The Central Coast of California was recently barraged with the highest rainfall it has seen in decades. The deluge has brought flooding, landslides, and loss of life and has destroyed homes and building structures.
Purpose
With the ongoing drought crisis in California, farmers face increased costs ranging from higher water and energy bills to installing new equipment. This is especially difficult for smaller farms, BIPOC and immigrant farmers, and other socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.
The Bricmont Hardship Assistance Fund gives direct financial assistance to organic producers who have experienced disaster. In 2022, we have partnered with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to administer additional drought relief grants specifically for dairy producers in California.
Two organic cost-share programs are open for applications now through October 31. Certified organic operations may apply for and receive reimbursement from both programs. Transitional operations may apply for reimbursement of transition-related expenses.
You still have one week to apply for a $5,000 boost for your organic transition! It can be challenging to transition to certified organic, and we don’t expect farmers to do it alone. That’s why we’ve partnered with Anheuser-Busch and their Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold Contract for Change program to provide financial support to growers during the critical phase of becoming organic.
The deadline for farmers and ranchers to apply for financial relief from USDA through the second Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2) is December 11. CCOF encourages members to consider applying for the program, which may provide significant financial relief for your agricultural business. The CCOF policy team has spoken with multiple members who have benefited from the program and is ready to support members with the application process directly.
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has updated the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), a federal program that pays farmers who have a documented record of stewardship to tackle additional conservation practices. Some of NRCS’s changes include
The first “gigafire” in California in decades, a single wildfire has reached a stunning size of more than 1 million acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. This record-breaking fire has destroyed homes, farms, and farmlands, and has displaced families and animals from their habitats. A community in the direct path of these angry wildfires is our fellow organic farmers, who already operate on razor-thin margins.
