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November 2021
This month's newsletter includes new resources for understanding farmland conversion and markets, an update from the Food Policy Forum, and several announcements for upcoming conferences.
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Resources
Land Cover Change Analysis
The Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) consortium is a group of federal agencies who coordinate and generate consistent and relevant land cover information at the national scale for a wide variety of environmental, land management, and modeling applications. The MRLC Consortium, in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS), released version 2 of the Enhanced Visualization and Analysis (EVA) tool. This tool provides users with detailed county statistics for any two National Land Cover Database (NLCD) land cover dates to support quick and powerful change analyses. The tool captures conversion of agricultural areas to other land cover types including suburban and urban development.
2021 State PACE Program Survey Results
American Farmland Trust's (AFT) Farmland Information Center recently released results from its annual survey of state Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement (PACE) programs. As of January 2021, state PACE programs have permanently protected more than 3.25 million acres of agricultural land nationwide, having invested more than $4.8 billion in state funds to acquire nearly 18,000 easements to date. Key partners, including local governments, USDA NRCS and other federal agencies, foundations, and landowners, spent an additional $3.7 billion to complete these projects.
To read the analysis of survey results, join AFT’s National Agricultural Land Network (NALN) giving you access to the NALN Online Platform where the blog is posted. You will also find graphics of the survey results available for your use. Find the 2021 Status of State PACE Programs fact sheet on the Farmland Information Center website, www.farmlandinfo.org.
Agrivoltaics: Producing Solar Energy While Protecting Farmland
A new report out of the Yale Center for Business and the Environment examines how solar energy production facilities can be co-located with agricultural operations.
Factors Affecting Farmland Markets
University of Illinois researchers Bruce Sherrick and Gary Schnitkey discuss the regional differences in farmland performance and key factors influencing future farmland values in a free recorded webinar. Farmland prices have risen rapidly in recent months both due to in part to rising income prospects and continuing low interest rates. According to their analysis, uncertainty about monetary policy and inflation, strength of the dollar, and export driven demand highlight the typical explanations, but expanding investor interest in the asset class, new technologies for managing farmland investments, and historically low capital costs have all supported farmland valuations as well.
Washington Food & Farm Finder
With support from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA), the Eat Local First Collaborative has expanded the Washington Food & Farm Finder, an online tool to connect consumers with food that is grown, caught, raised, and made by Washington growers and producers. The online tool now includes a wholesale food finder.
The tool first went live in November 2020, offering a searchable statewide map that helps farmers, food businesses, and food resources of all sizes — including producers of agricultural products such as wool and flowers, farmers markets, food hubs, and others — by connecting them with Washington consumers. Consumers, including school districts and other institutions, can in turn use the tool to find locally grown and produced products in 37 counties throughout Washington state. In late October, the Washington Food & Farm Finder added the “Find a Wholesale Vendor” tab to better assist school districts and other institutions trying to source locally grown produce. Read the WSDA press release for more information.
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Food Policy Forum
Food Policy Forum Submits October Report with Key Legislative Recommendations
Last year, the state legislature passed a bill incorporating the Food Policy Forum (Forum) into the Conservation Commission’s statute. Per the statute, the Forum submitted an October report to the legislature with recommendations for legislative action.
Key recommendations in the report include:
- Support technical assistance providers (e.g., local CDs, WSU, SCC, WSDA, etc.) using state or federal dollars to work with producers to tackle a variety of issues related to pivoting from one market to another.
- Provide $100 million in funding to existing WSCC programs for the purchase of agricultural conservation easements or development rights to protect farmland for continued production and secure multi-benefit agricultural lands owned by producers most impacted by COVID-19.
- Ensure public schools have adequate funding and flexibility to purchase needed food products, and to purchase from local farms. Available Washington-grown food might be at a higher price point than institutional buyers can afford. Use federal and state dollars to help make Washington-grown purchases by schools and food banks.
- Explore the use of state resources to maximize participation and access to nutrition assistance programs, such as: Explore data share agreements and IT investments and how systems can be better connected to support eligibility outreach and enrollment for WIC and SNAP and free/reduced priced school meals and child nutrition to ensure seamless enrollment for participants who are eligible for both more than one programs, and to make WIC participation easier (e.g., online scheduling for appointments, online classes, etc.).
- Support conservation programs and resources that provide direct financial assistance to farmers to implement best management practices that address impacts of climate change and also provide employment opportunities and economic development. Programs such as the Sustainable Farm and Fields and Soil Health Initiative have the potential to be examined for this purpose. Provide funds and technical assistance for farmers to implement cover crops, no till, organic amendments, etc. This allows farmers to have funding – not tied to loans – that directly supports farm viability and production and addresses conservation and climate change goals.
- Develop a strategy and set of policies to ensure water availability for Western Washington agriculture. For those basins that do not already have a basin office, consider an Office for Western Washington Basins to coordinate efforts.
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Events
ACEP-ALE Kickoff Workshop
The Natural Resources Conservation Service in Washington (NRCS-WA) is hosting an informational workshop Dec. 10, 2021 in preparation for the Fiscal Year 2022 Agricultural Conservation Easement Program – Agricultural Land Easements (ACEP-ALE) sign up.
Through ACEP-ALE, NRCS provides financial assistance to eligible partners for purchasing perpetual Agricultural Land Easements that protect the agricultural use and conservation values of eligible land. In the case of working farms, the program helps farmers and ranchers keep their land in agricultural production. The program also protects grazing uses and related conservation values by conserving grassland, including rangeland, pastureland and shrubland. Eligible partners include American Indian tribes, state and local governments, and non-governmental organizations that have farmland, rangeland, or grassland protection programs.
Panelists from the NRCS-WA Programs Staff will discuss ACEP-ALE basics from application to closing. NRCS staff will also discuss program nuances for Fiscal Year 2022, including an overview of the new ALE application packets and procedures. Panelists from USDA’s Farm Service Agency will discuss eligibility requirements for program participants and panelists from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will discuss data resources as they pertain to application requirements and ranking. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to engage with panelists during a facilitated question-and-answer session following the presentations.
Workshop Agenda:
- Welcome & NRCS Partnership Updates
- NRCS Programming & Resources: What’s New for FY22
- FY22 ALE Application Process
- Tips & Tricks to a Successful ALE Application with Representatives from FSA and NASS
- Q&A
The workshop will be held on Friday, Dec. 10 from 9-11:30 AM via Microsoft Teams. To register, please email Annie Dhaenens at Ann.Dhaenens@USDA.gov with your name, phone number and email address by Wednesday, Dec. 8 in order to receive a Teams link invite to the workshop.
Latino Farmer Conference
The seventh annual Latino Farmer Conference begins December 8, 2021, and continues January 12 and February 9, 2022. The three-part webinar series is free to attend. Sessions are held in Spanish. The series will include informative presentations, virtual farm visits, and opportunities to connect with other farmers, farm educators, and sponsors.
Farming on the Urban Edge Conference
Washington State University in partnership with Oregon State University announces “Farming on the Urban Edge”, a series of online conferences from winter 2021 through spring 2022 as part of the new Peri-Urban Agriculture Network. The mission of this initiative is for farmers, policy-makers, educators, and food system stakeholders to learn strategies to improve the viability of farming in urbanizing areas, and ways that communities can sustain and enhance the growth of peri-urban farms and food economies. Watch the introductory video and visit here to register.
The conference is made up of five online interactive events to address different aspects of urbanization and farm viability. All events are from 2:30 - 5:30 Pacific Coast Time on the second Friday of the month starting in November. The cost is $15 per conference session or $50 for access to the whole conference. Topics include:
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SESSION 1 (November 12th, 2021, 2:30 - 5:30 pm Pacific) Farming on the Urban Edge: Re-framing What Viable Agriculture Economies Can Look Like in Urbanizing Regions
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SESSION 2 (December 10th, 2021, 2:30 - 5:30 pm Pacific) Barriers to Opportunities for Peri-Urban Farm Startups and Expansions: Navigating Access to Land, Capital, and Production Capacity
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SESSION 3 (January 14th, 2022, 2:30 - 5:30 pm Pacific) Barriers and Opportunities for Peri-urban Farm Business Evolution and Succession: Diversifying Business Plans and Capitalizing on New Urbanized Markets
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SESSION 4 (February 11th, 2022, 2:30 - 5:30 pm Pacific) Navigating Farm Production in Tight Quarters: Crops, Products, and Strategies for Farming on Limited Acreage and Operating Near Residential Communities
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SESSION 5 (March 11th, 2022, 2:30 - 5:30 pm Pacific) Navigating Competing Community Interests and Policies: Long-term Sustenance and Collective Support Strategies for Peri-urban Farmers and Agricultural Economies
Conservation Law Forum: Conservation Easements 101
Drafting a conservation easement can be a challenging endeavor. One must create a flexible and enforceable document that endures in perpetuity. The Coalition of Oregon Land Trust’s Conservation Easement 101 program will cover the critical components of drafting a conservation easement – a voluntary legal agreement that permanently limits certain uses of land in order to protect its conservation values. The program will also explore alternative easement provisions and look at IRS requirements for federal income tax deductibility for a donated conservation easement. The program is suited for those new to easement drafting and for those considering updates to their easement templates. The workshop format will also provide opportunities for group discussion and networking. The program takes place Wednesday, December 8, 2021 from 8:45 AM to 12:40 PM PST.
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