Mae Culumber

Mae Culumber

Keys To Effective Potassium Management in Nut Crops

Carol Miller

Carol Miller

How Dixondale Farms Is Aiming To Protect Its Legacy

David Eddy

David Eddy

Pistachio Power: Where Growing and Research Mesh for Success

Bob West

Bob West

Data Dig: California Farmers Working Hard To Protect Their Assets

Drought Assistance Available To Certified Organic Farmers In California

Avatar for Lauren María Alexander Posted by Lauren María Alexander|April 4, 2014

California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) is announces the availability of special hardship funds for certified organic producers who are having a hard time making ends meet this spring due to damage caused by drought.

Thanks to a special grant from Farm Aid, CCOF is joining with Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) to make these funds available to growers affected by the drought. CCOF chapters across the state are also contributing to the emergency drought fund to increase the number of families that can be helped through this program.

CCOF will offer drought disaster grants to certified organic farmers while CAFF will offer the grants to family farmers who use sustainable agriculture practices. The CCOF funds are available to any certified organic producer, not only those certified by CCOF.

Each eligible producer may apply for a $500 grant to offset drought impacts on their families.

CCOF requirements for eligibility include:

Top Articles
Ways Crowdfunding Efforts Can Help Farmers Needing Hurricane Relief
  • Organic certified operation currently in good standing
  • Located in a county designated a drought disaster area by USDA (not limited to California)
  • Experiencing severe financial hardship resulting from the drought
  • Have not received federal assistance for the same loss

Preference will be given to farms that match the federal definition of a small family farm (those that have gross annual sales less than $250,000).

To qualify for emergency funds, fill out an application form and send to CCOF by April 30. Call the CCOF office for an application or download one at www.ccof.org/drought-disaster-assistance. CCOF expects to release funds by the end of May.

In addition to offering this direct drought disaster assistance, CCOF supported regulatory measures to ease drought impacts on California livestock producers and is facilitating access (for livestock feed) to organic crop wastes or culls. A list of drought resources for organic producers is available at www.ccof.org/drought-resources.

Source: CCOF news release

0

Alexander is a former associate editor with American Vegetable Grower® and currently a contributing writer in Denver, CO. See all author stories here.

Leave a Reply

Avatar for Southern Tier Farmer Southern Tier Farmer says:
April 11, 2014 at 5:45 am

Just so long as any assistance is NOT backed by govt tax dollars or borrowing. As farmers we all have a partner in our business called Mother Nature. We understand this from the beginning and agree to work with the risks that come with it. While I sympathize with the growers hit by the drought I don’t think they should be looking to the govt for help when we all know this or any other NATURAL occurrence may befall us. It is what makes farmers rugged individuals and true believers in what America stands for.

Reply

Related posts