CLIMATE-SMART POTATOES: INCENTIVE PAYMENTS AVAILABLE FOR COLUMBIA BASIN GROWERS

Through a $50-million grant from the USDA partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities programs awarded to Oregon State University, incentive payments will be provided to farmers who use Climate-Smart practices to improve soil health of their fields, and thus reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increase sequestration of carbon in soils. Producers contracted to participate in the project will be provided direct payments of an average of $375 per acre enrolled over a five-year enrollment period. The program will involve and benefit all kinds of farmers and businesses, conventional and organic, including small or historically underserved producers. A scoring system will be adopted to prioritize selection of fields for farms to ensure diverse kinds of soils and farms are involved in the project. For more information and enrollment instructions go here.