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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Jennifer Alig<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#943634'>**My email has changed to Jennifer.Alig@deq.ok.gov.**</span><span style='color:#943634'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> ok-sus-bounces@lists.oksustainability.org [mailto:ok-sus-bounces@lists.oksustainability.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Williams, Angela - Pauls Valley, OK<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, April 26, 2011 12:06 PM<br><b>Subject:</b> More Conservation Funding for Organic Ag Operations<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>NRCS ORGANIC INITIATIVE 2011:</b><o:p></o:p></p><ul style='margin-top:0in' type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l3 level1 lfo1'>$50 million has been allocated nationwide for 2011; <o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l3 level1 lfo1'><b>The sign-up has been extended to May 20, 2011;</b> <o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l3 level1 lfo1'>Existing certified organic farmers and farmers transitioning to organic production are eligible; and<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l3 level1 lfo1'>The program payment rate for the Organic Initiative is 75% and, for historically underserved participants, 90%. <o:p></o:p></li></ul><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><strong><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>SPECIAL FUNDING POOLS</span></strong><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Farmer applications to this Initiative will be treated as two separate ranking pools, one for transitioning farmers without any current certified organic production, and one for existing certified organic farmers who are either adding new transitional production or adopting new conservation measures on existing organic production. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>In both cases, those in these special funding pools will be competing only against others in the special pool rather than in the much, much larger general EQIP pool. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>As provided by law, there is a $20,000 per year ($80,000 over 6 years) payment limit for applications within this special pool.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><strong><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>TIMING AND DEADLINES</span></strong><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The deadline for the 2011 Organic Initiative sign-up is May 20, 2011.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>EQIP is a continuous sign-up program. That means that farmers may submit applications to the program at any time. During the course of the year, NRCS establishes cut-off dates for ranking and award purposes. Applications that come in after cut-off dates go into the pool for the next round.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>ELIGIBILITY</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Initiative provides EQIP conservation payments to existing certified organic farmers and those transitioning to organic production. These include:<o:p></o:p></p><ul style='margin-top:0in' type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l6 level1 lfo3'>farmers just beginning to transition to certified organic production; <o:p></o:p></li></ul><ul style='margin-top:0in' type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l4 level1 lfo4'>farmers already in the process of transitioning to certified organic production; <o:p></o:p></li></ul><ul style='margin-top:0in' type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l1 level1 lfo5'>existing certified organic farmers who are transitioning additional acres or herds; <o:p></o:p></li></ul><ul style='margin-top:0in' type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l5 level1 lfo6'>existing certified organic farmers who need to adopt additional conservation measures to fully address particular natural resource and environmental concerns; and <o:p></o:p></li></ul><ul style='margin-top:0in' type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l2 level1 lfo7'>existing certified organic farmers who want to both transition additional production and adopt additional conservation measures on existing certified organic ground (a combination of the third and fourth bullet point). <o:p></o:p></li></ul><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><strong><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>HOW THE APPLICATION PROCESS WORKS</span></strong><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>To sign up, farmers must go to their <a href="http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?service=page/CountyMap&state=OK&stateName=Oklahoma&stateCode=40">local field office</a> and speak with a staff person there. They will have to fill out an <a href="http://forms.sc.egov.usda.gov/efcommon/eFileServices/eForms/NRCS-CPA-1200NRCS-CPA-1200.PDF">NRCS-CPA-1200 application</a> to sign up officially; whatever information farmers cannot fill out on their own, they should fill out with the help of NRCS staff.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><strong><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Existing Organic Farmers</span></strong><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Applicants that are existing organic farmers will have to submit a copy of the current Organic System Plan (OSP) with their application. NRCS will use the OSP to verify compliance with provisions in the statute and as the basis for the EQIP Plan of Operations. The applicant must also provide the name and contact information of the USDA-accredited certifying agent for the operation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><strong><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Farmers Transitioning to Organic Production Systems</span></strong><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Applicants who are transitioning to organic production will have to submit a “self-certification” letter that includes a statement that the applicant “agrees to develop and implement conservation practices for certified organic production that are consistent with an organic system plan” and the name of the USDA-accredited certifying agent contacted to begin the certification process.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/releases/2011/organics_applications_4.2011.html">http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/releases/2011/organics_applications_4.2011.html</a> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Angela Williams<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>USDA-NRCS <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>105 N. Indian Meridian<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Pauls Valley, OK 73075<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(405)238-6544 Office<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(405) 238-0687 Mobile<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:Webdings;color:green'>P</span><span lang=EN-GB style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'> </span><b><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif";color:#007A37'>Think Green -</span></b><b><span lang=EN-GB style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#007A37'> </span></b><b><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif";color:#007A37'>please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>