Building better rural places : federal programs for sustainable agriculture, forestry, conservation and community development

166 Pages·2001·12.6 MB·English

by  Vysatova, Romana A

Historic, Archive Document
Do not assume content reflects current
scientific knowledge, policies, or practices.

Farms vary widely id other characteristics, ure ae ONE. tlie
SMALL FARMS SHOW GREATER ENROLLMENT
ranging from very small retirement and residential
IN CONSERVATION PROGRAMS
farms to establishments with sales in the millions.
Percent of Assets or Acres
A farm typology developed by USDA's Economic
30
Research Service (ERS) categorizes farms by occupation i Assets
WB Acres of land owned
as well as sales volume. By better describing America's
~ CRP and WRP acres
diversity of farms, ERS has set the tone for federal 25
agencies and program leaders to provide information,
funds and services that meet this diversity of agricultural
20
needs. The charts that follow describe some general
characteristics of farms in the U.S. Small farms are
defined by ERS as operations with sales less than 15
$250,000. For more information, see:
http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/farmstructure/
10
5
SHARE OF TOTAL FARMS AND VALUE OF PRODUCTION
Limited Retire- Residential/ Low- High- ,L arge Very | Nonfamily
Percent of Farms or Production Resource ment Lifestyle _ sales sales, Large, Farms
50 Farming-occupation ; !
i Value of Production Small Family Farms Other Family
Farms Farms
40 Source: USDA, Economic Research Service, 1998 Agricultural Resource
Management Study.
SMALL FARMS DEPEND ON OFF-FARM SOURCES
‘lw FOR MUCH OF THEIR INCOME
$1,000 per household
250
WB Farm earnings
MB Off-farm earnings
atO o _. Total household income
200
150
Limited Retire- Residential/ Low- High- Large Very ' Nonfamily
Resource ment Lifestyle sales sales Large | Farms
Farming-occupation |
Small Family Farms Other Family 100
Farms U.S. Average
Household Income:
Source: USDA, Economic Research Service, 1998 Agricultural Resource $49,692
Management Study. 50
-50
Limited Retire- Residential/ Low- High- ' Large Very ' Nonfamily
Resource ment Lifestyle sales sales | Large | Farms
i}
Farming-occupation
Small Family Farms | Other Family i]
Farms
Source: USDA, Economic Research Service, 1998 Agricultural Resource
Management Study for farm operator household data. U.S. Bureau of the
Census, Current Population Survey for data on all U.S. Households.
Building Better Rural Places
Federal programs for sustainable agriculture, forestry,
consetvation and community development
January 2001

Building Better Rural Places
Federal programs for sustainable agriculture, forestry,
conservation and community development
A publication of the U.S. Department of Agriculture agencies
working together for sustainable rural development
in collaboration with
The Michael Fields Agricultural Institute
Original Authors:
Romana A. Vysatova and Laurie S.Z. Greenberg
Revised by Valerie Berton and Jennifer Butler
Edited by Margaret Krome
USDA agencies and programs providing major support for this publication:
Resource Conservation and Development
Natural Resources Conservation Service
US. Forest Service
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program
January 2001
Acknowledgments
This guide resulted from a collaboration of individuals from USDA agencies who are working together for
sustainable rural development in concert with the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute.
The authors would like to thank the dedicated staff of the many programs included in this volume who reviewed
listings for this guide as originally published and helped update it for the current edition.
The effort to foster collaboration and partnerships among USDA agencies in support of sustainable community
development is championed by the Rural Economic Development Action Team, the National RC&D Working
Group, and the Council on Sustainable Development at USDA. Among other federal, state, and local partners
are the National Rural Development Partnership, State Rural Development Councils, and RC&D Councils. We
appreciate the hard work and cooperation of members of all of these entities in supporting the development of
this guide. The guide could not have been completed for its first edition without the support and leadership of
SARE directors, past and present, from Rob Myers and Jerry DeWitt to Jill Auburn. This revised edition owes
special thanks to Jill Auburn and to Teresa Maurer, Manager of the Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural
Areas (ATTRA) program, for their commitment to providing staff and other resources to help research, update
and print the guide and to maintain its presence on the ATTRA website.
Finally, the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute's contributions to producing both editions of this guide have
been made possible by generous grants from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and the Jessie Smith Noyes
Foundation.
Table of Contents
L(yeKG BLRUY OTaD yey citer dea pry Ge ae eee AD AN RR pee in ere RTpRe co SSCS TEs ence nto fc Cee cee eae 8
I. Research, Information and New Technologies..............cscccceseeees 13
Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) «..........cc-csssssscserscseseressoreeenenssonsescsceoesosees 14
Cooperative Extension System (CES) csccscscsscscteccsssssoseatssenesastsesenstecnsssensceseersssoressensseessvencsvedessonsevessenceveeeens 16
ere ate, Ce CEIOTU AO) hearers araar ema ceatesritystreec2 ita cderscconn saretensesc-ecnecatreorscatravenedstndsaerstrecacboeterazascneavecneresonsses 24
Forest Products Conservation and Recycling (FPC&R) .........cssccsersesereneceessensetsteteesesesesseseosssossnnasees 18
Rea estete Pa Oratory (be2 ) are cc.cue stesso tocete deed tex odncs coaznncaccenscnescerasnscaheeerentncvsensnsnenssygucsuneanserionecnets 20
Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems (IFAFS) ..........scessscscseseseesssesseeeessescesensssseesesenenees 22
Integrated Research, Education and Extension Competitive Grants Program (Section 406) ........... 24
Organic transitions (Section 406) ..........sssscsesssesecserssnensereneensnseneneenensssessssessssessssssssessssssesesenseeessseeesnenees 24
National Agroforestry Center (NAC) ..........scssssscescsssesssssensenseserssnsensensesccnsnessenecsssossssscssesssssessssensenseessenens 26
National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program (NRICGP)) .......eeceesseseseeeeneeenenereerenenenees 28
Pest Management Alternatives Program .........sscsesececsesereseereesesneesesesnenenesessessscsessensasseesesesceneneseneeneneesenes 31
Pesticides (Section 406: RAMP, CAR, Pest Memt Centers) ...............csrsccssesressseneresseceserenseesonssranecsnssesecss 24
Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP) .........ssssssssssssercecscseserersenescncesssesenesesesessssesenees oo
Regional Integrated Pest Management Program ..........scscsecseeeseseesesseseseessessenssesseessenesnessensenenenseneenenneey a2
BTC CNN TCS UILES (cy AN IR) ae eres a ees os east ecsocarscsddssubudnetaccdesearietvorennssnsvnceonsenssascsanansossientog eye
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program ..........:sseesssseeseseeseeeeeeneeneseeneenees 39
Technology Transfer Program .....s.csessessessessesssseeneessensensesessssasstssnssnssnssssssssncsasssssncanssnsnscenscsecnscacenesneceneey 42
Wood in Transportation (WIT) Program .......c.cssececseeeteetecteseesesesneneesesesesseenseneseesssnssseseeseesennenseneeneanenneey 46
Water Quality (Section 406) ..........c..cescsssessesssssssseensensensenesncenecsessecocencensssnsnsessssossessssensenssnsenseacescenssassassaensens 24
II. Financing Businesses and New Enterprises .........sccececeeessesesevees 49
Business and Industrial (B & I) Guaranteed Loan Program... teeseseetetseseneeetseseneeeeenenes 50
Business and Industrial Direct Loan (B & I Direct) Program .........ccccseseseteretereeeterenenenenenensssessatasnenenenes Pe
Direct Farm Ownership and Operating LOams «0.0... seesseseessssssneseeseeseensesnseneencnnsnnsneensencans 54
Business and Industrial Direct Loan (B & I Direct) Program ........cccccseseseerereeseeteesresseeeesseneneneenenenees 52
Direct Farm Ownership and Operating LOams «1.0... eseeseseesseneseeneneeneneeeneenensensnsesesersesesesees 54
Guaranteed Farm Ownership and Operating Lams .........::s:ccsesssesesesseseeseeseseeseseeneseeneneeneneeneneeenenneneey 56
Intermediary Relending Loan Program (IRP) ......sessessecssessessseesssssessseesseeneeneecneceneenseeanecaseescenecsssenesenees 58
Rural Business Enterprise Grants (RBEG) .......-::csecsessessecsesessesessessseseessesseneenecneeneenecanensenscnsensonsencnsessesses 60
Rural Business Opportunity Grants (RBOG) .......sssessessesseesseseeesesssseenecenecnnecneenanennecanecnsccsscenseansesesetecees 61
Introduction.to the. US. Small Business Administration: cnc ce ee 62
Small Busimess Innovation Research Program (BUR) ee. chsccre5scee ea ac. tears acorenet arene nae cnmcearer engineer eee ss 63
7(a) Loan Guaranty: Program ssc sc cates oe ccg secs store eur soees ets acetone eps sce see eee eee 65
504 Certified Development Company (504 CDG) Program: (SBA) c22.5:51c1-ser-setsees ssorcesc oeeesretntrneaense-rses >6 7
MicroLoan, Program 1..2ccz-ascsupeetiooetnecsanaetncsaecv 1a05ct 8e02 s22- a0cREe Cegu tntserd tceat tRennas resatsa Nseteraa cciaetsiao nese e 69
small Business Investment Companies (SBICS) ic s0..2.s.-s0-.ns.<+-s0eoesavea:nosesaesenaesoreetesaegen aetna eeeseeensvereere etr e7 0
Downpayment Farm Ownership Woamn Programm, 2. :.c¢<:.cccasast osvesrsese oSeveese=cvesnsicaet-sueuee scanterns sgeteueevsaet rev A
Loans 'for‘Socially Disadvaritaged. Persons 2 isissscicc0...0ts+.0s-0-5/sesshsuoaesarecssons-ergeenneeesateehss esveeae eenuenetteeeepr s 73
III. Management Assistance ........ sesuereceadencbeterestuattearsateetec® merc ord
Cooperative Services: (G5) 5e ee gree cece cce teat ese. sense case cas Sase Basa aca ea hase eae craic oe aa ee 76
Rural Cooperative Development Grant Program (RCDG) 22205 a icec< sues serccsescosvectersoese saasss ecsessveersvsecnirmsere t 78
The SCORE Association -- Counselors to America’s Small Business. ............::s-sssssessssssssevesseessseesncess 80
omall Business Development Center (SBDC) Prog rarny se reeccctess reece ences tere sree c nee er eee 81
Small Farmer Outreach Training and Technical Assistance Program........cscssssssssessesessseseesessseseeenesees 84
IV. Marketing Assistance .............. Sraesisosee mctasticccersesecenseccsesesteuseccecencaesteetO/y
Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program (roMiL) <osssccseccweassiecr eoatreer reetsec seearr ceereee: 88
Market Access Program (INIA) (or e.ce eeuntete Stee geet teenies eee cree nee er eon eee ce 90
National Orgamic Proorar rr 528 20 cscs cee: See eter staat ce shea akira tence ee eee cece OP cee aR ec ene 92
Research and Promotion Program (ROP). vive tacescesestestesscessssensssusnoseevesesvopuviesesncssotes etsecsssmeetreases 93
Wholesale and Alternative Markets Prograny(W 625M) coterie, cece ee ee 94
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) ...........::sese 96
V. Conservation and Resource Management........... resresicersestarscrennee oh
ConservationReserve Prog rain cccssacrccsessssenysccge oes oeeaecsi soph oem oedema te ca eee en ened 100
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (HOU? )i0iyciesscceatee ne ee ee eee eee 102
Farmland. ProtectiOn Prog rain csc toscs:socscocosnecs eaecst eseN eaet eesese r+e/eer¥ aeeteae ceceee 104
Porestry Incentives Proeramy (ULE) sess erect cette etna een 106
Forest Legacy Progrannn’:.sscasssssueassyonac rneets ocnea neandesses pedaes secetsa tsnteet eaees teee zncesr esas tge eaeeasr sekete e 108
Partners for Fish and (Wildlife s2sccosreeen ccrngesh = oeesensesnok ce uhercatncsere ay spe ene ee 110
Pesticides (Section 406; RAMP, CAK) Pest Mom! Centers) ore: sects cccccatcer cay seeeeeeeeeeen er renee ences 24
Water Quality (Section:406) -sccccssss vecsecssvancteovestnsensunenaes an conss texausPencetac sac seetetyty e re ery eee 24
Wetlands Reserve Program (WIRE) ie. cc crccsevotesecetescons tocar ctesnecsecspces crare eer eee ante eee mene 112
Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program: (WEP) sees. rcccscacsceresercterce eee ee ee 114
Emergency Watershed Protection, Program (HVVE) ercer cect: ececeet teeter 116