PLEASE SHARE WITH MONTGOMERY RESIDENTS! One day only, first come first serve, limit 5 trees per person. 8 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Species available: Sweet Pecan, Persimmon, Bald Cypress, White Oak, Black Walnut, Virginia Pine, Shumard Oak, Flowering Dogwood, and Overcup Oak.
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“The Tennessee New Farmer Academy is a seven-month certificate program designed for those with an interest in becoming agricultural entrepreneurs. Ideal candidates for this program include those who are new to agriculture, those who wish to transition into agriculture from another field such as military service or private sector work, or those who are looking for a post-retirement opportunity.
The program focuses on teaching the concepts, providing the information, and facilitating the hands-on experience needed to build solid, viable, and successful agricultural businesses.”
2024 MIDDLE TN CLASS SCHEDULE:
March 18
April 15
May 20
June 10
July 15
Aug 19
Sept 16
Visit the Tennessee State University New Farmer Academy website HERE to signup as soon as possible!
For more information, contact:
Finis Stribling, III
Director of New Farmer Academy and Small Farms
(615) 963-5449
fstribling@tnstate.edu
NASHVILLE, February 8, 2024 – NRCS Tennessee Acting State Conservationist Dennis Jones announced today the FY2024 Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) Classic application deadline. Tennessee agricultural producers who wish to be considered for funding this fiscal year should apply by Friday, March 8, 2024.
“Through CSP, NRCS helps farmers and ranchers earn payments for maintaining their current level of conservation across their entire operation,” Jones said. “CSP also provides the opportunity for farm operators to expand their conservation activities by adopting new technologies and management techniques.”
CSP provides many benefits, including increased crop yields, decreased inputs, wildlife habitat improvements, and increased resilience to weather extremes. The program is for working lands including cropland, pastureland, rangeland, nonindustrial private forestland, and agricultural land under the jurisdiction of a tribe. Farmsteads and other associated agricultural lands are also included. CSP also provides specific support for organic and transitioning to organic producers.
Tennessee will implement an additional funding opportunity for conservations activities through the socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers (agriculture and forestland) and beginning farmer (agriculture and forestland) ranking pools. NRCS Tennessee will be utilizing an ACT NOW approach. Based on the availability of funds, applications with a score greater than a pre-determined threshold will be preapproved once assessed and ranked until funds have been expelled.
To be eligible, contract participants must meet Farm Bill Program eligibility in conjunction with the Farm Service Agency, which includes meeting the highly erodible land and wetland compliance requirements and the adjusted gross income limits.
Applicants must also:
While applications are accepted throughout the year, interested producers should submit applications to their local NRCS office by the deadline to ensure their operations are considered for FY 2024 funding.
Applications can be taken at all NRCS Tennessee county offices and USDA Service Centers. To locate an office near you, please click visit the USDA Service Center website. Applications MUST be received in your local service center by 4 p.m. on Friday, March 8, 2024.
Applicants can submit a signed and dated Form NRCS-CPA-1200 in the office, hand delivered, mailed, scanned, emailed, or through an agency-approved business tool (Farmers.gov). If NRCS receives a program application request by other means, such as by telephone, a NRCS representative must manually prepare Form NRCS-CPA-1200, using the date NRCS received the request to establish the application cut-off deadline has been met. NRCS will follow up to obtain the participant’s signature to ensure the application was properly completed prior to ranking.
NRCS continually strives to put conservation planning at the forefront of its programs and initiatives. Conservation plans provide landowners with a comprehensive inventory and assessment of their resources and an appropriate start to improving the quality of soil, water, air, plants, and wildlife on their land.
Contact Garrett Morris at garrett.morris@usda.gov or 615-277-2576, for more information about the CSP program in Tennessee, or visit the NRCS Tennessee website.
Click here to print full pdf version of this news release.
Please visit the NRCS Tennessee website here.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.
UT/TSU Extension Montgomery County will host a workshop for producers considering transitioning to organic production.
There is no cost but registration is required and may be completed by clicking the link below: https://forms.gle/S8U3Udoty3s9W3Ra9
When: January 12th, 2024
Time: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm (breakfast and lunch provided)
Where: UT/TSU Montgomery County Extension Office
1030 Cumberland Heights Road
Clarksville, TN 37040
Contact Person: Karla Gargus, Extension Agent III-Horticulture and Small Farms kkean1@tnstate.edu or 931-648-5725
TSU Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) Workshop Agenda
Montgomery County
January 12, 2024
8:30 – 8:50 am Registration, Networking & Breakfast
9:00 – 9:45am Dilip Nandwani TOPP Presentation
9:45-11:00 am Matthew Young Nuts and Bolts of Organic Certification Process in TN
11:00 – 12:00 pm NRCS Presentation
12:00 – 1:00 pm Lunch (catered by Simple Catering by Lisa)
1:00 – 2:00 pm Ron Eldridge FSA
2:00 – 2:30 Panel Q&A
The Natural Resources Conservation Service has announced an additional application opportunity for fiscal year 2024 funding for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) which includes special emphasis projects through NRCS partnerships with the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership and Regional Conservation Partnership Program.
Private landowners or entities are encouraged to apply by Friday, January 5, 2024.
ACEP-Wetland Reserve Easements can be enrolled as 30-year or perpetual, based on the landowner(s) desired management for the offered property. 30-year easements are valued at 25 percent less than perpetual easements and landowners are responsible for 25 percent of restoration costs whereas perpetual easements are eligible for a 100 percent restoration cost-share. Alternatively, landowners have the option to offer their property at a reduced purchase and/or restoration cost to improve application ranking.
ACEP-Agricultural Land Easements are enrolled for perpetuity to protect the long-term viability of the nation’s food supply by preventing conversion of productive working lands to non-agricultural uses. Applications for the ACEP-Agricultural Land Easement will only be accepted from eligible sponsoring entities, not individual landowners. Eligible entities include State or local units of government, Indian Tribes, or nongovernmental organizations, such as a conservancy or a land trust.
Through ACEP- Agricultural Land Easement, NRCS provides financial assistance to eligible partners for purchasing agricultural easements that protect the agricultural use and conservation values of eligible land. In the case of working farms, the program helps farmers keep their land in agriculture. Applications received after the designated cutoff date of Friday, January 5, 2024, will be considered in the next program year or in subsequent application periods, if announced.
If a landowner is applying for ACEP on multiple parcels of land, any non-contiguous parcels must be submitted as separate applications. Contiguous multiple parcels may be submitted as one application, provided the ownership is identical for each parcel.
Entities and landowners interested in applying for funding in Montgomery county, should visit the NRCS ACEP webpage or contact Montgomery NRCS Service Center.
Contact Garrett Morris (615-277-2576) for more information about the ACEP program in Tennessee.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
Montgomery County Soil & Water Conservation District 