The National Organic Initiative, funded through EQIP is a voluntary conservation program that provides technical and financial assistance for organic farmers and ranchers, or those interested in transitioning to organic.
CertifiedOrganic - producers with a USDA National Organic Program (NOP) Organic Certificate or proof of good standing from a USDA accredited certifying agent. The certification must be maintained for the life of the EQIP contract.
Exempt from Certification of theNOP - producers who are selling less than $5,000 a year in organic agricultural products and are exempt from NOP’s certification. Exempt organic producers are eligible for the EQIP Organic Initiative if they self-certify that they agree to develop and work toward implementing an Organic Systems Plan (OSP), as required by the NOP.
Transitioning toOrganic - producers who are in the process of transitioning to organic. Transitioning producers self-certify that they agree to develop and work toward implementing an OSP, as required by the NOP.
Common conservation practices, systems or activities planned include:
Developing a Conservation Activity Plan for Transition that can be part of the OSP
Improving irrigation efficiency
Establishing buffer zones
Creating pollinator habitat
Improving soil health and controlling erosion
Developing a grazing plan and supportive livestock practices
Enhancing cropping rotations
Nutrient and pest management activities
Managing cover crops
Installing a high tunnel system
Additional information about the Organic Initiative
Financial assistance is limited to no more than $140,000 total over the 2018 Farm Bill, 2019 through 2023.
​Participants who are not certified or exempt from certification, agree to develop and work towards implementing an Organic System Plan to meet National Organic Program organic certification through USDA.
Interested applicants for the National Organic Initiative should complete the Self Certification Worksheetand provide a copy to the local NRCS office.
The following sections include the applicable land uses, resource concerns, and conservation practices for the ranking pool.
Land Uses
The descriptions below are the general NRCS land use definitions - applications should fit within, but do not need to exactly match, these descriptions. Below are the applicable land uses for the ranking pool.
Crop: Land used primarily for the production and harvest of annual or perennial field, forage, food, fiber, horticultural, orchard, vineyard, or energy crops.
Forest: Land on which the primary vegetation is tree cover (climax, natural or introduced plant community) and use is primarily for production of wood products or non-timber forest products.
Range: Land used primarily for the production of grazing animals. Includes native plant communities and those seeded to native or introduced species, or naturalized by introduced species that are ecologically managed using range management principles.
Pasture: Land composed of introduced or domesticated native forage species that is used primarily for the production of livestock. Pastures receive periodic renovation and cultural treatments, such as tillage, fertilization, mowing, weed control, and may be irrigated. Pastures are not in rotation with crops.
Farmstead: Land used for facilities and supporting infrastructure where farming, forestry, animal husbandry, and ranching activities are often initiated. This may include dwellings, equipment storage, plus farm input and output storage and handling facilities.
Associated Agricultural Lands: Land associated with farms and ranches that are not purposefully managed for food, forage, or fiber and are typically associated with nearby production or conservation lands. This could include incidental areas, such as odd areas, ditches and watercourses, riparian areas, field edges, seasonal and permanent wetlands, and other similar areas.
Grazed: Where grazing animals impact how land is managed.
Irrigated: Where an operational irrigation system is present and managed to supply irrigation water.
Wildlife: Where the applicant is actively managing for wildlife.
Resource Concerns
The goal of conservation planning is to help each client attain sustainable use and sound management of soil, water, air, plant, animal, and energy resources, based on related human considerations (SWAPAE+H). Below is a list of priority resource concerns for the ranking pool.
SWAPAE+H
Resource Concern Category
Resource Concern
Soil
Concentrated Erosion
Bank erosion from streams, shorelines or water conveyance channels
Classic gully erosion
Ephemeral gully erosion
Soil Quality Limitation
Aggregate instability
Compaction
Concentration of salts or other chemicals
Organic matter depletion
Soil organism habitat loss or degradation
Subsidence
Wind and Water Erosion
Sheet and rill erosion
Wind erosion
Water
Field, Sediment, Nutrient, and Pathogen Loss
Nutrients transported to groundwater
Nutrients transported to surface water
Pathogens and chemicals from manure biosolids, or compost applications transported to groundwater
Pathogens and chemicals from manure biosolids, or compost applications transported to surface water
Sediment transported to surface water
Field Pesticide Loss
Pesticides transported to groundwater
Pesticides transported to surface water
Salt Losses to Water
Salt transported to groundwater
Salt transported to surface water
Source Water Depletion
Groundwater depletion
Inefficient irrigation water use
Surface water depletion
Storage and Handling of Pollutants
Nutrients transported to groundwater
Nutrients transported to surface water
Petroleum, heavy metals, and other pollutants transported to groundwater
Petroleum, heavy metals, and other pollutants transported to surface water
Weather Resilience
Drifted Snow
Naturally available moisture use
Ponding and Flooding
Seasonal high water table
Seeps
Air
Air Quality Emissions
Emissions of airborne reactive nitrogen
Emissions of greenhouse gases - GHGs
Emissions of ozone precursors
Emissions of particulate matter (PM) and PM precursors
Objectionable odor
Plants
Degraded Plant Condition
Plant productivity and health
Plant structure and composition
Plant Pressure
Plant pest pressure
Animals
Aquatic Habitat
Aquatic habitat for fish and other organisms
Elevated water temperature
Livestock Production Limitation
Inadequate livestock water quantity, quality, and distribution
Terrestrial Habitat
Terrestrial habitat for wildlife and invertebrates
Energy
Inefficient Energy Use
Energy efficiency equipment and facilities
Energy efficiency farming/ranching practices and field operations
Pond Sealing or Lining, Geomembrane or Geosynthetic Clay Liner
no
20
528
Prescribed Grazing
ac
1
533
Pumping Plant
no
15
557
Row Arrangement
ac
5
558
Roof Runoff Structure
no
15
560
Access Road
ft
10
561
Heavy Use Area Protection
ac
10
570
Stormwater Runoff Control
no
1
572
Spoil Disposal
ac
1
575
Trails and Walkways
ft
10
578
Stream Crossing
no
10
580
Streambank and Shoreline Protection
ft
20
585
Stripcropping
ac
5
587
Structure for Water Control
no
20
590
Nutrient Management
ac
1
595
Pest Management Coservation System
ac
1
600
Terrace
ft
10
601
Vegetative Barrier
ft
5
603
Herbaceous Wind Barriers
ft
5
606
Subsurface Drain
ft
20
607
Surface Drain, Field Ditch
ft
15
608
Surface Drain, Main or Lateral
ft
15
610
Salinity and Sodic Soil Management
ac
1
612
Tree/Shrub Establishment
ac
15
614
Watering Facility
no
20
620
Underground Outlet
ft
20
638
Water and Sediment Control Basin
no
10
647
Early Successional Habitat Development/Management
ac
1
649
Structure for Wildlife
no
5
650
Windbreak/Shelterbelt Renovation
ft
15
657
Wetland Restoration
ac
15
659
Wetland Enhancement
ac
15
670
Energy Efficient Lighting System
no
10
672
Energy Efficient Building Envelope
sq ft
10
740
Pond Sealing and Lining, Soil Cement
no
20
808
Soil Carbon Amendment
ac
1
1Conservation practice, 447 – Irrigation and Drainage Tailwater Recovery, is an irrigation tailwater recovery system and practice payment rates will be based on eligible conservation practices included in the system.
Interested Applicants
For more information about EQIP, how to apply and program eligibility, interested applicants should contact a NRCS field office in the county which you own land or where you have an agricultural operation.