, you don't want to miss this episode. The $19 million in funding will be available over a 30-day period beginning Jan. 22. Zoom Link: https://uada.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwqduiprDspE9Xa_bxvdEPQOX-UVNUJsKFh#/registration

A state wildlife biologist or local NRSC agent assists landowners daily. They work to improve habitat and dish out cost-share dollars that improved habitat, but they have boundaries and restrictions in how they can assist. In comparison, private consultants work directly for and on behalf of the landowners goals without restrictions based on specs that have been written within the EQIP program. Our consultants also work to address the entire farm and its operation and huntability. We intentionally address the habitat to directly improve the huntability of a farm, not max out habitat and hope it hunts well. We hope this podcast is revealing and helpful to the landowners listening. There are two separate roles and ways to work. Make sure you understand where you are at and how you can maximize your time and future.

Discussion with County Extension Agents Marcus Preuninger (Gray County) and Andy Holloway (Hemphill County) about the upcoming program focused on preparing and response to potential wildfires in the region.  Information on preparation through grazing management, utilization of prescribed burns, and controlling brush.  We will here from Extension specialist and local ranchers on these topics.  We also talked about the involvement of a panel of producers, firemen, local officials, and Texas A&M Forest Service who will share experiences and preparation for the next fire event in our area.   I'm excited about the meeting to be held on November 9 in Pampa (in-person) and satellite sites in Post, Lubbock, Crosbyton, Amarillo, and Spearman.  Get all the details in this podcast.

Jeff Duchene is a Grazing Specialist for the Minnesota NRCS, which offers both financial and technical assistance to producers to help them meet their land management goals and address their natural resource concerns. In conversation with host Jonathan Kilpatrick, Duchene shares how his formal education combined with years of learning directly from producers has been foundational in his career: "I think every producer I've worked with over the years I've learned something from." The pair also discuss the process of applying for NRCS programs like EQIP, and pointers and resources available to help navigate the current drought.   Jonathan Kilpatrick, SFA Soil Health Lead Jeff Duchene, NRCS Grazing Specialist, Minnesota   Resources:  NRCS website Cropland Grazing Exchange  Midwest Grazing Exchange MN NRCS YouTube channel September 2023 Grazing School Send us an email at info@sfa-mn.org.   The viewpoints of the speakers expressed within or outside of this episode do not necessarily reflect the goals and mission of SFA. Dirt Rich is produced by the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota. If you enjoy Dirt Rich, consider supporting our work by becoming a member of SFA or donating at www.sfa-mn.org.

Farmers and ranchers depend on farm bill programs for many reasons, including improving their land.

In this episode, I talk about some of my daily experiences that we all go through. I talked about the differences in habitat on our bottom oak savana from the bottom ridge to the top ridge. How quickly creating an opening and buring did! I then talk about all the different options with EQIP from bat houses to concrete stream crossings! I also talked about bat houses and the importance of bats!

Hiya folks. It's been a busy spring and summer. This is catch up episode. I talked about hack n squirting black locust, using milestone, the drought, failure is opportunity, EQIP update, and my honest and brutal opinion on food plots.

Ag lawmakers are pushing legislation to help farmers vying for oversubscribed EQIP conservation contracts. RFD Washington correspondent Matt Kaye reports, & more highlights from The Illinois Wheat Association wheat Tour and reaction from Mark Miller of Mennel Milling Co. Mt. Olive and Dave Devore, Siemer Milling Co. TeutopolisDarin Newsom & Bill Tierney discuss the current corn market.

A new security clearance application process is coming your way. Learn more about this year's rollout of eApp, the online application process for security clearance applicants. It replaces everyone's favorite eQIP online security clearance, offering an improved candidate experience with better technology, and more secure data storage powered by the National Background Investigation Services. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I catch you guys up on what I've been up too. Taking on tree plantings, sprayer calibrations, EQIP, CSP, and black locust. I'm all over the place so try to keep up!

Never be without a vase full of flowers after listening to this episode of the Good Growing podcast. This week Ken and Chris chat with Chris Lueking, Illinois Extension horticulture educator, and owner of her own successful cut flower farm. Chris describes how she got started, things to consider when growing cut flowers, her top five go-to cut flowers, and more! Watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/lYpBehI4Tqg 0:26 - Hey Ken 3:20 - Introducing Chris Lueking! 4:20 - How did Chris get started in farming cut flowers? 6:45 - Talking the EQIP loan to get farm resources and conservation planning through NRCS 9:32 - What equipment or special considerations do we need when starting a cut flower farm? 15:17 - What cut flowers does Chris grow outside and what does she grow in the high tunnel? 16:14 - How late can you produce cut flowers? All the way into the winter? 17:25 - What are Chris' 5 favorite cut flowers? 17:55 - Zinnia 19:03 - Sunflowers 20:05 - Cosmos 20:50 - Gomphrena 21:30 - Celosia 22:35 - How does Chris start her seeds for cut flowers? 24:07 - Tips on how to handle pests and spraying pesticides in cut flowers production 28:19 - What's happening right now in the cut flower garden? (March 22, 2023) 31:19 - What foliage plants does Chris grow? 33:32 - Growing eucalyptus in Illinois 37:31 - Experimenting with weird stuff like tea, cotton, and tobacco 38:58 - Is Chris trying anything new for 2023? Contact us! Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu Check out the Good Growing Blog: htps://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing Subscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. -- You can find us on most podcast platforms. SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-555304573 iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377 Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/good-growing Tunein https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR Vurbl https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/ Listen notes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/ Ivy https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902 Castbox https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us Google podcasts https://bit.ly/3AiYjTD

Less Cattle on the Moo-ve Latest Happenings in K-State's College of Ag Controlling Grasses Around Trees   00:01:16  — Less Cattle on the Moo-ve: This week's cattle market update is provided by Oklahoma State University livestock economist, Derrell Peel. Derrell discusses how the weather may be having impacts on moving cattle and the latest Cattle on Feed Report.   Derrell's Cow-Calf Corner Newsletter   00:12:10 — Latest Happenings in K-State's College of Ag:  K-State's College of Agriculture Dean, Ernie Minton, joins us for January's edition of Statewide. This month's stories highlight biodegradable soil chip research, grants to support local food systems in Kansas, nanotechnology in entomology, and community mental health resilience.    Article about Dr. Raj Khosla's biodegradable soil chip research Previous Agriculture Today segments about the innovative soil chip work   Article about the $750,000 grant to spur local food systems in Kansas   Article about K-State's work utilizing nanotechnology for pest management Previous Agriculture Today segment about the new area of research with Amie Norton and Jeff Whitworth   Article about the importance of community well-being and mental health   00:23:06 — Lesser Prairie-Chicken Updates: In this week's wildlife segment with K-State wildlife specialist, Drew Ricketts, he provides updates on the Lesser Prairie-Chicken and resources and programs available to help with grazing program planning.   More information on NRCS's EQIP program Website for the Working Lands for Wildlife Program More information on Partners for Fish and Wildlife Website for the Habitat First Program through the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks   Send comments, questions, or requests for copies of past programs to ksrenews@ksu.edu. Agriculture Today is a daily program featuring Kansas State University agricultural specialists and other experts examining ag issues facing Kansas and the nation. It is hosted by Samantha Bennett and distributed to radio stations throughout Kansas and as a daily podcast.   K‑State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well‑being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K‑State campus in Manhattan.

What's the soil food web got to do with it? This is a special podcast to prepare our audience for the upcoming Climate Smart Agriculture enhancements to the EQIP and CSP programs, amongst others. In our previous podcast recorded in November 2022, we spoke to South Dakota NRCS's Jessica Michalski and Kent Vlieger about some of the programmatic and practical aspects of the Climate Smart initiative, the potential opportunities for producers and what you as a producer can do to best prepare for the enhanced funding opportunity. In this podcast, we speak to soil scientist/biogeochemist Dr. Andrea Jilling from Oklahoma State University's Plant & Soil Sciences about some of the scientific underpinnings of the effect of climate smart practices that are extensively discussed in the previous podcast. Yes, we nerd out a little, but we think that you, our listeners are ready and will take this discussion in their stride and see how it may benefit you, especially as you think about your conservation plan and how the Climate Smart enhancements may benefit you. Topics that we discuss include: • What does the soil food web have to do with climate smart ag? Can you use climate smart ag to enhance nutrient efficiency? Just how diverse is organic matter, what is the rhizosphere? • How plants harness solar energy, and why they invest so much in below ground development, especially root exudates. • What do root exudates have to do with enhancing nutrient efficiency? • What does it mean when we say “carbon is the energy currency of the soil”? • How diverse is organic matter? Can we distinguish between particulate organic matter (POM) and mineral, or clay/silt associated organic matter? • What and has recent science done to shed more light on how view mineral associated organic matter? • How do POM and mineral associated organic matter work together to immobilize and release nutrients? • What do plant-soil interactions look like over the lifecycle of the plant in releasing and immobilizing nutrients, what are the management possibilities in the future, and what can we do now to optimize plant-soil interactions? • How do these principles work with soil minerals like phosphorus and why are pH hot spots at a microscopic scale are a big deal? • What kinds of change could you expect in your soils if you decided to go all in for climate smart ag? • What are scientists like Dr. Jilling thinking about for the future in agriculture? Will new research try to leverage more producer collaboration? Also, Dr. Jilling provides some parting words on resilience. Dr Jilling can be found at: https://experts.okstate.edu/andrea.jilling For related articles on how soil health (and climate smart practices) can add real value to the farm see: Successful farming's: “Living Roots, Low input costs: Turning Cover Crops into Cash Crops Boosts Profits and lowers costs” https://www.agriculture.com/crops/cover-crops/living-roots-low-input-costs No Till Farmer's “How No-till improves land values” https://www.no-tillfarmer.com/articles/12090-how-no-till-improves-land-values

Get Ready to take Advantage of the Climate-Smart Practice Incentives. In this special podcast episode, we get together with the South Dakota NRCS's Jessica Michalski and Kent Vlieger to discuss what the upcoming climate smart agriculture and forestry package looks like, what we know, and as of December 2022, what we also don't yet know. NRCS uses conservation practices to do business with their farmers, ranchers and foresters and in the last two years, many of those conservation practices have been defined as ‘climate smart'. Many of those practices are already in use in South Dakota; these include conservation crop rotation, residue and tillage management, reducing tillage or using no-till, cover crops, nutrient management, grass seeding practices like field borders, filter strips, grassed waterways, pasture and hay, land plantings, and range seedings are defined as some of the practices. In short, most of these practices have been shown to put more carbon into the soil; more importantly to producers, more carbon (typically 60% of organic matter is carbon) in the soil means better soil function, namely better infiltration, water retention, nutrient recycling and healthier crops and animals. In this recording, we speak to Jessica and Kent about the following: 1. What are examples of climate-smart practices? 2. Demystifying the “climate smart” label and how do climate smart practices benefit the producer, keeping in mind that these practices already have a proven track record on South Dakota farms and ranches 3. While there is a lot we don't know, it's important to understand that producers can prepare themselves to take advantage of the funding before any announcements are made. Jessica's main advice? Go to your field office and make sure your conservation plan is up to date! 4. Kent Vlieger gets a little more granular on how these climate smart practices may benefit you and how you can use these incentives to think outside the box. 5. The funding for climate smart practices has the potential to be transformative for many farms and ranches, Jessica gives advice for what else a produce can do to be prepared to take advantage of this program (announcement is set for January 2023). 6. Finally, Kent touches on why the producer may want to become more educated about the soil food web, and how that may be an advantage when choosing which conservation practices may fit a particular operation. To end, what does Jessica Michalski advise? “So when it comes to the EQIP program, right after the first of the new year, we'll probably be getting out our payment schedule information, …and start looking at the practices that would really help you address your resource concerns. I think the more educated a producer can make themselves, again, a more successful conservation plan, a more successful contract they're going to have if they do their homework.” Useful links to help you get started, watch out for new announcements in January 2023! Stay tuned to the SD NRCS website: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/conservation-by-state/south-dakota Farmers.gov: https://www.farmers.gov/conservation/climate-smart

Get the latest agriculture news in today's AgNet News Hour, hosted by Danielle Leal. Today's show covers Mexican lawmakers pushing to ban nearly 200 pesticide chemicals, NRCS seeking runtime info from EQIP tractor replacements, and details on the upcoming San Joaquin Valley Grape Symposium. Tune in to the show for these news stories, interviews, features and more.

Let's talk about how we can help our cattle farmers and give them the optimal package for their operation.

Several agricultural leaders testified before a house ag subcommittee on conservation this week, including Shayne Wiese, who is a cattle producer from the state of Iowa. Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster, Ron Hays, is featuring comments from Wiese during his testimony to the House Ag Committee this week on conservation.

Dries Reynders & Arne Knapen, beiden mede-oprichters van Eqip, een communicatiebureau gespecialiseerd in rekruteringscampagnes en employer branding, lichten hun visie en aanpak toe. Ze doen dat in het Nederlands.Dit is een gesponsorde aflevering van HR Talks. De inhoud van de gesponsorde podcasts valt onder de verantwoordelijkheid van onze partners.De opname is gemaakt tijdens HRMinfo's 5e HR innov & tech Day (powered by HRMinfo), die plaatsvond op 19/5/2022. Vandaar de achtergrondruis (die echter minimaal is).Interesse in een gesponsorde aflevering (maximaal 15 minuten lang) van HR Talks? Mail dan naar sales@HRMinfo.net (Onderwerp: Gesponsorde HR Talks)++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Technische partner: ThePodcastFactory.orgSponsor:  Eqip (Employer branding bureau) 

We can use just a few words to sum up this episode- quail, nostalgia, and cold chills. In this episode, Katie and Sam are joined by Jake Comer, Sr. Farm Bill Biologist at Pheasants Forever, Inc. and Quail Forever. The crew tackle topic including common shortfalls of landowners during quail management, prescribed burning and timber management, navigating common cost-share programs (EQIP, CSP, state and federal programs), and talk about our upcoming Habitat Summit that Jake is a presenting at.Learn more about the Habitat Summit at https://threeriverslandtrust.org/habitat-summit/This podcast is brought to you by Montgomery Community College and Backcountry & Beyond.Learn more at montgomery.edu and shop more at backcountryandbeyond.comSupport the show at trlt.orgSupport the show

Farmers, who have to assume the risk of adopting more sustainable practices, might be eligible for free funds.

In this conversation Nicole Letourneau RN, BN, MN, PhD, Monica Oxford PhD, and Linda Duffet-Leger PhD, MN, BN discuss their study on mothers with depression and how they are developing a technology to improve the serve and return relationship between caregivers and their children.  If you would like more information on Nicole, Monica, and Linda and the important work they are doing here are some links to get you started: Nicole Letourneau RN, BN, MN, PhD: Professor and Research Chair in Parent and Child Mental Health at the University of Calgary Monica Oxford PhD: Professor at the University of Washington school of Nursing and Executive Director for the Barnard center for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Linda Duffet-Leger: PhD, MN, BN: Associate Professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Calgary Team members:  - Shane Sinclair: Associate Professor in the Faculty of Nursing and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary. Founder and Director of the Compassion Research Lab. - Cindy Lee Dennis: Professor at the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing and the Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. - Penny Tryphonopoulos: Assistant Professor at the Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University - Mohammad Moshirpour: Meng Software Program Director Schulich School of Engineering, Senior Instructor Department of Electrical and Software Engineering at the University of Calgary. Parent child interaction teaching scale (PCI): used to be known as the nursing child assessment teaching scale Serve and Return: parental sensitivity and responsiveness to infants and young children in relationships EQIP: enabling quality interaction with parents Links to resources on infant and child mental health: https://www.sickkids.ca/en/learning/our-programs/infant-and-early-mental-health-promotion/ https://www.zerotothree.org/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzMxrMJBZdQ https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/serve-and-return/ https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/serve-return-interaction-shapes-brain-circuitry/ https://barnardcenter.nursing.uw.edu/ https://www.pcrprograms.org/

Leveraging Nate's vast experience, the 2 Dumb Asses explore EQIP program with Nate to understand more on what available from the NRCS. Tune in as we continue to peel the onion on what's available for programs. We hope you enjoy the episode. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/site/national/home/ http://midwesthuntingandoutdoors.org/ If you like what we are doing, give us a like or better yet, follow us on Twitter, Facebook or subscribe to our channel on YouTube. If you would additionally like to show your support, we have a variety of apparel for sale: sweatshirts, t-shirts, baseball caps and Koozies. Feel free to contact us at Facebook, or our e-mail: midwesthuntingandoutdoors@gmail.com As always, "Be safe, have fun and get outdoors" - 2 Dumb Asses License Creative Commons Attribution license (reuse allowed) --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/midwest-hunting--outdoors/support

Managing a situation where an increasing percentage of any company's workforce is composed of external, contingent workers is a challenge that many companies are already dealing with. While many more will have to figure this out pretty soon too, as they move to a more flexible labour model with the advent of the "gig economy". How to mange this digitally, to both ensure compliant onboarding of consultancies, contractors and freelancers, as well as streamlining the administrative hassle associated with this? Tobi Schmidt and Igor Putrenko from external workforce management platform Eqip are my guests to discuss this. Digitally managing the Contingent Workforce: Compliant onboarding, payroll and cost management Managing this process using dozens of different recruitment agencies, or even using individual interim managers directly, isn't realistically an efficient strategy that larger businesses can manage at scale. So, there's a recognised need to manage this more effectively. What is already out there in terms of existing technology? Enterprise Resource Planning tools (ERPs) such as SAP and Oracle tend to be used more for matters relating to the internal workforce. Payroll, salary info, taxes, deductions, compliance requirements and so on. Vendor Management Systems as Igor calls them, or VMS for short, have systems and records for all external providers of services. Examples here in the more traditional enterprise software space are SAP Fieldglass, AgileOne and Beeline. Cost and lack of intuitiveness when it comes to ease of use are cited as being pitfalls of these platforms. Whereas on the other end of the spectrum, platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr are the go-to websites for managing more traditional freelancer and small agency relationships. These are popular in the tech startup and lifestyle business space, but would not be considered as rigorous when ti comes to the needs of larger businesses with compliance and due diligence requirements. How does Eqip differentiate their offering? Eqip is a B2B marketplace which incorporates proper screening process, and also caters to more niche, white collar consultancy or expert professions. This is essentially the differentiation between them and more generic freelancer marketplaces. In terms of the legacy enterprise software, they attempt to also provide this in one platform but in a more agile way, enabling a faster onboarding process for vendors. Hard-to-find skills, such as cybersecurity experts, can be very tough to find through traditional recruitment agencies. The existing enterprise software doesn't really provide the tech to enable cross-border talent scouting and a solution to compliantly onboard them. Eqip saw a gap in the market to fix this, by enabling Swiss companies originally to recruit hard-to-find contractors and consultants from a talent pool in Central and Eastern Europe. Furthermore, it also enables them to manage these workers if they are performing the work remotely from their home countries rather than actually needing to be on site at the client. What are the emerging trends in this market? On the one hand, companies struggle to find workers in their own country and simultaneously are becoming more comfortable with remote work. This is leading to more geo-arbitrage when it comes to recruitment, especially in the contingent workforce. Whereas on the other hand, Eqip is also seeing an increasing demand on the platform for more "operational" consulting requirements from companies who would typically perform the work on site. Igor also mentions the increasing erosion of the "job for life" concept and a move towards a larger percentage of a company's total workforce being contingent rather than permanent, salaried employees. Is HR the key stakeholder, and how open are they to change? While HR teams are a cog in the wheel, Tobi and Igor actually say that their sales and business development strategy is usually focusing on...

I just found out that irrigation will not begin for surface water users in my area until April 22nd this year.  Citing repeated drought, the Boise Project Board Of Control announced that canals would not begin filling until April 18th, and the earliest that anyone would be irrigating would be the 22nd.  Also, we are starting out the season with an allotment.  Normally, we do not begin the season with a restriction on how much water that we can use other than what we have in our accounts.  Usually, as water in the reservoirs starts dropping an allotment is declared.  This generally takes place sometime in June or maybe even July.  However, we are starting the season this way. This means that all irrigators are going to be restricted to using no more than 1.20 acre feet of water per acre on their ground for this season.  This is a low allotment, and it is designed to get farmers all the way through the growing season.  However, these restrictions definitely impact the decisions that farmers will make for the year. If you have been watching the news out of the Central Valley of California, you will see that a lot of acres, especially on the west side of the Central Valley in places like Fresno and Kings Counties, will go uncultivated this year.  Farmers there are dealing with greater hardships than us in Idaho, and they have to forgo planting seasonal crops so that they can save the water that would be needed on those fields for their permanent crops like almonds, grapes and fruit trees. Here in Idaho, what I expect to see happen is less acres of water thirsty crops like corn being grown and more short season crops like wheat being planted.  I suspect that the farmers who can buy water from other people might not alter their rotations.  However, those that cannot may have to.  With that said, I expect the price of wheat to be up if the conflict in the Ukraine continues, maybe that will act as a hedge for farmers who are forced to plant more acres of wheat than they anticipated. I consider myself to be in a good position.  If you've been listening to me since 2015 you will know that one of the ways that we put in the necessary infrastructure on our farm was to do a cost share with the NRCS through their EQIP program.  That has been nine years ago now, and it has only been a positive, we never endured any negative consequences from it. One of things that came out of that program is that our entire place is irrigated by sprinklers now.  And over time we have progressed from rented sprinkler pipe, to wheel lines to irrigation pods.  We have become progressively more and more water efficient, which means that we have yet to use all of our allotted water in a season.  And, this allows us to "carry over" some water from one season to the next.  So, I am very grateful that we made that move.  Irrigation is now easier, and it allows us to really save water throughout the year to get us through. However, if there is no water available it does us no good.  And, if irrigation water gets shut off very early this year, than it will not matter what manner of delivery that we use, we will be unable to irrigate either way.  So, as a hedge I am going to purchase some extra hay, early in the season, and hope that I don't have to start feeding in September.  However, I am fully prepared for that to be the reality that I am facing. More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:  

Tyler, Landon and Chase dive into what it takes to get into the EQIP program and how you can use it on your farm. Chase's Instagram Chase Schuchard (@cschuchard) • Instagram photos and videos Cotton Mafia Instagram https://instagram.com/the.cottonmafia?utm_medium=copy_link Landon's Instagramhttps://instagram.com/westxharvester?utm_medium=copy_link Tyler's Instagramhttps://instagram.com/tylerhiggins_?utm_medium=copy_link Landon's Link Treehttps://linktr.ee/Westtxharvester?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=280a0ac0-be35-47cd-af46-c9b9dca403fb Cotton Mafia Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/377014377133978/?ref=share You can also find us on Youtube @cotton mafia --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/landon-orman/support

Tyler, Landon and Chase dive into what it takes to get into the EQIP program and how you can use it on your farm. Chase's Instagram Chase Schuchard (@cschuchard) • Instagram photos and videos Cotton Mafia Instagram https://instagram.com/the.cottonmafia?utm_medium=copy_link Landon's Instagramhttps://instagram.com/westxharvester?utm_medium=copy_link Tyler's Instagramhttps://instagram.com/tylerhiggins_?utm_medium=copy_link Landon's Link Treehttps://linktr.ee/Westtxharvester?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=280a0ac0-be35-47cd-af46-c9b9dca403fb Cotton Mafia Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/377014377133978/?ref=share You can also find us on Youtube @cotton mafia --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/landon-orman/support

Ever wondered how to utilize EQIP or other cost-share programs to improve your land? This we sit down with the folks from National Forestry Initiative. This is a collaborative effort of NWTF and the NRCS to bring more trained foresters into the area to assist landowners in completing forestry management plans and cost-share practices. Wise forestry practice and forestry health are critical for wild turkeys. As NWTF has seen forest health decline as the average timber ages on the stump, they took action and decided to increase the opportunity for landowners seeking help in property management. We hope you enjoy this step-by-step process of getting cost-share dollars to work for you on your own property and increase the quality of habitat that you can offer on your property! 

CRP, EQIP, WRE, ACEP, CP, SAFE, MA, FRPP.....OK you get the point –there are A LOT of acronyms when it comes to federal programs for conservation work on private lands in the U.S. The Natural Resources Conservation Service –NRCS –is integral in the implementation of many of these programs. So this week, Jarred and Adam visited with Indiana's NRCS State Wildlife Biologist Brianne Lowe to get the skinny on all these acronyms and how the programs they represent can be used to create habitat for wildlife on private lands!  Help us improve the podcast by taking this Habitat University Listener Feedback Survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm  Resources and references mentioned in the episode:  Find a library of the “CP's” or “Conservation Practices” under the CRP here: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/conservation-programs/crp-practices-library/index  Learn more about the ACEP program here: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/easements/acep/  Find your local NRCS office here: https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app    We apologize for the technical difficulties associated with this episode and thank you in advance for your patience and understanding. 

CRP, EQIP, WRE, ACEP, CP, SAFE, MA, FRPP.....OK you get the point –there are A LOT of acronyms when it comes to federal programs for conservation work on private lands in the U.S. The Natural Resources Conservation Service –NRCS –is integral in the implementation of many of these programs. So this week, Jarred and Adam visited with Indiana's NRCS State Wildlife Biologist Brianne Lowe to get the skinny on all these acronyms and how the programs they represent can be used to create habitat for wildlife on private lands! Help us improve the podcast by taking this Habitat University Listener Feedback Survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm Resources and references mentioned in the episode: Find a library of the “CP's” or “Conservation Practices” under the CRP here: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/conservation-programs/crp-practices-library/index Learn more about the ACEP program here: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/easements/acep/ Find your local NRCS office here: https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app   We apologize for the technical difficulties associated with this episode and thank you in advance for your patience and understanding. 

FarmRaise makes it easy to access to government incentives and to provide ongoing reporting.

FarmRaise allows farmers to check their eligibility and apply for financial incentives being offered from multiple groups.

In this episode of Voices from the Field, Margo Hale, NCAT's Southeast Regional Director and Director of NCAT's Armed to Farm Program, visits with NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist and farmer veteran Mike Lewis. Mike and his family operate a diversified farm in Southeast Kentucky.Mike talks about the farm's enterprises and how USDA programs have helped him meet his farm goals.Mike also discusses two programs — AgrAbility and the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) — that address the physical and mental needs of many farmers.Related ATTRA Resources:NCAT Armed to Farm websiteNCAT Armed to Farm FacebookVeteran ResourcesEquipment ResourcesFinancing Your Farm: Guidance for Beginning FarmersFederal Conservation Resources for Sustainable Farming and RanchingVeterans Discuss USDA ProgramsFrom the Air Force to AlpacasHigh Tunnels and the NRCSMeet NCAT: Veteran Farmer Mike Lewis Brings Diverse Experience to Our TeamOther Resources:AgrAbilityFarm and Ranch Stress Assistance NetworkFarmers Resource NetworkFarmer Veteran CoalitionUSDA Veteran InitiativesUSDA Service Center LocatorUSDA Farm Service AgencyUSDA Natural Resources Conservation ServiceStep-by-Step: How to Get Assistance from NRCSUSDA Rural DevelopmentContact Margo Hale and Mike Lewis via email at margoh@ncat.org and mikel@ncat.org.Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast.Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 800-346-9140 or e-mail us at askanag@ncat.org. Our two dozen specialists can help you with a vast array of topics, everything from farm planning to pest management, from produce to livestock, and soils to aquaculture.You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find our other extensive, and free, sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, and podcasts. 

In this episode of Voices from the Field, Margo Hale, NCAT's Southeast Regional Director and Director of NCAT's Armed to Farm Program, visits with NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist and farmer veteran Mike Lewis. Mike and his family operate a diversified farm in Southeast Kentucky.Mike talks about the farm's enterprises and how USDA programs have helped him meet his farm goals.Mike also discusses two programs — AgrAbility and the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) — that address the physical and mental needs of many farmers.Related ATTRA Resources:NCAT Armed to Farm websiteNCAT Armed to Farm FacebookVeteran ResourcesEquipment ResourcesFinancing Your Farm: Guidance for Beginning FarmersFederal Conservation Resources for Sustainable Farming and RanchingVeterans Discuss USDA ProgramsFrom the Air Force to AlpacasHigh Tunnels and the NRCSMeet NCAT: Veteran Farmer Mike Lewis Brings Diverse Experience to Our TeamOther Resources:AgrAbilityFarm and Ranch Stress Assistance NetworkFarmers Resource NetworkFarmer Veteran CoalitionUSDA Veteran InitiativesUSDA Service Center LocatorUSDA Farm Service AgencyUSDA Natural Resources Conservation ServiceStep-by-Step: How to Get Assistance from NRCSUSDA Rural DevelopmentContact Margo Hale and Mike Lewis via email at margoh@ncat.org and mikel@ncat.org.Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast.Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 800-346-9140 or e-mail us at askanag@ncat.org. Our two dozen specialists can help you with a vast array of topics, everything from farm planning to pest management, from produce to livestock, and soils to aquaculture.You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find our other extensive, and free, sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, and podcasts. 

Anyone applying for a security clearance today is generally surprised by the very arcane look and feel of the process. A key reason why modernization has stalled has been the delays in implementing the government's National Background Investigations Services (NBIS). By this point, eQIP was supposed to be replaced by eApp - a more responsive - save-able! - form-field friendly form. But like other aspects of the clearance process requiring technology, eApp remains a pilot program, a security clearance Patronus that exists as a shadow, a PowerPoint briefing, but not a process reality.That's why NBIS is at the core of a recent report released by the Government Accountability Office. ClearanceJobs recently sat down with Brian Mazanec, director of GAO's defense capabilities and management team. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Anna Racer and Pete Skold have used state and federal “spark plugs” to build a farm enterprise infrastructure that’s good not just for them, but the community as well. Back in 2012, we interviewed Racer and Skold soon after they graduated from Farm Beginnings and launched Waxwing Farm. Check out that conversation on Ear to…  Read More → Source

Artemis is doing a deep-dive into climate science. In our opening episode we talk with Maddison Easley, a California biologist who straddles the divide between the conservation world and agency life. Much of Maddison's work is aimed at rangeland conservation. We talk about how birds, vegetation and soils are all indicators of ecosystem health - and what's changing with grasslands as the climate changes. 4:00 Point Blue Conservation Science 5:00 Growing up a rancher, becoming a biologist, returning to the ranch 7:00 Alaska caribou hunt & helping a nephew harvest his first turkey for Thanksgiving dinner 10:00 Caribou... the move FAST + a first-timer's take on a new species 14:00 #gohunterhippies 15:00 Rangeland Monitoring Network -  "The primary goal is to preserve the ecological value of rangelands"  17:00 Birds, soil, vegetation... all indicators of ecosystem health 20:00 Soil carbon monitoring 22:00 About half of California is rangeland, and about half of those lands are privately owned 23:00 Grazing management tactics to put more carbon in the soil 25:00 Carbon sequestration 101 29:00 Not all soils are created equal for sequestration + ecological site descriptions 31:00 Drought affects carbon sequestration in soil 35:00 Co-operating with private landowners 36:00 EQIP program - Environmental Quality Incentive Program; California Department of Ag Healthy Soils program 41:00 Birds as an indicator species 43:00 White-breasted nuthatch 44:00 Changes in the last decade; wetland and grassland birds in decline 50:00 Tips to minimize the spread of invasive species... "Humans are the primary vector of invasive species" 56:00 Eradication isn't a reality for many invasive species... "but we can reduce the frequency and abundance in places, and increase diversity" 57:00 North American Grasslands Act - modeled after the North American Wetlands Conservation Act to conserve grasslands  1:02 Citizen science through apps like iNaturalist and eBird contributes to the massive data sets increasingly useful to scientists  1:08 Join the Artemis community -- we have a Facebook group, a killer book club, and programs/events for female hunters. If Artemis has meant something to you, please consider sharing it with a friend or making a donation.   1:09 The Hunter and Angler's Guide to Climate Change

Farmers and forest landowners will want to plan ahead and sign up early for USDA conservation funding. Angela Biggs, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist in Wisconsin, announced farmers and forest landowners interested in Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) or Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) producer contracts need to apply by Nov. 19, 2021, for funding in fiscal year 2022. Farm assistant Aaron Zimmerman caught up with Melissa Bartz of NRCS for more details about the EQIP program. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 94th National FFA Convention gets underway in Indianapolis today.  Over 300 Wisconsin FFA members will be attending.  Bob Bosold visits with WI State FFA President, Ben Styer, about what to expect. Ashley Huhn from Steffes Auction Group says their auction catalog will be in the mail this week in their paid weekly update.  Aaron Zimmerman updates us on the ongoing sign-up for EQIP benefits through USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service with Melissa Bartz from the Wisconsin office. The harvest is in the home stretch for many Wisconsin operator's.  In the paid Wyffel's Wednesday, Cooper Humphries updates us on what's happening in Columbia and Dodge counties. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT's Southeast Regional Director and Director of NCAT's Armed to Farm Program Margo Hale, talks with Alvina, an Air Force Reservist who owns River Hill Ranch in Richmond, Kentucky.Alvina Maynard credits a commercial she happened to see on television while staying in in a hotel with inspiring her to raise alpacas.Alvina talks about her military background, her farming enterprises, and how her operation has grown. She also shares her experience accessing various USDA programs, including the Value-Added Producer Grant and EQIP. Alvina discusses the programs and services she has utilized, how those programs have helped her reach her farm goals, and tips for veterans and other farmers as they navigate USDA programs. Related ATTRA Resources: NCAT Armed to FarmWebsite NCAT Armed to FarmFacebook Veteran Resources Financing Your Farm: Guidance for Beginning Farmers Federal Conservation Resources for Sustainable Farming and Ranching Veterans Discuss USDA Programs High Tunnels and the NRCS Other Resources River Hill Ranch Farmer Veteran Coalition Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development USDA Veteran Initiatives USDA Service Center Locator USDA Farm Service Agency USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Step-by-Step: How to Get Assistance from NRCS USDA Rural Development Contact Margo Hale via email at margoh@ncat.org. Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast. Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 800-346-9140 or e-mail us at askanag@ncat.org. Our two dozen specialists can help you with a vast array of topics, everything from farm planning to pest management, from produce to livestock, and soils to aquaculture. You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find our other extensive, and free, sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at NCAT/ATTRA's website. You also can stay in touch with NCAT at its Facebook page. Keep up with NCAT/ATTRA's SIFT farm at its website. Also check out NCAT's Regional Offices' websites and Facebook Pages! Southwest Regional Office: Website / Facebook Western Regional Office: Website / Facebook Rocky Mountain West Regional Office: Facebook Gulf States Regional Office: Website / Facebook Southeast Regional Office: Website / Facebook Northeast Regional Office: Website / Facebook

NRCS Announces Application Deadline for EQIP Sign-Ups

In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT's Southeast Regional Director and Director of NCAT's Armed to Farm Program Margo Hale, talks with Alvina, an Air Force Reservist who owns River Hill Ranch in Richmond, Kentucky.Alvina Maynard credits a commercial she happened to see on television while staying in in a hotel with inspiring her to raise alpacas.Alvina talks about her military background, her farming enterprises, and how her operation has grown. She also shares her experience accessing various USDA programs, including the Value-Added Producer Grant and EQIP. Alvina discusses the programs and services she has utilized, how those programs have helped her reach her farm goals, and tips for veterans and other farmers as they navigate USDA programs.Related ATTRA Resources:NCAT Armed to FarmWebsiteNCAT Armed to FarmFacebookVeteran ResourcesFinancing Your Farm: Guidance for Beginning FarmersFederal Conservation Resources for Sustainable Farming and RanchingVeterans Discuss USDA ProgramsHigh Tunnels and the NRCSOther ResourcesRiver Hill RanchFarmer Veteran CoalitionKentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentUSDA Veteran InitiativesUSDA Service Center LocatorUSDA Farm Service AgencyUSDA Natural Resources Conservation ServiceStep-by-Step: How to Get Assistance from NRCSUSDA Rural DevelopmentContact Margo Hale via email at margoh@ncat.org.Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast.Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 800-346-9140 or e-mail us at askanag@ncat.org. Our two dozen specialists can help you with a vast array of topics, everything from farm planning to pest management, from produce to livestock, and soils to aquaculture.You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find our other extensive, and free, sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at NCAT/ATTRA's website.You also can stay in touch with NCAT at its Facebook page.Keep up with NCAT/ATTRA's SIFT farm at its website.Also

Connecting with others and meeting new people has always been important to John Beaton, and it's this flair for relationship building that is at the heart of his farm story. John and Emily Beaton operate Fairhaven Farm just north of Duluth, Minnesota. John got his start on a local CSA vegetable farm, where his mentor, Rick, eventually gave him space to plant his own field to start his farm business--something Rick's own mentor had also done for him when he was starting out. A series of meet cutes and handshakes paved the way for the Beatons to buy a farm and grow their business in new directions. They were also privileged to have steady off-farm employment and financial support from family. John and Emily currently run a 50-member CSA on just shy of an acre of production, and grow plant starts for their local co-op and several other accounts in the region. These enterprises, too, grew out of personal connections and intention. After receiving so much support from others in purchasing a farm and getting started, John wants to do the same for other emerging farmers. Utilizing his firsthand experience with the process of finding and purchasing farmland, he serves as a Farmland Access Navigator through Renewing the Countryside's Farmland Access Hub. Through this grant-funded program, he provides detailed, free guidance for land-seekers. He also serves as a Conservation Connector, helping connect historically underserved farmers with conservation programs such as EQIP and CSP (both of which his farm has applied for and received) that can provide some financial support. John intends to keep paying it forward. “We need more farms here, and whatever I can do to help people achieve that...that's my goal.” This ethos is baked into Fairhaven Farm itself. He and Emily are looking to expand their gathering space centered around their pizza oven, building up a regional farm store and event space. To build relationships with others, John encourages fellow farmers to put themselves out there and tell their story. “Every bit of good fortune in one's life comes from other people,” he says. And in connecting with others and authentically sharing one's story, it creates opportunities to help each other out.   John Beaton, Fairhaven Farm and Lake Superior Chapter member Jared Luhman, SFA Soil Health Lead   Resources: Farmland Access Hub & Navigators Conservation Connections Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)   The viewpoints of the speakers expressed within or outside of this episode do not necessarily reflect the goals and mission of SFA. Dirt Rich is produced by the Sustainable Farming Association. Thoughts? Comments? Ideas? Leave us a review, or drop us a line on our Virtual Comment Box.

Nicole Allison is the Operations Manager of EQIP Gladstone (Education Queensland Industry Partnership). EQIP is a non-profit initiative, providing a central point of contact to facilitate collaboration between Education Queensland, business, industry, and the community, to provide alternative education opportunities and career pathways into the resource and construction industry. EQIP's Workplace Learning Programs have won two Queensland Training Awards for Industry Collaboration and have been twice finalists at the Australian Training Awards. Prior to EQIP, Nicole worked in Engineering, Safety and Training roles, predominantly in the Coal and Gas industries.

Some candidates have boasted about a six to seven hour stint in eQIP to knock out their SF-86 all in one sitting. While that may not be the best strategy, sometimes sitting down to complete a large task like this in one sitting is possible - if you are prepared. There are strategies to filling out your SF-86 - especially if you've lived a few years and done a few things that will take some time to fill out. On the other end of the spectrum are the recent college graduates with few jobs and references to document. The key is to think through each question carefully because ignorance or carelessness is rarely a valid argument.Check out these top ten tips for when you sit down to fill out the SF-86. #securityclearance #clearancejobs #sf86 #nationalsecurity #departmentofdefense #dod #defensecontracting #security See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Josh Brooks, Hall County CEA-Ag interviews Brent Baucom and Courtney Ruiz with the NRCS in Hall County to discuss background regarding CRP program signup, contract values, contract requirements, point system and how it is established, what land is eligible, etc.  They also talk about opportunities with EQIP to help producers with local needs through cost share programs. DeDe Jones, Risk Management Specialist also discusses the economics of decisions such as reenrollment in the program, taking land out for cropland and/or grazing purposes.  Shares resources that can be helpful for landowners making these decisions.

Ivan Dozier, NRCS State Conservationist, visited with RFD's Rita Frazer about the EQIP batching period, NRCS office practice, fall wrap up.For more information regarding this podcast or to share a story with the RFD Radio Network, contact Patti Penn at ppenn@ilfb.org or 309-557-3286.

Bob Bosold visits with Ryan Gerlich, NRCS program manager in the state for the EQIP program.  The conservation program sign up is underway and is generally popular in Wisconsin. It's a monumental week for Wisconsin's meat industry.  Friday is the dedication of the Meat Science and Animal Biologics Discovery Center.  Dr. Jeff Sindelar, UW Meat Scientist, highlights some of the building's teaching features, including the new Bucky's Varsity Meats! Josh Scramlin visits with a Taylor County farmer who's happy the gray wolf is off the endangered species list.  Ryan Klussendorf explains how he's lost cattle to the predator with no powers of protection. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we review the enrollment processes for the popular federal EQIP program. University of Wisconsin-Madison forage specialist emeritus Dan Undersander also joins us with another alfalfa update. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tuesday on Adams on Agriculture NACD’s Coleman Garrison explains changes in EQIP, Rabo AgriFinance analyst Steve Nicholson discusses the election’s potential impact on commodity markets and farm broadcaster Lorrie Boyer updates conditions in Colorado.

Deadlines are set for Texas farmers and ranchers to apply for the EQIP program. Texas farmers are using cover crops successfully. Cold weather is moving into Texas, so it’s time to start winterizing landscape equipment. We'll have those stories, news from Washington, Texas wildlife news and a complete look at the markets on this episode of Texas Ag Today.

Are you considering getting started in livestock housing or adding housing to your operation, whether it be swine, beef, dairy or poultry? In this episode, Allen Kampschnieder explains what EQIP funds are and the pros and cons.Music by: BenSoundContact CCS Today! CENCON.COM

This episode dives into two important topics that are annual occurrences for the Oakland County Medical Control Authority. Every year, the staff of the OCMCA produce and present an Annual Report for the Board of Directors and depicts the organization’s achievements from the previous year and provides a glimpse into the next year and beyond. Today, we provide you with a presentation of the 2019 OCMCA Annual Report, as well as the official 2020 EMS Quality Improvement Program, more commonly known as EQIP. Visit www.OCMCA.org/coronavirus for more details. Contact us, or send your questions, comments or ideas to QI@OCMCA.org.

NRCS Announces Application Deadline for EQIP and RCPP Sign-Ups

In this episode, we will be discussing the US and China trade agreement, the NY ban on Chlorpyrifos, an Arkansas court blocking the state's meat labeling law, the USA extending the comment period on hemp production rule, and the NRCS looking for public comment on the EQIP rule.   Hosted by Audry Thompson with Brook Duer. Edited by Erin Lieberman This material is based upon work supported by the National Agricultural Library, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Music is “Caazapá (Aire Popular Paraguayo)” by Edson Lopes is licensed under CC BY 3.0.

Upfront Frankness about a negative situation is best for your favorable outcome. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Star Tips is the brainchild of Stevie Hutson CEO of staffing company Superstars. The Star Tips installments aim to provide practical advice for people who are thinking about Taking the LEAP in their career and each is installment is based on a letter of the LEAP acronym. Star Tips part one was about Listen. In this second installment Stevie and I discuss E of the LEAP acronym and the many ways in which you can Equip yourself before taking action; from financially equipping yourself to getting interview ready and from volunteering, to free resources for further training. As always we have a real giggle, while imparting some great advice, so tune in to hear how you can get yourself equipped to Take the LEAP. .......Music: Hip Hop Christmas by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org/

"I felt legally supported to participate, emotionally safe, and that what I had to say was powerful - that it counts. Some of the power that I had lost through the [immigration] process, I was able to get back." The Spanish phrase "poder hablar" translates to both the ability to speak, and literally, the "power" of speaking. This week, we hear the powerful story of Isabel Quiroz of Tequio Community Farm in Mendocino, California. Isabel immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico four years ago, and was nervous about participating in the U.S. policy process, and about whether her experiences would be counted by Members of Congress. She shares with us about her journey to DC for our 2018 Convergence, and how becoming a young farmer advocate has helped her to gain a sense of agency as a U.S. citizen and to feel supported on her farm. "Tequio comes from an indigenous concept in México that makes reference to a work party, traditionally members of a community would gather on a weekly basis to perform a task that would bring benefit to everyone."

"If we don't start doing things differently, there won't be agriculture to pass down." Climate change is a hot-button political issue, but in the Western U.S., no one can deny that the drought and above average temperatures are real. Mike Nolan, a young farmer in Mancos, Colorado, gives an insider perspective on farming in extreme weather conditions, building resilience, and shares how an innovative conservation policy idea that started over beers and ended up in the Senate farm bill. What is the path forward for farmers in the arid West? Mountain Roots Produce: https://mountainrootsproduce.com/aboutus/ U.S. Drought Monitor: https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/ Rocky Mountain Farmers Union Drought Diaries: https://www.rmfu.org/homepage-2/latest-news/happening-now/the-drought-diaries/ Episode Transcript This is the Young Farmers Podcast. I’m Lindsey Lusher Shute. Today I’m speaking with Mike Nolan, a farmer at Mountain Roots Produce, and chapter leader at the Four Corners Farmers and Ranchers Coalition that’s based near Mancos, Colorado. Mike is already growing in a dry climate, but this year has been especially tough. He explains the challenges brought by drought and severe weather and how he is cop ing with it all. He also tells us how micro-equip, an idea he had over some beers, made it all the way to the Senate version of the farm bill. I’m Julia Sherman, farmer at Rag and Frass Farm in Jeffersonville, Georgia, and a leader of the Middle Georgia Young Farmers Coalition. I’m a member of the National Young Farmers Coalition because it’s so important for young farmers to work together to create change. For $35 a year, you can join too. In addition to being part of a bright and just future for agriculture in the United States, you’ll also get discounts like 40 percent off Filson and 25 percent off farm to feed socks. To join, go to youngfarmers.org. Mike: You know, you guys had that at your place. You had that massive hail storm. Lindsey: Yep. Mmhmm. Mike: You know, we’ve had like kind of like one of those events or something like that, like every 10 to 14 days where it’s like— Lindsey: Woah Woah Woah… Mike: We’re like really? It’s either hail or bug infestations or water issues or smoke or fire or something. Lindsey: Ah wow, you’ve had it all. So can you just, you know, even now when I talk about the water situation, particularly to really new farmers where you are, who are east coast farmers, it’s just so different. I mean you’ve farmed on this side of the country for a while so you can understand the contrast. Could you just very briefly describe how your farm gets water? Mike: Yes, definitely. Um, basically our water rights go back to the late 1800’s. They’re some of the oldest in the state, so a lot of the farms and ranches here have adjudicated water rights. So they’re water rights that kind of stay with the ground. Like ours come off river. So we have river water rights and then we also have storage water rights. So we have storage water out of our lake, which serves to make this valley, and that deeds us an acre foot of water per acre on an annual basis. And then we have– Lindsey: And that’s not water that you have on your farm–that’s in the reservoir. Mike: Yeah, that’s in a reservoir. And that reservoir also serves Mancos role water, which is our domestic water. It serves the town of Mancos and it also serves to Mesa Verde National Park. And that reservoir is small compared to a lot of place s. It’s only 10,000 acre feet when it gets full. And right now after this summer, I think it’s sitting at about 1400 acre feet going into the winter with the 2 municipalities or municipal water. Mancos and Mesa Verde will be continuously using it all winter. Lindsey: Okay. So over 10 percent full. Uh, how does that compare with a normal August? Like where should the reservoir be at this time of year? Mike: You know, normally the reservoir would be 30 to 40 percent full, possibly higher. The tricky part this year, Lindsey, was that in a normal year we get to run off our adjudicated water, our priority water, and in the past five years on this place we can run off river water until about, you know, fourth of July, sometimes early August, and this year we didn’t get a single day of river water. And then our storage water was limited to 60 percent of our total allotment. So this is really abnormal. And the hardest part about it honestly was we didn’t get any precipitation all winter, so the ground was so dry. So even hay guys around here, they could grow two to three inches of water in 24 hours on hay grounds and it would just drop right into the water table. Like you’d come back seven days later and it’d be bone dry. Lindsey: If you have senior rights, then there’s a lot of other people who clearly didn’t get water either. Lindsey: Yeah. Some folks, I mean, some folks still have river water. Um, so here’s kind of an interesting thing. The town of Mancos is priority 3, but the priority is sitting at two right now. Um, so the town of Mancos is actually using their storage water and there’s two irrigators in the valleys that are priority one and two that are using water right now to irrigate hay. So the town has actually fallen out of priority, which rarely happens. Lindsey: So the town has fallen out of priority for its river water? Mike: Yeah. So the town usually is able to pull off the Mancos River for their domestic water use. Um, but right now they’re just pulling off the lake Lindsey: And so they’re further depleting the reservoir? Mike: Yeah. And I don’t totally know what their usage is. It’s a small town so I can’t imagine it’s more than an acre foot or two. So yeah, they were using their lake water. Everyone’s on storage water right now and it’s scary out there. Speaker 2: Yeah. So you have received 60 percent of your total allotment this season for storage water. How is that impacting the farm? Mike: So we, this winter by farm partner and girlfriend Mindy Perkovich and I kind of sat down and we knew it was going to be tight, so we wanted to, we knew we needed to do the CSA crops and we can kick that on domestic water. Then we kind of had tears of like, okay, storage, beets, potatoes, winter squash. You know, last year we did about seven acres in production. This year I think we did about 1.7 or 2 acres of production. So we’re super limited. Our water came on about four weeks later than it should and we’ve been out of water for I think two and a half weeks now. And we’ve had like barely any rain. We’ve been running off our Mancos role water just to ease things along, and we’ve just taken crops that we would like to finish out, like the cabbage and the beans. And we’ve either just mowed them and decked them or picked them early. We could afford the water with rural water. Lindsey: That’s like from the town? Mike: It’s our domestic water for the valley. So it, you know, we don’t like to use too much of that stuff because the Ph is a little bit off. It’s a little bit higher in salt, it’s chlorinated. Lindsey: It’s treated water. Mike: It’s treated water and I hate using treated water for vegetable production personally. Lindsey: And it’s expensive I imagine. Lindsey: Oh yeah. You know, we budgeted about a thousand dollars for the last six weeks of the season to be able to tide us through. Speaker 2: Wow. So what, so what is next for you guys for next season? Doesn’t seem like it’s expected to get much better next year and the reservoirs are lower than in previous seasons. What are you thinking about for the 2019 season? Mike: We’re thinking a lot of stuff. It’s, you know, with all the workers in NYC, you know, we are always talking about resiliency, right? Resiliency and drought. And what I’ve realized this year is that I can totally figure out how to be resilient, resilient with my markets and crop production. What I’m having a hard time with is being resilient in relationships and with mental health. And I don’t think that Mindy and I could do this again next year. I think it would crush us. So if things don’t get better, we’re just going to get jobs for a year. Um, we’ll have some water. We’ll be able to cover crop things great for some rain. Um, in the meantime, financially we’re okay. Like we’d have enough to start up again next year. Um, but if we don’t farm, we won’t have enough to do it again in 2020. We’re being, we’re trying to be really pragmatic about it and not take it too close to heart personally if we can’t farm next year, because fighting it is not..you can’t fight this. In order for us to be looking good next year. Um, and these are things I think folks out of the Mountain West don’t totally understand about water is that, you know, we need some good fall rains to wet the mountains so that the snow, and then we need a good snow pack and then we need a good slow melt. And the reason why we want mountains to go in wet is that if the mountains go in dry, which is what happened last year, the little bit of snow there, you know, for every 10 inches of moisture up there, you can lose 40 to 60 percent of it to the ground and we want that to run into the rivers. So we need to kind of have like a very normal fall, winter, spring, um, in order to kind of pull ourselves out of this. Lindsey: If there are those conditions possibly in the fall, then you and Mindy might consider making a go of it for 2019. Mike: The plan will be to farm next year until we really get those clear signals that it’s not a good idea basically. Every year is a gamble that, you know, I have this silly analogy when it comes to this water stuff that helps me understand it, is that it’s all this stuff. It’s kind of like a GPA. So it’s like you do all this. It’s good, good, good, good, good. And then you have one year or one bad grade and it totally screws you up. And then it can take years to get back to that place that you were prior. And that’s kind of where we’re at now is that one winter is not going to save us. We probably will have a limited year next year. It’s going to take a couple of good winters and some good summer rain to pull us out of this. Lindsey: And what are you hearing from folks who give technical support and are making projections on the weather? Lindsey: You know, all spring they were like “this is going to be one of the best months and years on record” and we have gotten about an inch of moisture or less than that all summer. And so it’s like they’re predicting for a wet fall. But I, I honestly have no idea like what to expect. We’re just grateful that it’s cooled off a little bit because the other thing is that, um, our nighttime and daytime temperatures are five to 10 degrees above average for most of the summer as well. It was, it was a very bizarre summer here. But you know, some of my 80 year old neighbors are like, they’ve never seen this before. So we have some CSA members that do, you know, there’s a lot of folks that work for the FEDS around here, a federal government, whether it’s BLM, Forest– Lindsey: On federal lands? Lindsey: Yeah, national parks, I mean they employ so many people in our region because we’re surrounded by every form of public lands. Um, so there’s lots of scientists and biologists and we have a woman who is a CSA member and she does lizard studies and she was telling us that she’s seeing Pine, Pinyone and Juniper trees that are 80 to 90, 100 years old, just completely dying in front of her plot that she’s researching. Lindsey: Because, because of the weather, because of lack of rainfall. Mike: 2018 is one for the books is the most quiet way I can say it. Lindsey: And then on top of that there was, was the 416 fire, is that the one that has impacted you as well? I know there have there been quite a few in the region. Mike: The big impact of the fires is that, um, it just, it hit the economy super hard. Everybody’s numbers are down. I mean, wholesale numbers are down across the board for farmers. People weren’t eating out as much. Tourism kind of dropped off. Honna and Daniel, who are NYFC members, um, they’re about 45 minutes away from us. They were saying that there was a four or five week period where their wholesale numbers were down about 60 percent or more. Locals were leaving town, so they weren’t buying the local restaurants and tourists weren’t coming and it was just this really weird—. Like one restaurant we sell to was closed for three weeks because the fire, because they couldn’t access it, um, they’ve pulled them out of there on opening night. So we’d lost that account for about three, four weeks. And then you first smoke on top of that and you know, that kind of messes with the plants, we would call it. It was causing all of our head-lettuce successions to bolt, because I think it was messing with their, with their daylight requirements. You’d have multiple times where our visibility was like a mile and a half, two miles and the sun was red. Kind of like the eclipse last summer. And we would plant these head-lettuce successions and they would just barely grow and then bolt. It was usually a couple days after you’d have one of those kinds of smoke events. So yeah, that’s another, another crazy thing about the fires, but the economy hit was the really big one. Um, and I will give props to everyone, like being really resilient about it and also to our elected officials on both sides of the aisle that showed up. I mean we had our congressional rep, both senators, governor, um, everyone in the State House, State Senate, county commissioners. Everyone’s really pushing for people to like come back to our area because we’re such a tourist economy. Lindsey: Just by, just by promoting it and saying it’s still safe. You should come. It’s beautiful. Mike: We’re still open for business. Lindsey: I mean, I guess that sort of brings me to another question. How does policy relate to any of this and what do you want elected officials to do to help farmers in your region? Mike: Havin g direct assistance payment is I think what they really need. There’s so many cattle producers, hay producers, you know, producers that are just on the verge of bankruptcy. The last thing they need is a loan. Lindsey: And you’re talking about like an emergency loan offered by a farm service agency? Mike: Yeah, and those, you know, I appreciate those and I think they work for some people, but we’re down here with our state representative, Marc Catlin, and that’s what all, I mean these are guys and girls that do not want to ask the government for everything. And they were like, we need something. Otherwise, you know, our centennial farms are going to be filing for bankruptcy and we’re done. And there’s no reason for the next generation to come in if it’s not economically viable in any way, shape, or form. Lindsey: I don’t disagree with you at all. But I wonder what is the strategy to keep those farms viable if these conditions continue? Like I think they do need, you know, more than a loan potentially. But like for how, I mean no one knows for how long. What we’re seeing with global warming is only going to make these conditions potentially even worse than they are now. So what are people talking about just like the future of agriculture in the region? Like is there a path forward? Mike: Yeah. So I would, I think that’s a great question. I don’t think it’s smart for anybody to prop up types of agriculture that are long-term unsustainable. Stewardship-wise, but also economically. I think a couple of steps would be to like prop things up now and get it so you know, these families aren’t dipping into all their savings and their kids are going to be left with nothing. Just prop them up for a minute so we can all sit down and figure it out. There are a lot of families in this region who are coming to. I’m on the Mancos Conservation District Board as well. And we have multi-generational families and cattle families that are coming to our offices being like, “what can we do that’s different? Like what crops can we grow that are more profitable, what’s up with all this market gardening stuff? What’s up with this root crop vegetable stuff? Like what can we change to be more economically versatile and resilient?” Lindsey: And what are they growing right now? Mike: I mean in this valley like hay and cattle. There’s no real crop production in Mancos per se. Lindsey: So one of the things that I’ve heard you talk about that I appreciate is this need for young farmers to really stand with multigenerational farmers. Some farmers who are doing things very differently at a much different scale. You describe culturally like the importance of having this farm community intact. Can you just speak to that for a minute? Like why do you think it’s so important to have these larger farms in your region? Mike: Farmers make up two percent or less of the population and whether somebody is raising commodities or you know, these hay guys are raising hundreds of acres of yay, you know, and hundreds of heads of cattle, and I’m over here doing an acre or two of potatoes. We’re all on the same boat. We’re all in that small number of people. So, inadvertently creating divisions, being like we’re really different and better or worse than or any of those kinds of things. I don’t think that’s helpful because you sit down with a lot of these farmers and ranchers and you know, I understand there’s a unique set of struggles that NYFC is addressing really well when it comes to young and beginning farmers and ranchers, but they’re not too dissimilar to some of the things that these farmers or older farmers or ranchers have gone through and also are kind of struggling with too. I mean it’s still hard to make a living whether you’re starting out or three, four or five generations in. It can be really challenging. You know, there’s just such a wealth of knowledge there. And so like that kind of cohabitation is really important to me. Lindsey: We’ve definitely had a similar experience in New York. Just really needing those farmers to be there for so many reasons because they’re the reason we have a tractor dealership and a market, you know, and availability of, you know, mechanics and even if we’re doing things totally differently and even if they think we’re crazy on some level, you know, they still, there’s still like this mutual respect and understanding about the life we live and the hours we work and the seasonality and the risk and that sort of thing that is just like so, so vital for farmers to do well. I think it’s just too hard to be out there by yourself. Mike: It’s pretty awesome to have those kinds of connections. Lindsey: So, you know, on the federal level, I think people are looking at conservation programs. Do you think conservation programs can help them in a moment like this? Mike: Oh yeah. I mean, I don’t have any ground and obviously in CRP. And there’s a lot of ground in our region that’s in those conservation programs, and on a year like this that ground has become really vital. A lot of folks up in the Duck Creek area and some of these other places in Montezuma county and Dolores County, the state has allowed them to graze their CRP ground, which has been in literally a lifesaver for some of their herds. Lindsey: So you guys in the Southwest are really feeling the brunt of climate change. And I think people are, seems like with, with rising temperatures and extended drought, folks are more comfortable pointing to your farm and saying, Oh yeah, that’s climate change. So do you feel, how do you feel about the government’s response on climate and to what extent do you feel like there should be greater action taken on it? Or do you feel like it’s just so slow moving? It’s not really gonna make a difference? Mike: That’s a loaded question. Lindsey: Like, if anyone should be complaining, it’s you and you’ve got a pretty strong case to make that climate is having a major impact on your farm, on the local economy, on food security. I mean, I feel frustrated about some events that I associate with climate change in New York, but we’re not having to cut our production by more than half. Do you feel like, um, we should be taking more action on climate? Do you feel like the farmers in your region are feeling more passionate about climate issues as well? Mike: To be totally frank on a federal level, with the Paris accords and all those other things, I honestly don’t know what the Feds can do. The western slope for the most part is pretty conservative. Folks don’t want government help for the most part. What I see is that that’s changing a little bit. So people want pipelines put in, they want dams and storage upgraded. Um, but what I see is people aren’t really on the ground talking about climate change. What they’re talking about is that water is scarce and water is rare, and we need to adapt our farming models and we need to do all this kind of stuff. So it’s kind of funny. Like I don’t, we don’t actually have the climate change conversation around here all that much, so I don’t know how much whatever the Feds are going to do is really going to change that? There’s a lot of people, the majority of folks around here understand that something is changing and that if we don’t start doing things differently, there won’t be agriculture to pass it down to the next generation. Lindsey: So when they’re thinking of doing things differently, that’s we need to farm differently, we need to manage water differently. It’s not we need to stop emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Mike: Yes, exactly. Lindsey: And uh, and I guess it’s like we have to bring these communities together at some point, right? Because you guys are feeling that you are, you’re in it, right? You have the stories to tell that I think can really move people to take action, broader action on climate change. Obviously taking care of this season and next season and keeping a family and business needs to be priority one. But clearly to achieve climate mitigation, to lessen the longterm impacts for, you know, for 100 years from now, we all sort of have to have that recognition of how the United States and globally we’re impacting this situation. Mike: Yeah, I totally agree. Mindy and I were having a conversation about this maybe yesterday, the day before. You know, a lot of the old timers that we know, like they just don’t believe in climate change. And I said, well, what I’ve kind of realized is that when you tell somebody who’s in their sixties or seventies that climate change is going on, I don’t know if it’s not that they don’t believe it, but I think their perspective is that they’ve been farming for 60 years. Every year is completely different. They see what they think is climate changing all the time. So telling them like we need to do something. They were like what are you talking about? Like we’ve kind of realized that kind of stuff and I think that’s like, you know, a lot of the others, like the things you’re talking about, I agree with. And I think for me, doing what we can here when it comes to management practices in water efficiency, I think that’s really huge. Lindsey: When President Trump withdrew the US from the Paris Accord, was there any reaction from the farm community? Mike: No. Lindsey: No. Yeah. Mike: Not really. But also, you know, we live in the wild west, like, you know, I grew up in California and living here now the political landscape is, I find it super intriguing. It’s like you can throw yourself into a ditch in the middle of winter and anybody’s going to come by and pull you out, like people get along really well here and you know, you just don’t talk politics. Speaker 2: It’s like we have, we have to maintain these strong and positive relationships that are really driven by being neighbors and being fellow farmers and community members, but also figure out some way to recognize and take action on these global issues because they are also impacting us locally too. Mike: I think the other thing, you know, with doing all the advocacy within NYFC and locking down Farmers Union and the conservation district and all this kind of stuff, is there are people in our region doing that thing you’re talking about. And I just realized my role is to not do that. I’m going to sit on my four wheeler on the fence line and talk to my neighbor about, you know, whatever. You know about the boxes and chickens and like what’s wrong with this chapter and all this kind of stuff. And that’s kind of my end. Lindsey: Yeah, I mean it’s all gotta sort of start at the fence line anyways. Right. It’s has to be like a personal trust and communication. Mike: Yeah. Lindsey: So my last thing, I just wanted to congratulate you on micro-equip and getting that into the Senate version of the farm bill. And I wanted to ask you just to, if you could describe sort of the process of making that happen. Mike: Yeah, thanks. You know, it’s funny. So Alex funk, who used to be the western policy director, so we we’re at convergence two years ago in San Diego. Lindsey: And I’ll say, convergence is National Young Farmers Coalition’s gathering of chapter leaders from all across the country. And Mike is the chapter leader of Four Corners. Mike: Basically, we were sitting around one evening after everything having some beers and what I realized about this, it’s very hard to get anything new into the farm bill, and so if you do want to make changes or want something new, to me the smartest way to go about it is taking an existing program and make an adjustment. And part of the inspiration was what you did and what NYFC did in its early days with the micro loan. Lindsey: Microloans. Sure. Mike: Yeah. So you were taking something that’s there and you’re like well let’s just tweak it and see if we can get more people in the door and more people accessing it. So that’s kinda the idea between for micro-equip. There’s lots of programs that small scale growers can access, but there are certain aspects of it that’s really challenging, but the hope is to change the equip program a little bit. So we just have more young beginning and small scale growers walking through the doors in our CRS offices. That alone to me is super beneficial because if we don’t have that generation of folks coming through the door, what’s the point of those offices being there in 20 years? Lindsey: And it’s like the identifiable product for I think a lot of young farmers, the micro loan has been. So, like they know, “oh yeah, farm service agency through USDA. They have those microloans. I should go check that out.” Now that so many new farmers have gotten microloans, it’s like it seems like a place to start for a lot of people, which is great. So and micro equip– so environmental quality incentives program, which is how we’ve used it on our farm for instance, to do high tunnels, to build greenhouses for season extension. Was there a project on your farm that you sort of had in mind when you were thinking about this concept? Mike: I had looking at the cover crop payments. We do a lot of cover cropping here and the payments didn’t make sense for me to access them, both for my agent to deal with the paperwork and also for me to make the trip over the Cortez to kind of deal with it. A lot of the payments for some of these programs… they’re scaled out so big. So the payments per acre are actually really low. So how do you incentivize somebody who’s doing say three acres or two acres of market grabbing crop who’s contributing to the local economy? How do you incentivize them to go and access something for subsurface drip or some sort of other aspect of an equip program where the payments are really low? And I think if there was a micro equip where paper work was kind of streamlined and we could kind of trial out some of these programs to see if they can be scaled differently or the payments could kind of be different, I think that’d be really great. Lindsey: All these programs and why the micro lending program was necessary, all of the paperwork is pretty intense. I mean it’s a lot because it’s written and designed for oftentimes a much larger system, a much larger farm and much more scaled farm than what many of the projects that beginning farmers are bringing to the table. Like that’s, that’s why we just need to have, you know, different, a more flexible system that can make it easy for agents to say, of course. Yeah, let’s, let’s work with you. I have this program that was designed for this case. Mike: Yeah, exactly, and that’s the thing. I will say, I’ll give a shout out to Julie, our NRCS agent over there in Cortez. This program wasn’t coming out of him not being able to do anything or that office not being able to do anything. It’s more that with the hiring freezes and everything going on, these offices are stretched so thin there. So part of the idea of micro equip is to obviously incentivize young beginning and small acreage growers that need to instill, like you’re saying, we need to incentivize the agents. They do so much work and there’s just so much paperwork and bureaucracy to be able to access these things. So if this program can alleviate even a little bit of that, I think they’d be much more amenable and available to work with young, small beginning producers. Lindsey: So the idea for this started with you and Alex having beers at convergence and then like what was the, what was the next step? Mike: Well it’s funny like when we had the idea we weren’t expecting it to go anywhere, to be quite honest. Like, you know, we were just like, we both thought it was a good idea. So then like, you know, Kate Greenberg, who’s western program director, you know, I told her about it and she talked to people about it. I talked to Andrew in DC about it and it just kinda kept on getting kicked around. It was like kick the can to be quite honest. It was just kinda like, oh, this got mentioned here, it got mentioned here, it got mentioned at Bennett staff or it got mentioned to Tifton and it got mentioned blah blah blah. And you know, I think it’s serendipitous to a certain degree. I think we’re lucky because there’s all this awesome NYFC infrastructure. For some silly reason, I love policy. And also, our state Senator Michael Bennett is also on the Senate Ag Committee. So there’s these little things that part of it’s luck, part of it’s hard work. Yeah. And I think eventually it just kind of got picked up like when all that went down and I was like, okay, this is, this is crazy. All of a sudden, you know, there’s like a signed thing with Michael Bennett’s signature being like, you know, “this is going into the farm bill” and he’s like saying my name on the Senate floor and I’m like “okay,” so at least you know, my mom’s proud now. Lindsey: Well, she should be. Mike: Yeah, so it was kinda good. I mean the thing that, you know, if I want to communicate to those listening to the podcast, NYCF members or not, is that those crazy ideas, you know, those late night ideas, early morning ideas like if you think it’s a good idea, try kickin it up the chain. Email your congressional staffer, email your senator. Like if you think you have a good idea, like see if they can go up the chain Speaker 2: I mean the best ideas definitely come from real life experience in the field and interaction with federal programs. We need that as Young Farmers Coalition to know what ideas need to be moved up to Congress. And frankly not everything needs to be in the farm bill. Right? A lot of the micro equip program, or excuse me, the micro loan program was piloted by USDA, by farm service agency, before it was put in the last farm bill. So there are things that can change, you know, just through a conversation with folks at USDA. We can make a lot of change by just as you said, like thinking about how this might be different or how it might be better and with the knowledge that indeed we can be quite powerful in this and really help to make those changes become reality. Mike: Yeah. And I think another big thing for me is like thinking about changes in programs and adjustments that aren’t super major but benefit, you know, your neighbors too, or even just benefit your neighbors. Because what I realized around here is if my neighbors are happy and healthy, that has a direct effect on what’s going on with me. I hope, hopefully we’ll access micro-equip. Um, you know, it’s my plan that if I don’t, that’s okay. I just hope that for a whole bunch of other people, that it benefits them. Lindsey: Well, we’re going to be fighting for it in the House version of the farm bill and the final conference version. Of course, if you know we don’t have a farm bill this year, we will look to your administrative changes or if it’s not put in the farm bill this year, I mean that, that won’t be the end of it. Uh, so thank you so much for your leadership with your chapter, with, with Four Corners and thanks for speaking to me today and man, I really hope that you guys have a good fall because I know you need it. I hope you’re going to be farming in 2019. Mike: Well, I appreciate you giving me the opportunity. Lindsey: All right, Mike, thanks so much. Next week, the farm bill is back. Andrew is going to tell us all about what’s going on in conference committee as they try to get a farm bill done by the end of this month. Thank you to Mike Nolan for being on today’s show. This show can be found wherever you get your podcasts. If you like us, please take a second to both rate and review us on iTunes and tell somebody else about what you learned on the show today. Thanks to Radio Kingston. Thanks to the National Young Farmers Coalition, the whole team for being there, to Hannah Beal for editing and to you for listening. Thanks so much.

IGIN's Editor in Chief Kristin Smith-Ely joined John and Elizabeth to talk about what's new at IGIN and the latest in the farm bill discussions.

IGIN's Editor in Chief Kristin Smith-Ely joined John and Elizabeth to talk about what's new at IGIN and the latest in the farm bill discussions.

Lesley Cunial / 6 May 2017

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/34 Support the show at permaculturevoices.com/support THIS EPISODE IS A REPLAY OF PREVIOUS PUBLISHED EPISODE. Grant Schultz joins me to talk about developing a perennial polyculture in the middle of row-crop corn and soy country Iowa. He discusses a lot of the innovation and developments taking place on his farm, including some really innovative ways of doing GPS keyline design. We spend a lot of time talking about the business of farming. The importance of monitoring cash flows and being cash flow positive. And how Grant is using USDA funds to help pay for pieces of his system and getting moving in the right direction. Key Takeaways: Importance of making your operation cashflow the whole time. Expenses will pile up so start getting cashflow and a customer base early. Consider buying rootstock and graft it over later. It is much cheaper to go that route and grafting isn't that hard. Get plant systems going early on. It is fairly inexpensive and gets the system starting to advance. Have a plan but evolve as you go. Having an end in mind gives you a goal and a direction to head in, but things will change along the way as you learn the intricacies of the system. Plant the earliest maturing fruit trees downslope. That way when you are browsing them the manure runs downhill. How do you want your system to look at maturity and what are the action items to get you there? Then the thing to do is the one with the most impact. What has the earliest yield to get you to the move to the next impact item. Do not underestimate the importance of monitoring and planing out cashflows. When you are farming on broad acres you have the same advantages that conventional farmers have. Crop insurance. Consider using a nurse crop that also cash flows. Grant's example of raising oats for cover crop seed. Consider the balance of high value versus high labor. Is the value worth the labor? There is a huge need for more local genetic permaculture plant material. Recognize the importance of planting dense. Buy trees in mass. It gets cheap and doesn't cost you more to plant at high density. You take advantage of genetic selection and protect yourself against losses. Irrigate your trees if possible - think keyline, swales. Growth rates of trees that are irrigated versus those that aren't is huge when the trees have consistent water availability. Consider the economic impact of the yield with water versus no water. The work now can make you a lot more money down the line. Take advantage of all available resources: USDA, NRCS, EQIP. When starting out pre-sell as much as you can. Build a local customer base from Day 1. Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/34 Support the show at permaculturevoices.com/support THIS EPISODE IS A REPLAY OF PREVIOUS PUBLISHED EPISODE.

This week on the show: Senators call for hearings on domestic terrorism in the wake of the Charleston shootings. Do we need a new National Commission on the War on Terrorism? And a cat fight between the FISA court and the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals. Plus, in Object Lessons, are you “e-QIPped?” The Chinese are. 

Grant Schultz joins me to talk about developing a perennial polyculture in the middle of row-crop corn and soy country Iowa. He discusses a lot of the innovation and developments taking place on his farm, including some really innovative ways of doing GPS keyline design. We spend a lot of time talking about the business of farming. The importance of monitoring cash flows and being cash flow positive. And how Grant is using USDA funds to help pay for pieces of his system and getting moving in the right direction. Key Takeaways: Importance of making your operation cashflow the whole time. Expenses will pile up so start getting cashflow and a customer base early. Consider buying rootstock and graft it over later. It is much cheaper to go that route and grafting isn't that hard. Get plant systems going early on. It is fairly inexpensive and gets the system starting to advance. Have a plan but evolve as you go. Having an end in mind gives you a goal and a direction to head in, but things will change along the way as you learn the intricacies of the system. Plant the earliest maturing fruit trees downslope. That way when you are browsing them the manure runs downhill. How do you want your system to look at maturity and what are the action items to get you there? Then the thing to do is the one with the most impact. What has the earliest yield to get you to the move to the next impact item. Do not underestimate the importance of monitoring and planing out cashflows. When you are farming on broad acres you have the same advantages that conventional farmers have. Crop insurance. Consider using a nurse crop that also cash flows. Grant's example of raising oats for cover crop seed. Consider the balance of high value versus high labor. Is the value worth the labor? There is a huge need for more local genetic permaculture plant material. Recognize the importance of planting dense. Buy trees in mass. It gets cheap and doesn't cost you more to plant at high density. You take advantage of genetic selection and protect yourself against losses. Irrigate your trees if possible - think keyline, swales. Growth rates of trees that are irrigated versus those that aren't is huge when the trees have consistent water availability. Consider the economic impact of the yield with water versus no water. The work now can make you a lot more money down the line. Take advantage of all available resources: USDA, NRCS, EQIP. When starting out pre-sell as much as you can. Build a local customer base from Day 1. Show Notes: www.permaculturevoices.com/34

Ranchers on the plains of Eastern New Mexico work to restore depleted rangeland and adopt strategies to sustain valuable grassland resources for future generations. Ranchers demonstrate, first hand, management practices that dramatically increase productivity. NRCS and Extension experts offer advice and explain how you can get help from the EQIP program to put these principles and practices to work to benefit your ranching enterprises.