The Colorado AgrAbility Project has finished the first few of its Winter Workshops and is getting geared up to present the final three for the project year. Attendance has been good but participation of the attendees even better. The Mental Wellness in Rural Colorado sessions have been very well-received. The session on working with agricultural lenders is also quite popular.
The outreach last year to one of the local National Resource Conservation Service offices has borne fruit this year. CO AgrAbility is now partnered with NRCS on a grant to assist disabled farmers/ranchers with EQUIP funds for conservation projects on their farms. Following is the press release:
New Funding Partnership Developed for Agricultural Producers
The local Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) office, West Greeley Conservation District and Colorado AgrAbility have joined forces to provide an exciting new opportunity for farmers and ranchers with disabilities or functional limitations to receive financial and technical assistance in order to implement on-farm conservation practices.
What is Colorado AgrAbility? AgrAbility is a national effort to help farmers and ranchers affected by an injury, long-term illness, or other functional limitation. The goal is to help people remain involved in agricultural work by providing assistance, information and education.
What is the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (NRCS)? NRCS offers technical and financial assistance to agricultural producers in implementing conservation practices on their farms. Technical assistance is offered through the development of on-farm conservation plans that identify resource concerns and recommended practices to address them. Financial assistance is offered through multiple USDA Farm Bill programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) whereas funds are made available through cost-share agreements.
The combined effort of these two organizations creates an exciting avenue for local farmers and ranchers to receive the on-ground advice and financial ability to address environmental resource concerns such as soil erosion, water quality, inefficient use of irrigation water, inadequate feed/forage for livestock and inadequate water for livestock. Examples of practices that can be used to address these concerns range from implementing cover crops and reduced tillage operations in cropping rotations, installing sprinkler irrigation systems, and installing cross-fencing or watering systems for livestock.
Applications for EQIP cost-share assistance are accepted on a continuous basis, however to be considered for 2017 funding, the application needs to be received by April 1st, 2017.
For further information on this partnership or to receive an application for cost-share assistance, please contact the local USDA Service Center at the following:
USDA NRCS
4302 West 9th St. Rd.
Greeley, CO 80634
970-356-8097 ext. 3
Submitted by Jim Craig