WASHINGTON, May 19, 2020 – As part of the Coronavirus Farm Assistance Program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that it will provide up to $2.1 billion in direct payments to specialty crops producers. The payments will be based on losses where prices and market supply chains have been impacted and will help producers…
Maine Farmland Trust (MFT) and the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) are introducing new Maine Farm Emergency Grants to assist farmers impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. A recent survey conducted by the Beginning Farmer Resource Network of Maine indicates farmers and food producers are experiencing significant market disruption. This collaborative effort will provide…
The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry has developed interim guidelines to help answer owner and employee questions about essential agriculture, horticulture, and animal care operations. The department’s website, containing a broad range of COVID-19 resources, is available here: https://www.maine.gov/dacf/covid19/ and includes a wealth of resources including links for DACF Essential Services Interim Guidelines, Essential…
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27, 2020 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the delay of enforcement of certain requirements under the interim final rule (IFR) establishing the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program. Under the new guidance, USDA will delay enforcement of the requirement for labs to be registered by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the…
The National Sustainable Agricultural Coalition (NSAC) has published a comprehensive guide for the 2019-2020 Grant Cycle. Program Basics The Value-Added Producer Grant program (VAPG), a subprogram of the Local Agriculture Market program (LAMP), provides grants, awarded on a competitive basis, to individual independent agricultural producers, groups of independent producers, producer-controlled entities, organizations representing agricultural producers,…
Join us from 10am – 2pm for a day of connection with growers and service providers in your region, MOFGA Certification updates and education from MOFGA Farmer Programs! Catered lunch included. DOWNEAST – February 5, Cobscook Community Learning Center, Trescott Twp CENTRAL – February 14, MOFGA Educational Center, Unity NORTHERN – February 11 & 12…
The Fall 2018 issue of The Organic Sprout is available online! Please follow this link. You can read it from any device of your choice or download it as a PDF. Contents include the interim final rule for domestic hemp production, record keeping for organic livestock producers, compostable plastics, NOP updates, dealing with deer pressure…
October 31, 2019 The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced the official publication of an interim final rule, which establishes the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program. This program, as required by the 2018 Farm Bill, creates a consistent regulatory framework around hemp production throughout the United States. The interim final rule governs the production of…
The public comment period is now open – please make your comments here by December 2nd, 2019. The current regulations provide two tracks for replacing dairy animals which are tied to how dairy farmers transition to organic production. Farmers who transition an entire distinct herd must thereafter replace dairy animals with livestock that has been…
FACT is now accepting applications for their next round of Fund-a-Farmer Grants. The application deadline is December 2, 2019 and grants will be awarded in winter 2020. This year FACT is delighted to again offer three types grants to working, independent family farmers located in the continental United States who raise beef cattle, broiler chickens,…
Free disposal with pre-registration by October 7 This October, Mainers can dispose of unusable and waste pesticides thanks to a project sponsored by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s (DACF) Board of Pesticides Control (BPC) and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The Obsolete Pesticides Collection Program, funded through pesticide product…
