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Protect & Expand Funding for Working Lands Conservation Programs in the 2023 Farm Bill

Don't Let Congress Raid IRA Conservation Funds

August 31, 2023

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Farmers are uniquely positioned to both mitigate and build resiliency when it comes to climate change. Farmers are on the front lines of managing extreme weather events, emerging pests and disease, degraded topsoil, altered planting and harvesting timing, dwindling pollinator populations, and more. At the same time, small and mid-sized farmers are facing consolidation, financial stress, lack of access to land, processing issues, marketing problems, a dysfunction healthcare system, and more.

When farmers have tools in their toolbox to innovate and build resiliency on the land, their farms, our ecosystems, and our communities are given greater opportunities to flourish.

Right now, the demand is growing for federal working lands conservation programs like the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) — but funding isn’t keeping up. Take CSP for example: applications have grown by 20% since the 2018 Farm Bill, but only about 25% of applicants are awarded contracts.

Luckily, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), passed last year, included approximately $19.5 billion over four years for USDA working lands conservation programs, including CSP and EQIP. These dollars will help ensure more farmers have the financial and technical support they need to build resilient and sustainable operations — the 2023 Farm Bill has the opportunity to build upon these funds to ensure more and more farmers have all the tools they need.

With available funding already failing to match demand, it’s particularly concerning that some folks in Congress are considering raiding these IRA conservation funds for their own 2023 Farm Bill Priorities. Now is the time to build upon, not cut, IRA conservation funds.

The 2023 Farm Bill is currently being drafted and should be introduced in the coming weeks. Now is the time to demonstrate widespread public support for protecting and expanding upon USDA conservation programs.

Could you take two minutes to urge your members of Congress to fight to protect and expand upon conservation programs in the 2023 Farm Bill?

Take Action

Regardless of your role in our farm and food system, your voice is needed. The 2023 Farm Bill is being drafted as you read this e-mail. Please take action today!

Check out the Land Stewardship Project’s Farm Bill landing page to learn more about LSP’s 2023 Farm Bill priorities. 

P.S. If you want to learn more about one of our other Farm Bill priorities — strengthening the safety net for small, mid-sized, and diversified farms — please join LSP for a special Farm Bill Friday Crop Insurance Webinar on Friday, September 15, at 12 p.m., via Zoom. Register here.

Category: Action Alerts
Tags: 2023 Farm Bill • conservation • CSP • EQIP • working lands conservation

Contact

Amanda Koehler, LSP policy manager, e-mail, 612-400-6355

 

Upcoming Events

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September 2023

Friday September 29 – Sunday October 1

Upper Minnesota River Meander Art Crawl
Friday September 29 – Sunday October 1
Upper Minnesota River Meander Art Crawl

The award-winningMeander Art Crawlis a free self-guided tour of artist studios featuring 40 local artists from the Upper Minnesota River Valley. We encourage visitors to visit artists in their own environment who celebrate a lifestyle that represents the small, handmade, personal, and local culture of the area.This event has more than 30 individual studios in and near the western Minnesota communities of Ortonville, Appleton, Madison, Milan, Dawson, Montevideo, and Granite Falls.

Friday September 29

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Monte Meet-Up During the Meander Art Crawl
Friday September 29
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Monte Meet-Up During the Meander Art Crawl

The award-winningMeander Art Crawlis a free self-guided tour of artist studios featuring 40 local artists from the Upper Minnesota River Valley. We encourage visitors to visit artists in their own environment who celebrate a lifestyle that represents the small, handmade, personal and local culture of the area.This event has more than 30 individual studios in and near the Western Minnesota Communities of Ortonville, Appleton, Madison, Milan, Dawson, Montevideo, and Granite Falls.

While doing the Meander, plan on participating in the Monte Meet-Up Friday, Sept. 29, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the Montevideo Community Center and Millennium Theater Event Room. There will be music, short films, and a local foods meal that LSP is helping put on.

Saturday September 30

9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Elko New Market Free Well Water Testing Clinic & Environmental Health Fair
Saturday September 30
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Elko New Market Free Well Water Testing Clinic & Environmental Health Fair

At this event, local well owners are invited to bring water samples from their home for nitrate, chloride, arsenic, and manganese testing. The testing will be held at the Elko New Market Library from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. While they wait for their testing results, LSP, along with other partner organizations, will be there to chat with well owners about our clean water work and our other work in the state. Details are available here.

October 2023

Tuesday October 3

2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Optimizing No-Till Methods for a Direct-to-Market Organic Vegetable Farm
Tuesday October 3
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Optimizing No-Till Methods for a Direct-to-Market Organic Vegetable Farm

No-till farming methods are increasingly part of the dialogue in conventional crop farming, but the techniques employed at large scales are not practical or accessible for small vegetable growers. Join Land Stewardship Project members Whitewater Gardens Farm as they explore three of the more common vegetable no-till methods to identify the most sustainable approach in terms of soil health, labor investment, and crop health and yield on our farm.

The field day will be at 17485 Calico Hill Road, Altura, MN. For more information, call 507-993-5504 or e-mail londietz@aol.com.

5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Organic Dairy Pasture Walk
Tuesday October 3
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Organic Dairy Pasture Walk

The NW Wisconsin Graziers Network, River Country RC&D, and UW-Madison Extension invite you to an organic dairy pasture walk hosted by Turnip Rock Farm and Cosmic Wheel Creamery four miles south of Amery in Polk County on Tuesday, October 3, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. This educational event will emphasize seasonal calving organic dairying with on-farm cheese making and direct marketing with an on-farm store, and vegetable production.

The host farm is home to Land Stewardship Project members Josh Bryceson and Rama Hoffpauir and family. They raise grass fed mixed breed high component dairy cows, (10), pastured pork production (20), and extensive vegetable garden production. Their locally processed cheese is marketed directly to customers and the whey is fed to their pigs. The operation consists of about 80 acres (60 acres rotated pastures and 3 acres in vegetable production) on gently rolling loamy soils.

A soil health discussion lead by Extension staff will highlight the challenges of forage production in this year’s dry conditions. A farmstead creamery with seasonal spring calving and once a day milking, a home built milking parlor facility, grass fed beef, and pastured pork will be included on the farm tour. We will discuss stockpiling pasture, marketing techniques, and many othertopics along with answering any and all questions from pasture walk participants.

Josh and Rama have developed a diversified direct marketing program. Everything is direct-marketed through 150 member veggie CSA, online stores, restaurants, farmer’s markets, and a new on-farm store and other strategies to support direct sales to customers. Ask questions and learn all about this diversified approach.

The farm is located at 260 95th Street, Clear Lake, WI, and south of Amery in central Polk County. From Hwy 46 south of Amery 3 miles, take a left turn (east) onto 35thavenue , go east 1½ miles, then turn right onto 95thStreet and go south about a mile to farm. From the south, take Hwy 46 north to 20thAvenue, turn right (east) and go about 1½miles and then turn north onto 95thstreet then go north about half mile to farm on the right. Watch for the signs.

For more information, contact Josh at 715-239-5127,http://www.turniprock.com/, Chris Johnson, with River Country RC&D at 715-579-0793, Becky Brathal, UW-Madison Extension Regional Crops Educator, at 651-302-6520, or Lynn Johnson at 715-225-9882 with NW Graziers.

View Full Calendar

Recent Posts

  • Don’t Let Congress Gut Local Control September 22, 2023
  • Protect & Expand Funding for Working Lands Conservation Programs in the 2023 Farm Bill August 31, 2023
  • Call on Senator Amy Klobuchar to Co-Sponsor Critical Land Access Legislation August 24, 2023
  • One Year after Major Winona County Fish Kill, Citizen Action Has Made an Impact July 26, 2023
  • Tell Congress We Need A Farm Bill that Supports Land Access July 25, 2023

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