Agriculture-related online sessions set Jan. 20, 21

Agricultural conservation partner funding webinar set Jan. 20

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced up to $225 million in available funding for conservation partners through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program.

A webinar with general program information for RCPP applicants is scheduled for 3 to 4:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 20. To learn more, go to nrcs.usda.gov.

The partner-driven program leverages collective resources to find solutions to address natural resource challenges on agricultural land. This year’s funding announcements include opportunities for projects that address climate change, benefit historically underserved producers and support urban agriculture.

“We’re harnessing the power of partnership to create lasting solutions to global challenges, like climate change, and support producers and communities who have been underserved in the past,” said Terry Cosby, Natural Resources Conservation Service chief.

Partners are expected to offer value-added contributions to amplify the impact of RCPP funding in an amount equal to or greater than the NRCS investment.

Funding is open to agriculture and silviculture associations, non-government organizations, Indian tribes, state and local governments, conservation districts and universities, among others.

Proposed rule change for produce farmers is Jan. 21 topic

The Food and Drug Administration published a proposed rule change Dec. 6, to amend the agricultural water requirements of the Produce Safety Rule.

In response to the proposed change, the Delaware Department of Agriculture and University of Delaware Cooperative Extension will host two outreach sessions at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 21,  to engage farmers and other stakeholders.

The Produce Safety Rule was signed into law in 2011 as part of the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act. FDA’s proposed rule amends the pre-harvest agricultural water requirements for covered produce other than sprouts previously established in Subpart E of the Produce Safety Rule.

In the proposed rule, previous pre-harvest water microbial quality criteria and testing requirements are proposed to be replaced with more flexible requirements for pre-harvest agricultural water assessments. These assessments are designed to be more feasible to implement across various agricultural systems.

The two sessions scheduled for Jan. 21 in Delaware will detail the proposed changes to the rule. Producers and stakeholders will learn best practices to write and submit questions and public comments to the FDA and participate in open discussions.

To register, go to delawarewaterrulemeeting.eventbrite.com. To learn more, email AgWater@fda.hhs.gov.