US Department of Agriculture seeks proposals for innovative conservation

Delaware State News
Posted 4/24/21

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is seeking proposals through June 21 for On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials. 

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US Department of Agriculture seeks proposals for innovative conservation

Posted

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is seeking proposals through June 21 for On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials. 

On-Farm Trials, part of the agency’s Conservation Innovation Grant program, feature collaboration between NRCS and partners to implement on-the-ground conservation activities and then evaluate their impact. Incentive payments are provided to producers to offset the risk of implementing innovative approaches.

This program harnesses the expertise, resources and capacity of partner organizations nationwide to help NRCS boost natural-resource conservation on private lands and support climate-smart agriculture. 

“Conservation Innovations Grants are an important tool in the development of new and innovative technologies and systems to support agriculture and conservation,” Kasey Taylor, NRCS state conservationist in Delaware, said in a prepared statement. “We deliver conservation solutions with cutting edge results. The use of the Conservation Innovation Grants will aid Delaware’s farmers with the conservation of the natural resources on our resilient agricultural landscapes.”

Partners must propose robust scientific approaches for their projects, resulting in data and analyses of the environmental, financial and, to the extent possible, social impacts of the trials. 

NRCS will invest up to $25 million on On-Farm Trials in 2021. This total includes up to $10 million for the Soil Health Demonstration Trials priority. The SHD component of On-Farm Trials focuses exclusively on implementation of conservation practices and systems that improve soil health. NRCS is seeking proposals that address at least one of the following four On-Farm Trial priorities:

  • Climate-smart agricultural solutions.
  • Soil-health demonstration trial.
  • Irrigation water management.
  • Management technologies and strategies.

 NRCS will accept proposals from the following eligible entities:

  • Private entities whose primary business is related to agriculture.
  • Nongovernment organizations with experience working with agricultural producers.
  • Nonfederal government agencies.

NRCS encourages proposal submissions from historically underserved entities and encourages all applicants to meaningfully include historically underserved producers in their On-Farm Trials proposal submissions.

Historically underserved producers include those who identify as one or more of the following: American Indian, Alaskan native, Asian American, Black/ African American, Pacific Islander and Hispanic/Latino.

It also includes producers who are military veterans, low-income or have farmed for 10 years or less. Proposals that include the meaningful participation of these producers receive priority consideration through the evaluation criteria.

In the past two years, NRCS has invested $50 million in 30 On-Farm Trials projects. The On-Farm Trials component is distinct from the national CIG Classic competitive grants funding, which is used to support early pilot projects or demonstrations of promising conservation approaches and technologies. This year, NRCS will invest $15 million in the national CIG Classic competition, and more details will be announced in coming weeks. 

Visit the website and view the On-Farms Trials funding announcement. For more information on CIG On-Farm Trials, visit the On-Farms Trials webpage.

 
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