Helping Alaskans Help the Land
Residents Involved in Food and Agriculture Can Apply for Assistance
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers programs and services to assist Alaskans engaged in agricultural activities. If you tend a garden; if you produce birch syrup or honey; if you grow vegetables, herbs, fungi, fruits, or flowers; if you have livestock; if you own lands that provide habitat for salmon, moose, or other subsistence resources—chances are the USDA has a program for you.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is an agency within USDA that provides technical and financial assistance to individuals and groups, including Tribes and Tribal entities, to help people help the land. NRCS has offices in Delta Junction, Fairbanks, Homer, Juneau, Kenai, Kodiak, Palmer, and Wasilla that serve the entire state. NRCS programs are voluntary and there is no minimum land size requirement to participate.
The most popular NRCS program is the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). EQIP helps people plan and perform conservation practices on their land to improve soil, water, air, plants, and wildlife habitat. EQIP can improve the health and production quality of your food or farm operation and provide financial support to your bottom line. NRCS may fund up to 90% of the cost for EQIP practices. There are more than 100 different conservation practices available to you through this program.
10 Common EQIP practices used in Alaska:
1. Installing seasonal high tunnels to extend the growing season and protect crops from frost and wind
2. Installing micro-irrigation systems to improve water use efficiency
3. Performing irrigation water management to monitor, track, and adjust watering
4. Managing fertilizers and nutrient applications to optimize soil and plant health
5. Planting cover crops to protect soil from erosion and improve biodiversity
6. Building fences to facilitate livestock grazing or to achieve another conservation benefit
7. Thinning over-crowded forest lands to improve forest health and reduce wildfire risk
8. Planting new trees and shrubs to achieve forest health or improve wildlife habitat
9. Replacing undersized, failing culverts with salmon-friendly culverts or bridges to restore access to historical salmon habitat
10. Building hardened trails or walkways to facilitate human access to subsistence lands while reducing erosion and protecting ecologically sensitive lands
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is another agency within USDA that provides farm loans, commodity price support, disaster relief, conservation, a reimbursable transportation cost payment program (RTCP), and many other programs. FSA has offices in Delta Junction and Palmer that service the entire state. FSA also helps people determine their eligibility for participating in NRCS conservation programs.
To Get Started, Contact Your Local USDA Service Center:
www.farmers.gov/working-with-us/service-center-locator
Natural Resources Conservation Service
907-761-7760
Farm Service Agency
907-761-7738
