For Immediate Release
Contact:  Christy Morgan, Acting PAS
859-224-7363
christy.morgan@ky.usda.gov

 Final Applications for NRCS Organic Initiative Due June 1

April 20, 2012, Lexington, KY – USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist Karen Woodrich reminds potential applicants to contact their local NRCS office soon to find out if they are eligible for the agency’s Organic Initiative. Applications for the final ranking period of 2012 are due at NRCS offices by close of business on June 1, 2012.  The NRCS Office Locator is available at http://go.usa.gov/Uo8.

 Woodrich said, “We are happy to see the number of organic farmers increasing each year.  Family farms that are certified organic are not only profitable but are in harmony with their surrounding environment.  Organic farming benefits soil health which in turn positively impacts water quality and quantity.”   

Nationwide, NRCS has nearly $50 million in financial and technical assistance available to certified organic producers, those who want to make the transition to organic production and producers who sell less than $5,000 in organic products annually.

 Part of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the Organic Initiative offers a wide array of conservation practices specifically designed for organic production. “Practices will help the selected applicants meet many requirements of their USDA Organic System Plans and stay in compliance with USDA’s National Organic Program,” Woodrich said.

The top five Organic Initiative conservation practices are cover crops, nutrient and pest management, seasonal high tunnels, crop rotation, and fencing.

Learn more about the Organic Initiative at http://www.ky.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/2012EQIP/index.html or http://go.usa.gov/Uo9 and find out about other NRCS initiatives and programs at http://go.usa.gov/UoX.

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