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Pacific Island Area 2012 EQIP Organic Initiative

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General Program Description

The 2008 Farm Bill highlights the availability of financial and technical assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) to help persons engaged in livestock, forestry or agricultural production, including organic production meet their conservation goals. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) can assist producers currently certified organic or transitioning to organic farming to plan and implement conservation practices to address identified natural resource concerns on their operations. Financial assistance for a Conservation Plan to Support Organic transition is available for those in transition to organic production.

The EQIP Organic Initiative EQIP Organic Initiative is available in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) in the Pacific Island Area.

Contact your local NRCS representatives in the USDA Service Center:

  • Hawaii
  • Guam
  • American Samoa
  • Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
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    Application Information and FY 2012 Deadline

    Applications for the EQIP Organic Initiative are taken continuously, but to be considered for participation in the 2012-FY, applicants must submit completed applications by June 1, 2012. Applications received after this date will be ranked in the next funding group.

    Program Availability

  • Program Funds are available to assist eligible organic farming operations to installed conservation practices that will address soil, water, air, plant, and animal resource concerns, allowing their organic operations to be environmentally sustainable.
  • There is also assistance for producers who are interested in applying for a Conservation Activity Plan (CAP) that supports transition to organic production. All CAP’s are to be developed by a certified Technical Service Provider (TSP) as selected by the program applicant.
  • Producers are required to develop and carry out an Organic System Plan (OSP) or carry out practices consistent with an OSP.

    • Contract Period

    EQIP offers contracts with a minimum term that ends one year after the implementation of the last scheduled practice and a maximum term of ten years. Contracts provide pre-determined program payments to the producer for the implementation of the planned practices according to a schedule developed with the producer.

    Initiative Requirements

  • Financial assistance is provided for only those practices which will assist growers meet provisions of an Organic System Plan (OSP) as administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS).
  • Payments are not authorized for activities or practices which are solely production related and are not linked to an identified resource concern.
  • Producers must be certified organic, transitioning/pursing organic certification, OR organic exempt according to USDA’s National Organic Program regulations
  • Participants who are currently certified organic must implement EQIP practices according to an approved OSP and submit a copy of their current OSP.
  • Participants who are transitioning to organic production must submit a self-certification letter stating they agree to develop and implement conservation practices for certified organic production that are consistent with an OSP, and provide the name and contract information of the USDA-accredited certifying agent who will be used for the organic certification process.

    • Eligibility Requirements

    To be eligible for EQIP, the applicant must:

    1. Have an interest in an agricultural operation and have records established with the Farm Service Agency (FSA).
    2. Own or have control of the land (by lease or rental agreement) for the length of the contract
    3. Be an individual, entity or joint operation.
    4. Be registered in the USDA Service Center Information Database (SCIMS).
    5. Be certified organic according to the National Organic Program OR be in the process of transitioning to organic production OR organic exempt according to USDA National Organic Program regulations.

    Payment Limit and Rates

  • Organic producers applying through this initiative can receive up to $20,000 per year or $80,000, under the 08 Farm Bill which covers a six year period (Fiscal Year 2009 to Fiscal Year 2014). Producers may also compete for the larger pool of EQIP funds that allow for up to $300,000 over six years.
  • Program payment rates for the organic initiative are 75% of the typical cost of implementing the practice. If the applicant is Historically Underserved being a “beginning farmer, socially disadvantaged or a limited resource producer”, the rates are 90%. A self-assessment tool is available online for USDA Limited Resource Farmer Tool.
  • Payments are made after conservation practices are implemented to the standards agreed to in advanced as identified in the payment rates below.

    • Screening Tool

    Application priority is based on screening for each category.

    Ranking Criteria

    Applications are scored based on issues they address according to National, State, and Local questions.

  • Organic Certified Ranking Criteria (PDF; 69 KB)
  • Organic Transition Ranking Criteria (PDF; 67 KB)
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    Organic Initiative Application Signup & Related Signup Forms

  • Application Form: NRCS-CPA-1200 (PDF; 92 KB)
  • Appendix: NRCS-CPA-1202-CPC (appendix) (PDF; 92 KB)
  • Organic Producer Self-Certification (PDF; 23 KB | DOC; 30 KB)
  • Self Certification - Agricultural Producer (PDF; 21 KB)
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    Note: The Organic Producer Self-Certification Template is required from applicants that are transitioning to organic production. Interested applicants should contact their Natural Resources Conservation Service Center representatives in their local USDA Service Center for more information regarding these forms.

    Additional forms or proof will be required when requesting irrigation assistance, proving control of land control, applying practices to leased land, applying as “Historically Underserved” producer, proving agricultural production and agricultural land eligibility.

    Eligibility & Related Eligibility Forms

  • Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC) and Wetland Conservation (WC) Certification: AD-1026 (PDF; 165 KB)
  • Average Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) Statement: CCC-926 (12-22-10) (PDF; 121 KB)
  • Member’s Information: CCC-901 (PDF; 156 KB)
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    Note: The CCC-901 must be filed by all entities with the USDA, Farm Service Agency. Members of the entity (down to the forth level) must also complete the AD-1026 and CCC-926 to comply with Farm Bill program eligibility requirements. Assistance is available from the USDA Farm Service Agency in Hawaii (PDF; 64 KB) and Farm Service Agency in the Pacific Basin (PDF; 92KB) in completing this form.

    Other Useful Forms, Information, & Websites

  • Power of Attorney: FSA-211 (PDF; 285 KB)
  • DUNS number
  • Limited Resource Producer Online Tool
  • Self Certification - Irrigation History (PDF; 24.5 KB)
  • Self Certification - Beginner Farmer (PDF; 16 KB)
  • Self Certification - Limited Resource Farmer (PDF; 14 KB)
  • Key Terms & Definitions (Attachment E) (PDF; 90 KB)
  • National Organic Program (Attachment F) (PDF; 37 KB)
  • Organic Agricultural Resources
  • Technical Service Providers
  • USDA Service Centers
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    Archives

  • 2009 EQIP - Organic Environmental Quality Incentives Program
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    Pacific Islands Area (PI) EQIP Contact:

    Cameron Delligatti
    Resource Conservationist
    Prince Kuhio Federal Building
    300 Ala Moana Blvd, Room 4-118
    Honolulu, Hawaii 96850-0050
    Phone: (808) 541-2600 ext. 132
    FAX: (808) 541-1335
    Email: Cameron.Delligatti@hi.usda.gov

    Last Modified: 04/27/2012

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