Rural Energy For America Program

The program provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements. Agricultural producers may also apply for new energy efficient equipment and new system loans for agricultural production and processing.

Funds may also be used for the purchase, installation and construction of energy efficiency improvements, such as:

• High efficiency heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC).
• Insulation.
• Lighting.
• Cooling or refrigeration units.
• Doors and windows.
• Electric, solar or gravity pumps for sprinkler pivots.
• Switching from a diesel to electric irrigation motor.
• Replacement of energy-inefficient equipment.

Environmental Qualities Incentive Program

EQIP provides technical and financial assistance to agricultural producers and forest landowners to address natural resource concerns, such as:

• Improved water and air quality;
• Conserved ground and surface water;
• Increased soil health ;
• Reduced soil erosion and sedimentation;
• Improved or created wildlife habitat; and
• Mitigation against drought and increasing weather volatility.

How It Works

NRCS works one-on-one with producers to develop a conservation plan that outlines conservation practices and activities to help solve on-farm resource issues. Producers implement practices and activities in their conservation plan that can lead to cleaner water and air, healthier soil and better wildlife habitat, all while improving their agricultural operations. EQIP helps producers make conservation work for them. Financial assistance for practices may be available through EQIP. Some producers may also qualify for advance payment.

Benefits

Some of these benefits include:

• Reduced contamination from agricultural sources, such as animal feeding operations.
• Efficient use of nutrients, reducing input costs and reduction in nonpoint source pollution.
• Improved soil health, which mitigates against increasing weather volatility, improves drought resiliency and can positively affect climate change.
• Implementation of climate-smart practices that improve carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while building resilient landscapes.

Farmer/Rancher SARE Grant

The Western SARE Farmer/Rancher Research & Education Grant Program focuses on advancing on-farm sustainability solutions by funding innovative producer-driven research and outreach. This grant program involves agricultural producers (main applicants) and technical advisor(s) implementing projects to address identified needs in sustainable agriculture.

How the Program Works

Projects with 1-2 producers may apply for up to $25,000 and projects with 3 or more producers working together may apply for up to $29,900.

With a Farmer/Rancher Grant, a producer and a technical advisor work together to develop a project (1-3 years in scope) that conducts both research and outreach on a sustainable agriculture topic. With the support and guidance of the technical advisor, producers must integrate research and education to conduct on-site/on-farm experiments to address social, environmental, and economic aspects of agricultural sustainability.

The goal of this program is to achieve results that can be communicated to other producers and professionals; sustain and improve the environmental quality and natural resource base on which agriculture depends; improve the profitability of producers and associated agricultural businesses; and enhance the quality of life for producers in local communities. Outreach activities may include on-farm/ranch demonstrations, farmer-to-farmer educational activities, and other approaches to assist producer adoption of sustainable agricultural practices.

Disaster Assistance Availability through FSA

FSA can provide assistance to producers who have suffered losses endured from adverse weather events. This assistance can be provided through FSA’s Emergency Loan Program or one of its many disaster programs such as Emergency Conservation Program (ECP), Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP), Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP), Livestock Forage Program (LFP), Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), Non-insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) or the Tree Assistance Program (TAP).

All producers wishing to obtain federal assistance through FSA should contact their local FSA office as soon as possible as it is important to note that Notice of Losses (NOL) for programs such as ELAP, LIP, NAP, and TAP are required to be filed timely and may be filed by phone, email, or by appointment. NOL deadlines by program are as follows:



• ELAP – 15 days for honeybee losses and 30 days for all livestock losses
• LIP – 30 days for all livestock losses
• NAP – 15 days for all covered crops
• TAP – 90 days for tree losses



**Please note that some programs such as ECP, EFRP, Emergency Loans (EM), and TAP require that environmental reviews are complete prior to actions being taken that are associated with the application. It is critical that no work begins prior to receiving notice of approval from FSA on the required environmental review. Failure to allow the necessary environmental review to be complete prior to actions being taken, may result in disapproval of the application.