Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Programs:  –  Organic Agriculture Program | Ecosystems Programs | Global Change and Climate Programs | Water Programs | Aquaculture | Manure & Nutrient Management Programs | Animal Reproduction | Horticulture Programs | Environmental & Resource Economics Programs | Sustainable Agriculture Program | Crop Protection and Pest Management Program | Weed Science
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Apply for GrantView RFA

The Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) seeks to solve critical organic agriculture issues, priorities, or problems through the integration of research, education, and extension activities. The purpose of this program is to fund projects that will enhance the ability of producers and processors who have already adopted organic standards to grow and market high quality organic agricultural products. Priority concerns include biological, physical, and social sciences, including economics. The OREI is particularly interested in projects that emphasize research, education and outreach that assist farmers and ranchers with whole farm planning by delivering practical research-based information. Projects should plan to deliver applied production information to producers. Fieldwork must be done on certified organic land or on land in transition to organic certification, as appropriate to project goals and objectives. Refer to the USDA National Organic Program for organic production standards.

UH develop rapid test to detect bacterial wilt in Guam

University of Hawai’i News

Bacteria wilt is a problem affecting numerous trees in Guam. Under a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa assistant researcher and graduate students have helped to develop tests to rapidly distinguish the bacterial strain attacking the plants.

The USDA’s Priority Pest List for 2021 includes Ralstonia solanacearum race 3 biovar 2, a bacterium better known as a bacterial wilt. It infects through the roots and is deadly to plants, and is the subject of new grant funding for the University of Guam under the USDA’s Plant Protection Act.

Assisting with the characterization of Guam’s bacterial wilt strains are Mohammad Arif of UH Mānoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences and graduate students Sujan Paudel, Dario Arizala and Diksha Klair. Paudel and Shefali Dobhal recently developed rapid assay tests that can accurately and quickly distinguish the race 3 biovar 2 strain from the R. solanacearum species complex.

“With these diagnostic assays in hand, we can rapidly detect the bacteria directly from crude host tissue sap. We are now responsible for understanding how bacteria interact inside the host tissues, as well as mapping out endophytic communities associated with ironwood decline through microbiome studies,” said Arif.

“We’ll also study genetic variability among Ralstonia strains found associated with ironwood decline, and how this bacteria has evolved,” he added. “These objectives will enhance our understanding of this pathogen and disease, toward the development of effective disease-management strategies.”

USDA Rural Development: A Portfolio with a Purpose Fiscal Year 2020 Funding

USDA Rural Development

Committed to growing the economy and preserving quality of life, USDA Rural Development (RD) is rural America’s steadfast partner in building prosperity. In Fiscal Year 2020, RD invested nearly $40 billion in more than 177,000 housing, business, and infrastructure projects in rural communities. The Agency invested more than $1.5 billion in telecommunication/e-connectivity loan and grant funding to support 2951 projects across the country. With a total loan portfolio of $234.4 billion, this Agency not only delivers affordable housing, access to capital for local businesses, and infrastructure in rural communities, it also creates opportunities for them to grow and attract high-quality jobs and commerce, because RD believes when rural America thrives, all America thrives.

State gets $1.8M grant to boost Molokai forest protection

Maui News

Funding will help with fencing and removal of hooved animals as well as creating firebreaks

Forests on the southern slopes of Molokai are about to receive additional protections from threats like wildfires, erosion and flooding thanks to a $1.8 million award from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources announced Friday.

The funding will go toward proven tools such as fencing and removal of hooved animals, as well as creating firebreaks, which will lead to clearer ocean waters, vibrant reefs, restored plants and trees and fewer disruptions along the island’s main road that stretches from Kaunakakai to the east end, DLNR said.

“We are excited to support DLNR’s work to restore native forests, which will help to reduce risks of flooding, landslides and fire to communities on Molokai and will lead to healthier habitat for native species,” Erika Feller, director of Coastal and Marine Conservation for the foundation, said in a news release.

State Sen. J. Kalani English, who represents East Maui, Molokai and Lanai, said that watershed capital improvement project funds authorized by the state provided most of the match needed to apply for the grant. The larger Watershed Initiative is directing an additional $2 million of state CIP and operating funds to protect Molokai’s forests and employ Molokai residents.

“I’m delighted that this state funding has been able to attract more federal and private funding that will create more jobs on Molokai while helping preserve our forests and reefs,” said state Rep. Lynn DeCoite, who also represents East Maui, Molokai and Lanai.

Some federal and foundation funds are available only when a matching investment can be demonstrated, the news release explained. Since 2013, State Watershed Initiative funds have brought in more than $36 million in federal, county and private funds for forest protection projects statewide.

Molokai’s remaining native forests play a crucial role in the island’s ecosystem by holding soil and absorbing rainwater. Funding helps state agencies and nonprofits to continue to protect the forests and restore areas converted to bare dirt by wildfires and hooved animals. The East Moloka’i Watershed Partnership, led by The Nature Conservancy, involves DLNR and other agencies, landowners and community organizations working to develop a landscape-level management plan to address problems across the south slope, where dirt washes down to the ocean and clogs fishponds, kills corals that need sunlight to grow and feeds invasive algae that smothers the reef.

“The ‘olelo no’eau (Hawaiian proverb) ‘Ina e lepo ke kumu wai, e ho’ea ana ka lepo ikai’ means ‘If the source of the water is dirty, muddy water will travel to the sea,’ “ said Ulalia Woodside, director of The Nature Conservancy, Hawai’i chapter. “By restoring forests, we counter that possibility and provide jobs that allow the people of Molokai to give back to the nature that sustains them.”

County officials also expressed support for funding and emphasized the importance of protecting the island’s forests.

“Each budget session, our Maui County Council allocates significantly to forest watershed protection efforts countywide, and being from Molokai, where subsistence is our way of life, funding resource management is highly prioritized,” said Council Vice-Chairwoman Keani Rawlins-Fernandez, who also serves as the Economic Development and Budget Committee chair.”

Stacy Crivello, Molokai community liaison for Mayor Michael Victorino, added that “Molokai depends on our natural resources to sustain our lifestyle.

“Protecting our watershed and restoring our forests protect our reefs,” Crivello said. “Taking care of mauka takes care of makai.”

Maui County Farm & Ranch Continuity Program

Reimbursement program for farms and ranches available through the Maui Chamber of Commerce. Applications may be submitted through November 20th, or until funds are exhausted on a first-come-first served basis.

Allowable fund uses:

  • Farmland Mortgage & Rent
  • Farmland Utilities – Water/Electricity
  • Seeds, Plants
  • Fertilizer, Pesticide, Mulch, Compost
  • Equipment & Vehicle Repairs & Maintenance (if farm operations were impacted due to lack of sales and they were not able to pay for these items)
  • Irrigation Repairs
  • Planting Supplies, Tables, Containers
  • Fuel
  • Packaging
  • Feed for Livestock

Applicants must submit:

  • A complete online application
  • A copy of their filed 2019 IRS 1040 Schedule F or their corporate taxes for 2019, showing farm profits or loss
  • A copy of the first 9 months (or 3 quarters, if filed quarterly) of G45 returns for both 2019 and 2020 showing gross receipts under Producer.
  • Receipts for qualified expenses prior to November 20, 2020
  • Information on numbers employed prior to March 20, 2020 and currently.
  • A completed certification form verifying that applicant(s) did not receive funding assistance from the Kokua Maui County Small Business Recovery & Relief Fund; Maui County Adaptability
  • Fund; Maui Chamber of Commerce Micro-Business Loan; and/or MEO’s Agriculture Micro-Grant.
  • For more information, program details, and the online application, please visit: http://www.mauichamber.com/maui-county-farm–ranch-continuity-program.html

You can contact the Maui Chamber about this program via email or phone: info@mauichamber.com (808) 244-0081

Kylie Tavares
Edible Crops, Sustainable Agriculture, and Farm Food Safety Extension
University of Hawaii at Manoa, Dept. of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences
Maui Agricultural Research and Extension Center

USDA’s Support for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers

USDA farmers.gov
By Sarah Campbell

– If you’re new to farming or ranching, access to capital is one of your biggest needs, whether it’s to purchase property or equipment, or to meet operating costs. USDA offers a variety of loans, which can help producers start or grow their operations.

We know the need is great, and we partnered with the Farm Credit Administration to hold a virtual lending summit, bringing together USDA and our commercial lending partners where we discussed ways to maximize opportunities for new farmers. During this event, a panel of beginning farmers and ranchers discussed their relationships with agricultural lenders and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) highlighting the importance of having a lender they can work with to grow their business.

“We need to encourage more people to follow the calling to farming and ranching, and we want people to know that USDA and other organizations have resources available to help,” said Bill Northey, USDA Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation. “As a farmer myself, I know the value of ‘virtually’ sitting around the table together with agricultural lenders and FSA so we can discover what is working well and where we need to make improvements to our programs.”

“This event solidified the first of many steps FSA and agricultural lenders plan to take to improve financing opportunities for beginning farmers and ranchers,” said Glen R. Smith, designated chairman and CEO of the Farm Credit Administration. “While there are many challenges, this event demonstrated that FSA and agricultural lenders are committed to finding ways to improve the opportunities for beginning farmers and ranchers, who are, after all, the future of U.S. agriculture.”

Some of the big takeaways from the day included:

USDA’s farm loan programs, direct loans, and loan guarantee programs provide access to credit and needed capital for agricultural lenders to work with beginning farmers and ranchers.
These producers have unique financing needs as they start, develop, and grow their operations.
In addition to providing access to capital, lenders play a critical role in helping beginning farmers understand their financial situations and are an integral part of many beginning farmers’ support systems, often serving as a resource for information and financial advice.
FSA is the lender of first opportunity for many new and beginning farmers. Our farm loan programs serve as a temporary source of credit with the intent of graduating borrowers to commercial credit.
Farm Ownership Loans can provide access to land and capital.
Farm Operating Loans can help pay farm operating expenses, open doors to new markets and marketing opportunities, and assist with diversifying operations.
Microloans can also provide an important source of financial assistance during start-up.
Each year, FSA targets a portion of its loan funds for beginning farmers and ranchers with 75% for Direct Farm Ownership, 50% for Direct Operating Loans, and 40% for Guaranteed Farm Ownership and Operating Loans, which are reserved until April 1 of each fiscal year.
Additionally, in 2020 we designated national and state-level beginning farmer and rancher coordinators. These coordinators represent efforts by FSA, NRCS, RMA, and RD. New farmers can get help directly from their state coordinators who they can find at farmers.gov/newfarmers.
In addition to loans, USDA offers other programs to producers and similarly has special provisions for beginning farmers and ranchers. These include:

Risk management through safety-net programs and crop insurance
Disaster assistance to help with recovery
Conservation assistance to help make key improvements to farms that are good for natural resources and farmers’ bottom lines.
To apply for farm loans and other programs, contact your local USDA Service Center. Find your office at farmers.gov/service-locator.

Sarah Campbell is USDA’s National Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coordinator.

State to receive fed funds for small-scale ag

By The Garden Island

HONOLULU – The State of Hawai‘i has been awarded $1.9 million by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to increase the quality and quantity of locally grown foods in food-insecure communities that import a significant amount of food. The funds will provide grants to qualifying communities over a three-year period.

“This grant program will help support small-scale farming, ranching and agricultural operations so farmers can increase food production in their communities,” said Gov. Ige. “If we can boost food production in more remote areas where there is a greater need, Hawai‘i agriculture and entire communities will be strengthened.”

The Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (HDOA) applied for the Micro-Grants for Food Security Program in August 2020 and was awarded a total of $1,938,556.80. The award was announced yesterday.

The grant program is not connected to the CARES Act and was established under the 2018 Farm Bill to provide support for small-scale gardening, herding and livestock operations to help produce food in areas that are food insecure.

In applying for the USDA grant, HDOA used data from the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to demonstrate the need in each county. The total grant amount will be distributed accordingly, to each county.

Those eligible for the grants include Hawai‘i-based individuals and organizations, commodity associations, agricultural cooperatives, producer groups, and other non-profit organizations related to agriculture.

Individuals (farmers, ranchers, producers, home gardeners, hunters) may apply for a maximum $5,000 per year for a maximum three years.

Organizations – Maximum $10,000 per year for a maximum of three years and must provide a 10 percent cash match.

A statewide Request for Proposals (RFP) will be issued in early November 2020 and posted on the Hawai‘i State Procurement website. A panel in each county will be appointed to review and approve eligible proposals.

Examples of the types of activities that may be funded under this grant include:

Small-Scale Gardening – purchase tools or equipment, soil, seeds, plants, canning equipment, refrigeration, composting equipment, towers, hydroponic and aeroponic farming.

Small-Scale Herding and Livestock Operations – purchase animals, buy, erect or repair fencing for livestock, activities or supplies associated with setting up or equipping a slaughter and processing facility, including purchasing mobile slaughterhouses.

Expanding Access to Food and Knowledge of Food Security – create or expand avenues for the sale of food commodities – includes paying for shipping of purchased items related to growing or raising food for local consumption.

HDOA’s Market Development Branch will be scheduling webinars in the near future to guide interested parties through the application process. The webinar schedule will be posted at: http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/add/md/

Applications available for Molokai Farming Cost-Reimbursement Program

Press Releases

The County of Maui Office of Economic Development announces a second round of funding is available for the Molokai Farming Cost-Reimbursement Program.

Molokai farmers were allocated $23,213 in the first round of funding to help them comply with federal food regulations. Now, total funding available through this program is $221,535.

The program provides cost reimbursements to farmers and ranchers on Molokai to assist with the costs of compliance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Safety Modernization Act and state food safety laws. The total amount of cost reimbursement to any one applicant shall not exceed $5,000.

Deadline to apply is Tuesday, December 1, 2020.

To download a fillable application, please visit https://www.mauicounty.gov/141/Office-Of-Economic-Development. Paper applications are available at the Kuha`o Business Center, located at 2 Kamo`i St., Suite 600, in Kaunakakai. Office hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

For more information, please contact the Kuha`o Business Center at (808) 553-8100 or email cynthia.rawlins@mauicounty.gov.

STATEWIDE: HDOA and The Food Basket and $1 million for SNAP participants to “Buy Local, It Matters”

Good news on this Aloha Friday!

HDOA is administering a program, funded by the CARES Act and Philanthropy, that provides for a dollar-for-dollar match when SNAP participants buy locally grown fruits and vegetables, local ground beef and/or local eggs, up to $50 match per day. The contractor we are working with is The Food Basket (TFB) and they are, at this time, collaborating with Times Supermarkets statewide, Big Save, Shima’s, Kokua Kalihi Valley, Farm Link Hawaii, Lanakila Pacific, Okoa Farms, and KTA Super Stores, with plans to add other Point-of-Sale retailers.

Just received a video from Kristin, Executive Director, The Food Basket that explains the program, featuring TFB driver, Papo.

Have a great weekend!

Sharon Hurd
Market Development Branch
Hawaii Department of Agriculture
(808) 973-9465