With wildfires and other natural disasters becoming more common, disaster preparedness is an important part of running a sustainable livestock operation. Join the CCOF Foundation on February 11 for a webinar that highlights best management practices that organic livestock operations can take to be prepared in the event of a disaster. This webinar will also review USDA risk management and disaster assistance programs that aid farmers and ranchers in recovering from a disaster after it has occurred.
Our first speaker, Dr. Stephanie Larson, director of Sonoma County University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE), will discuss best management practices that livestock producers can implement to prepare for the next disaster. These practices include prescribed grazing and burning, brush removal, tree thinning, and overall vegetation management. She will highlight methodologies for producers to use for prioritizing which practice to use and where to implement it, and how to connect with funding sources. Dr. Larson will also discuss current efforts, in partnership with the Sonoma County Animal Control, to finalize a comprehensive disaster evacuation plan for livestock producers on California’s North Coast, including obtaining access to livestock during disasters.
In the second half of the webinar, learn about risk management and disaster assistance programs run through the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA). Sandra Becker, Agricultural Program Specialist from the FSA office in Davis, California, will highlight FSA disaster assistance programs that may apply to livestock operations such as the Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), Livestock indemnity Program (LIP), and Livestock Forage Program (LFP). She will review the basics of each program including eligibility requirements and application deadlines.
For more information and to register, visit the CCOF website.
This webinar is a collaboration between the CCOF Foundation and California FarmLink. It is funded in partnership by USDA, Risk Management Agency (RMA), under award number RMRM18RMEPP522C004.