Every job I’ve ever had was centered in agriculture. From radio and public relations to business planning and marketing, agriculture was always in the forefront. I am thankful everyday for my parents moving to our family farm more than 40 years ago and allowing me to learn and grow in the country.
Over the past couple years I’ve seen many changes in our agricultural industry.
I’ve worked with farmers and ranchers all my life and one aspect that I can’t understand is why more farmers don’t participate in cost-share programs. I’ve asked this question numerous times to producers and some of the responses include: “I don’t want to deal with the government, why would I want inspectors walking my farm, I don’t want the folks in Jefferson City to know what I’m doing, if I take part in a government program “they” will know everything about me and I’ll get put on “their” list…”
This simply is not true. Let’s set things straight.
Just because your farm participates in a cost-share program doesn’t mean that the big bad wolf is going to come and haunt you in your dreams or on your farm. There are multiple programs that allow producers to make improvements on their farms through conservation stewardship.
Maybe your farm is interested in intensive grazing management? I’ve seen many farmers implement rotational grazing systems across the Ozarks over the past 10 years. There’s a program that helps farms not only improve the vegetative cover on pastures, but even assist in constructing paddocks.
Or, a farm might have an erosion concern. There’s a cost-share that aids in stabilizing soil through terrace systems, implementing a no-till system, planting trees or a variety of other solutions to resolve the problem.
Want to enter the realm of organic agriculture production? There’s a cost-share that helps producers pay for the cost of their certification inspection.
How about reducing you interest rate, principal amount or payback time for a retrofit project? Or, does incentives to improve energy efficiency on livestock farms peek an interest? Believe it or not, there’s a program for it.
So, let’s get out of the mindset that all government is bad and do a little research and educate yourself. Learn about cost-share and other programs that could help make your operation run more efficiently and be more competitive in today’s industry. Like it or not, it’s government money that’s available and you are already paying for it through your taxes. Why not reap the benefits?
If you want more information about possible programs your farm may be eligible for, take a trip to you local soil and water conservation district office or visit our website at ozarksfn.com. We will be highlighting many agricultural grant, loan and cost-share programs in future Ozarks Farm & Neighbor issues and hope that our stories will benefit our local farm families across the Ozarks.
Here is to spring being right around the corner and a recipe that is sure to warm your soul this winter,
