Conservation Programs for Organic Producers

Organizations Providing Assistance to Growers Applying to USDA Conservation Programs

If your organization is providing assistance to growers applying to USDA Conservation Programs and would like to listed here, please email Tracy Lerman, Policy Program Organizer: tracy@ofrf.org.

Return to CSP Resource Page
Return to EQIP Organic Initiative Resource Page

American Indian Mothers
Beverly Collins-Hall - (910) 843-9911 or (910) 843-9914 or americnamothers@aol.com (spelling of email address is correct)
American Indian Mothers helps underserved and limited resource American Indian and Minority Communities navigate the EQIP application process.

Agriculture & Land Based Training Association (ALBA)
Chris Goodson - (831) 227-5404 or goodsonwq@yahoo.com
ALBA provides assistance to beginning and limited-resource farmers, especially those who prefer to communicate in Spanish.

Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network (ASAN)
Karen Wynne - (256) 520-2400 or wynnekaren@hotmail.com
ASAN can help answer farmers' questions about EQIP and CSP in Alabama.

Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems at the University of Wisconsin - Madison (CIAS)
Regina Hirsch - 608-265-3637 or rmhirsch@wisc.edu.
CIAS can help clarify conservation practices for the organic standards.

Center for Rural Affairs (CFRA)
Farm Bill Helpline - (402) 687-2100
CFRA's Farm Bill Helpline provides assistance to producers in accessing EQIP and CSP.

Florida Organic Growers (FOG)
Marty Mesh - (352) 377-6345 or fog@foginfo.org
FOG can explain EQIP to growers and help coordinate with Florida's Natural Resource Conservation Service.

Georgia Organics (GO)
Jonathan Tescher - (678) 702-0400 x 204 or jonathan@georgiaorganics.org

Grassworks, Inc
Valerie Adamski - (920) 590-1511 or grass@granitewave.com
Grassworks assists Midwestern farmers using management intensive grazing in applying for NRCS Conservation Programs.

Hawai'i Organic Farmers Association (HOFA)
Sarah Townsend, Deborah Ward, or Hi'iaka Kahalewai - Toll-free: (877) ORG-ISLE (674-4753)
Maui: (808) 572-1846, Hilo: (808) 969-7789 or hofa@hawaiiorganicfarmers.org
HOFA can help direct farmers to EQIP resources in their districts within the state of Hawai'i.

Illinois Stewardship Alliance
Devin Brown - (618) 771-0237 or devin@ilstewards.org
ISA can assist Illinois farmers in applying to conservation programs in Illinois.

Kansas Rural Center
Mary Fund or Ed Reznicek - (785) 873-3431 or ksrc@rainbowtel.net
Kansas Rural Center helps Kansas farmers transitioning to organic practices through EQIP.

Land Stewardship Project (LSP)
Adam Warthesen (612) 722-6377 or adamw@landstewardshipproject.org
LSP assists growers applying to CSP in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin.

Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA)
Katy Green - (207) 568-4142 or kgreen@mofga.org
MOFGA is a Technical Service Provider for those completing Conservation Plans Supporting Organic Transition through NRCS and can provide information about the EQIP Organic Initiative.

Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES)
Harriet Behar - (888) 551-4769 or harriet@mosesorganic.org
Jeff Gunderson - (715) 778-5775 or jeff@mosesorganic.org
MOSES can assist farmers in Wisconsin who want to apply for EQIP and CSP.

Mvskoke Food Sovereignty Initiative
Vicky Karhu or Ben Yahola - (918) 756-5915 or mvskokefood@gmail.com

National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT)
EQIP info page
CSP info page
ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service Hotline -
(800) 346-9140 (English); (800) 411-3222 (Spanish)
NCAT assists farmers and ranchers applying for EQIP and CSP.

New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission (NMOCC)
Joan Quinn - (505) 841-9067 or joan.quinn@state.nm.us
NMOCC can provide assistance with Organic Systems Plans and can direct producers to helpful New Mexico EQIP and CSP resources.

New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets
Sarah Johnston - (518) 457-4531 or sarah.johnston@agmkt.state.ny.us

Northeast Organic Farming Association, Massachusetts Chapter (NOFA/Mass)
Kate Rossiter - (413) 498-2721 or krossiter@nofamass.org
NOFA/Mass can assist farmers who want to apply for the EQIP Organic Initiative.

Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, Inc. (NOFA-NY)
Robert Perry - (607) 423-8716 or robert.organicdairy@nofany.org
NOFA-NY is developing technical support programming for organic farmers and transitioning farmers, including NRCS EQIP assistance.

Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT)
Dave Rogers - (802) 434-4122 or dave@nofavt.org
NOFA-VT provides assistance to producers in developing their applications to the EQIP Organic Initiative.

Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance (NODPA)
Ed Maltby - (413) 772-0444 or emaltby@comcast.net
NODPA can assist organic livestock operations in applying for EQIP, CSP and other federal grant programs.

Northern Plains Sustainable Agriculture Society
Donna Hines - (701) 883-4304 or dhnpsas@drtel.net

Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP)
Jennifer Miller - (208) 850-6504 or jmiller@pesticide.org
NCAP can assist farmers in Idaho who are applying for the EQIP Organic Initiative and for CSP.

Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association
Mike Anderson - (614) 421-2022 or mike@oeffa.org
OEFFA provides educational resources to farmers wishing to transition to organic production methods.

Oklahoma Food Cooperative
Lisa Weissenbuehler - (405) 605-8088 or gm@oklahomafood.coop

Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI)
Sarah Carlson - (515) 232-5661 x 305 or sarah@practicalfarmers.org
PFI can assist farmers in applying for EQIP and CSP, coordinate with Iowa's Natural Resource Conservation Service, and provide ideas for new practices they might implement.

Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI-USA)
Sally Lee - (919) 542-1396 x 211 or sally@rafiusa.org
RAFI-USA can explain the EQIP process to farmers in North Carolina, help walk them through the process, and provide advocacy efforts if needed. RAFI-USA is also collecting feedback from farmers in North Carolina about their experience with the EQIP Organic Initiative.

Rural Roots
(208) 883-3462 or rrinquiry@ruralroots.org
Rural Roots can assist farmers applying to conservation programs in Idaho, Eastern Washington and Eastern Oregon.

Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Eric Mader - (608) 628-4951 or eric@xerces.org
The Xerces Society works nationwide to help growers who are interested in enrolling in NRCS programs to create conservation enhancements for pollinators and beneficial insects.

Page updated May 20, 2010.