Conservation Opportunities for the Historically Underserved

Conservation Opportunities for the Historically Underserved
by Chase Garcia, Soil Conservationist

The owners and managers of lands in Texas, through their conservation efforts, provide a wealth of environmental and social benefits to all. These include clean water and air, healthy wildlife habitat, open space, food and fiber, and sustainable rural and urban communities.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is a federal agency that works hand-in-hand with the people of Texas to improve and protect their soil, water and other natural resources. For decades, private landowners have voluntarily worked with NRCS specialists to prevent erosion, improve water quality, and promote sustainable agriculture.

Many conservation practices require a substantial investment. While many landowners desire to implement conservation practices to sustain and improve the condition of their land and increase the productivity of their agricultural operations, it is understood that certain factors often prevent some groups from attaining their conservation objectives. Time, labor, and cost are often the most prohibitive factors. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has targeted these groups in an outreach effort to ensure that all programs can be effectively utilized by everyone to promote conservation on working lands.

The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill) addresses the unique circumstances and concerns of three groups that have been historically underserved where past USDA programs are concerned. The three groups are (1) beginning, (2) limited-resource, and (3) socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. The 2008 Farm Bill includes voluntary participation incentives and improved access to farm programs for these groups.

For NRCS conservation programs the definitions of these three groups are:

Beginning Farmer or Rancher: This term means an individual or an entity that has not operated a farm or ranch or has operated a farm or ranch for not more than 10 years. If applying as an entity all members must be related by blood or marriage and all must be beginning farmers or ranchers. An individual or entity must substantially participate in day-to-day operations of the farm or ranch (definition applies to all members of the entity).

Socially Disadvantaged Farmer or Rancher: This term means a farmer or rancher who is a member of a socially disadvantaged group. "Socially disadvantaged group" means a group whose members have been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice because of their identity as members of a group without regard to their individual qualities. Those groups include Hispanics, African Americans, American Indians or Alaskan natives, and Asians or Pacific Islanders.

Limited-Resource Farmer or Rancher: The term "limited-resource farmer or rancher" means one who has: 1) direct or indirect gross farm sales not more than the current indexed value in each of the previous 2 years, and 2) a total household income at or below the national poverty level for a family of four or less than 50 percent of county median household income in each of the previous 2 years.

All three categories are self-certified by the individual applying for the program. The beginning farmer and rancher and socially disadvantaged categories are self-certified at the time an application for program participation is made. USDA has established a self determination tool for applicants to determine eligibility as a limited resource producer. The tool can be found at: http://www.lrftool.sc.egov.usda.gov/tool.asp

The NRCS uses provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill to target these groups in hopes of initiating and developing relationships that lead to conservation being put “on the ground” using the Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) Program, and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

The Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) Program provides technical assistance supported by science-based technology and tools to help people conserve, maintain, and improve their natural resources. The CTA Program provides the technical capability, including direct conservation planning, design, and implementation assistance, that helps people plan and apply conservation on the land. This assistance is provided to individuals, groups, and communities who make natural resource management decisions on private, tribal, and other non-federal lands. NRCS, through the CTA Program, provides conservation technical assistance that addresses natural resource conservation issues at the local level that are of State and national concern.

EQIP is a voluntary conservation program that promotes agricultural production and environmental quality as compatible goals. Through EQIP, farmers and ranchers may receive financial and technical help to install or implement structural and management conservation practices on eligible agricultural land.

The 2008 Farm Bill authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to set aside 5 percent of available EQIP funds to assist beginning and limited-resource farmers and ranchers, as well as an additional 5 percent for each program to assist socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. The Secretary is also authorized to provide up to 90 percent of the costs associated with planning and implementing conservation measures. In addition, up to 30 percent of such payments may be provided in advance for purchasing materials and contracting.

The purpose of these provisions are to ensure that NRCS programs are administered in a way that enables socially disadvantaged, as well as beginning and limited-resource farmers and ranchers maintain and develop economic viability in farm operations; to ensure NRCS technical assistance programs and activities reach these groups; and that technical practices and information are relevant to the needs of these farmers and ranchers.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service constantly works to improve relationships with all customers, understanding that true conservation and its benefits can only be recognized through mutual respect and cooperation. If you need more information about CTA or EQIP, please contact your local USDA Service Center, listed in the telephone book under U.S. Department of Agriculture, or your local conservation district. Information also is available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/farmbill/2008/ and at http://www.tx.nrcs.usda.gov.

Helping people help the land. That is our business.


The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, Large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's Target Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call 800-795-3272 (voice) or 202-720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.