Financing Climate Smart Agriculture in Ohio’s Miami Valley
The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (“RCPP”) is a locally-led program that relies on strong partnerships between community organizations and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS).
This RCPP project (ID# 2794), Financing Climate Smart Agriculture in Ohio’s Miami Valley, is coordinated by the one.two.five Benefit Corporation and a team of farms and organizations local to southwest Ohio. It utilizes federal Farm Bill dollars and private matching funding to assist producers and technical assistance providers in the enhancement and restoration of soil quality in Ohio’s Miami Valley defined in this project by the counties of Miami, Montgomery, Champaign, Clark, Greene, and Clinton.
Historically Underserved farmers and producers who have participated in soil health educational training programs within the six-county project region that are associated with the Regenerative Farmer Fellowship program, the BIPOC Farming Network, and other programs hosted by Agraria in partnership with The Nature Conservancy and Central State University will have priority in application rankings.
Farms utilizing ruminant livestock grazing within the project area will also be prioritized in the application process. Up to 20 producers are eligible for up to approximately $20,000 in financial assistance in each project year. Project outcomes will be evaluated within distinct environmental, social, and economic spheres for each participating landowner and producer. Data collected will be organized based upon a producer’s production system (cropping, livestock management, farm size) and geography (urban or rural location, regional production distribution/supply chain networks). This accounting system will facilitate clear reporting on the impacts and analysis of the project’s urban and rural partnering producers, and BIPOC/non-BIPOC status.
The impact of conservation implementation on net profit and the value of farmland/farm assets will be measured. The one.two.five Benefit Corporation is responsible for measuring and reporting these outcomes and collaborating with contributing partners to assess and evaluate performance goals prior to and during the RCPP project and following its five year implementation period.
If you meet the eligibility requirements listed above and if you are seeking to apply for the financial and technical assistance for soil quality improvements associated with this project then please apply at the link above or contact hello@125benefit.com with subject line: RCPP Application.
The 2024 RCPP project report for Financing Climate Smart Agriculture in Ohio’s Miami Valley is expected by March 2025 and will be published here.
This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Regional Conservation Partnership Program Supplemental Agreement number 2794.