Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible?

The Alliance is open to farmers and ranchers within select soil and water conservation districts in Arkansas, Minnesota, North Dakota and Virginia.  To align with the Justice40 goals to include Historically Underserved Farmers and Ranchers, at least 40% of participants will be underserved – reaching at least 1,800 operations across the four participating states.  These producers will qualify for an additional equity payment to help them install climate-smart practices.  Over three years, the program will enroll an estimated 1,100–1,200 farms in each of the four states, for a total reach of 4,400 — 4,800 operations.


When are applications open?

Open enrollment periods will vary by state.  Sign up for the newsletter to find out when applications open in your state.  Virginia Tech will issue enrollment decisions within 30 days of the application closing date. Contracts are valid for one calendar year.


What information is required to apply?

Producers must submit a W9, a current year subsidiary print, and a farm map that shows the Farm Service Agency farm, field, and tract numbers where the climate-smart practice(s) will be installed.  All documents must be submitted with the application form to be considered for enrollment.

Additional documents will be required for enrolled producers, depending on the location and practice.  Please see below for the full enrollment requirements.


How can producers obtain a farm, tract, or field number?

Producers are required to submit Farm Service Agency farm, tract, and field numbers on the application.

If you are a producer and do not currently have established farm records, please make an appointment at your local FSA office with staff who will assist you through the process.  To find the nearest service center, please use the online FSA Service Center Locator.


How are producers selected?

Farm selection is conducted by Virginia Tech’s Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics.  The research team employs a randomized selection model – a lottery system – to ensure statistically representative and equitable enrollment.  Although the selection process is random, the model does factor in various considerations, such as the diversity of climate-smart practices and commodities, enrollment targets for the Justice40 Initiative, total acreage or animal units, and the overall number of producers.

Producers are allowed to submit up to two farm “bundles,” with no limit on the number of Farm Service Agency numbers, as long as the total enrolled land does not exceed 160 acres or animal units per bundle (for a maximum of 320 per applicant).  Zero, one, or both bundles may be accepted.  Producers who are not selected for enrollment are encouraged to reapply during future application periods.


What types of producers are considered underserved?

Producers qualifying as Socially Disadvantaged or Limited Resource will receive an equity payment equal to 25% of the standard $100 per unit rate.  A producer may only qualify for (1) equity payment up to 160 acres; if more than one underserved group applies to the producer, Virginia Tech will determine the producer’s enrollment group based on the final applicant pool to meet the obligations of the grant.

LIMITED RESOURCE PRODUCERS

▸ A farmer or rancher who has direct or indirect gross farm sales not more than the current indexed value in each of the previous 2 years, AND
▸ has a total household income at or below the national poverty level for a family of four in each of the previous 2 years, OR
▸ has a total household income less than 50 percent of the county median household income in each of the previous 2 years.

A legal entity or joint operation can be considered Limited Resource if all members individually qualify.

SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED PRODUCERS

Groups that have been subject to racial or ethnic prejudice, such as farmers who are Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Hispanic or Latino, and Asian or Pacific Islander.

 We acknowledge that the term “socially disadvantaged” may not be how individuals who fit the definitions below identify themselves. It is included to outline specific incentives and priorities for underserved producers within USDA programs.


Can producers apply or enroll more than once?

Yes!

All producers who meet the eligibility criteria and submit a complete application are considered in a randomized “lottery” for selection.  If a producer is not selected, they are welcome and encouraged to apply when enrollment opens again.

Once an application is submitted, it will be saved on the Alliance Dashboard. Producers may log into the dashboard if they wish to review their previous application and reapply.  If an enrolled producer completes their contract with the Alliance and wish to enroll for a second year, they are welcome to — as long as a new practice occurs on new acres and/or animal units.

Any producer who is not selected is invited to reapply in subsequent periods, as long as they have met all of the requisite eligibility criteria.


What are the approved climate-smart practices?

Qualifying practices have been selected from USDA-NRCS Conservation Practice Standards. All practices will meet approved NRCS standards.

Producers may only receive one payment per acre or animal unit; installing multiple practices on the same acre or animal unit will not increase the payment.  If a Producer wishes to add multiple practices, they must occur on different acres or animal units.

·  Conservation Crop Rotation (328)
·  Residue and Tillage Management, No Till (329)
·  Cover Crop (340)
·  Residue and Tillage Management, Reduced Till (345)
·  Silvopasture (381)*
·  Riparian Herbaceous Cover (390)*
·  Riparian Forest Buffer (391)*
·  Nutrient Management (590)
·  Tree/Shrub Establishment (612)*
·  Irrigation Water Management, Alternative Wetting and Drying (449)
ℹ  Arkansas only
·  Pasture and Hay Planting (512)*
·  Prescribed Grazing (528)
·  Feed Management (592)
ℹ Not available in Arkansas

For a complete list, please see the Approved Practices guide.

*This practice requires the CPA-52 Environmental Evaluation Worksheet.


How are the practices verified?

Up to 10% of producers in each state will be randomly selected for a spot check to verify successful adoption of climate-smart practices.  Spot checks will be conducted by local conservation district staff, no earlier than six months into the producer's contract.  If selected, producers will be notified by the Alliance team.


What data are producers be required to submit?

Enrolled producers are required to submit additional documentation to support the Alliance's research goals and as part of routine grant reporting to the USDA.

Documents Required for Second Payment:

✔  Completed Conservation Practice Worksheet

Documents Required for Final Payment:

✔  Environmental Impact Report


How will farmer data be protected?

Virginia Tech complies with all statutory and legal requirements with respect to access to information. All personal data will be retained for a period not to exceed (5) years after the retention begin date. Farm, tract, field numbers, and producer name will be provided to the USDA National Program Officer as a part of routine grant reporting.


 

Happy to help.

If you have questions, please reach out to the Alliance team.