USDA Farm Service Agency

There are just 6 days left to submit your nomination for the four open positions on USDA's Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. Here's what the committee is looking for: 🍊 One individual who is an agricultural producer or farmer using innovative technology. 🌽 One individual representing an institution of higher education or extension program. 🍎 One individual with supply chain experience, which may include a food aggregator, wholesale food distributor, food hub, or an individual who has direct-to-consumer market experience. 🥔 One individual representing related experience in urban, indoor and other emerging agriculture production practices. Get the details on how to submit your nomination package: https://lnkd.in/efEheiJd USDA photo by Lauren Moore. Fleet Farming is a flagship program of IDEAS for Us, an Orlando-based 501(c)(3) grassroots non-profit organization and accredited NGO of the United Nations. Fleet Farming is an urban agriculture program that transforms the average American lawn into a bio-verse, productive micro farms and edible gardens.

Our goal is to build stronger connections between USDA programs and anyone working in the field of urban agriculture. If you're with us, then consider joining us August 4 - 6 in Detroit for the National Urban Agriculture Conference. A limited number of $1,000 conference attendance scholarships are available, reimbursable to urban farmers and partnering cooperators who register and apply. Apply for a scholarship by June 21 here: https://lnkd.in/gJ_an9fT The conference will include bus tours of urban farms in Detroit; information on USDA resources; listening sessions and presentations; and information on beneficial tools, training, resources, and efforts to expand local and regional food systems. Attendees will include USDA employees; urban farmers; educators and administrators; business and nonprofit leaders; and retail and wholesale companies.   Early bird pricing is available through June 30. Join us and get registered: https://lnkd.in/gmhfPVQa

Certified organic producers and handlers who have paid certification fees during the 2024 program years may apply for reimbursement through the Organic Certification Cost Share Program. Apply to a participating state agency according to their deadlines, or directly at one of our over 2,100 FSA offices. https://lnkd.in/gahmf88j  

The American Samoa is one of the most remote service areas in the USDA family, but FSA is fortrunate to have two employees located there. They recently visited the Island Flowers by Liana farm, owned by Peter and Donna Gurr in Maloata, American Samoa. John Boyes from the Office of the Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs also came on the trip to explore FSA program delivery in the South Pacific. The farm is located in a very remote part of the island, about a 1.5 hour drive from the USDA Service Center. Maloata is accessible via the islands main road on the south facing shore if the island. 📸: USDA. Pictured from L to R: Faleituau Simona Fenumiai, Farm Loan Program Technician in American Samoa; Pete Gurr; John Boyes, Management and Program Analyst for the Office of the Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs; Jennifer Balderas, Farm Loan Manager for American Samoa and Hawaii County; Kristen Kiriu, Acting County Executive Director/Farm Program Chief for Hawaii and the Pacific Basin; and Donna Gurr. 

Tell a farmer, tell a partner, tell a friend: we're looking for problem solvers, leaders, and strong communicators who want to work face-to-face with their local agricultural producers to apply for our County Executive Director in Training positions in Rhode Island, Iowa, Oklahoma and Idaho. And if you're in Rhode Island, hurry, because the position closes tonight! CEDTs are permanent, full-time positions open to the public that come with a 12-month training program. In the job announcement on USAjobs, look at the section called, "How You Will Be Evaluated" to see what skills you'll need to demonstrate in your resume and interview. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/g7h_nqC4 📸: Allison at work in their Texas FSA office, photo by USDA.

Happy #PublicServiceRecognitionWeek! Today, we celebrate the work of our County Program Technicians (PTs). They're a vital part of every FSA County Service Center. As the first line of communication with the farmers, ranchers, and producers we serve, PTs provide support for the agricultural industry by helping implement FSA programs. Our #FarmFam wouldn’t be the same without our PTs! 📸: Program Technician EmmaLee Demianew assists a producer. Photo by USDA.

We've got a 10-million-dollar question: what are the environmental benefits and outcomes of our Conservation Reserve Program? If you, your business or your organization could conduct the research to help us find out, keep reading. We're seeking proposals for projects that will survey, sample, and measure ecosystem benefits, citizen science, and, in general, evaluate the overall impacts of CRP, one of the world’s largest voluntary conservation programs. Proposed projects should be for a one- to five-year term and a minimum cost of $500,000 but no more than $5 million. The deadline to submit is June 7, 2024. Get more info and apply on grants.gov: https://lnkd.in/gpKWRR4u #conservation #fundingopportunity #grant #research #agriculture