Hidalgo Co. FSA is Accepting Emergency Conservation Program Applications

Hidalgo County FSA is Accepting Emergency Conservation Program Applications

Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting applications in Hidalgo County for the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) to address damages from February 2021 Freeze. ECP signup began on July 6, 2021 and end on August 6, 2021.

The approved ECP practices include Practice EC-1, Debris Removal.

ECP helps you with the cost to restore the farmland to pre-disaster conditions. You may receive up to 75 percent of the cost of approved restoration activity. Limited resource, socially disadvantaged and beginning farmers and ranchers may receive up to 90 percent cost-share. A 25 percent advance payment will be allowed for repair or replacement of fencing. The payment limitation for ECP is $500,000 per disaster, and the funds are limited to activities to return the land to the relative pre-disaster condition.

You must apply for assistance prior to beginning reconstructive work. FSA’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and environmental compliance review process is required to be completed before any actions are taken. Submitting an application after reconstructive work has been completed may not qualify for ECP. Conservation concerns that were present on the land prior to the disaster are not eligible for ECP assistance.

FSA county committees will evaluate applications based on an on-site inspection of the damaged land, taking into consideration the type and extent of the damage. An on-site inspection does not guarantee that cost-share funding will be provided.

For more information on ECP, contact the Hidalgo County USDA Service Center at (956) 381-0916 or visit farmers.gov/recover.

QUESTIONS FOR AG MAG

Tell us a little bit about the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol - history

Brief Summary:

The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is a program for the U.S. cotton industry that underpins and verifies sustainability progress through sophisticated data collection and independent third-party verification. Aligned with the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, the Trust Protocol brings quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurement to more sustainable cotton production and drives continuous improvement in six key sustainability metrics – land use, soil carbon, water management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy efficiency.

The Trust Protocol was designed to help U.S. growers meet the changing demands from their end customer while also helping better document and verify the sustainability practices and advances they’ve already incorporated into their farms.

History of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol:

Attitudes towards sustainability are changing and brands are under tremendous pressure from multiple stakeholders as consumers and governments alike want to know that the products they buy are not harming the environment. In fact, 50% of brands and retailers expect to see an increase in consumer spending on sustainable apparel over the next 12 months according to a recent survey by the Trust Protocol of 1,000 sustainability leads in the fashion industry.

Preferred fiber lists have also been created among almost all brands and retailers. The Trust Protocol is a program that better evidences growers’ sustainability efforts and helps ensure U.S. cotton can be on those lists. The Trust Protocol also builds off growers’ hard work and investment to produce high yielding cotton, while continuing to reduce inputs, improve soil health, and preserve the environment for future generations.

What is the goal for the Protocol?

The Trust Protocol’s overarching goal is to provide brands and retailers with the critical assurances they need to source U.S. cotton. Brands and retailers need the data from their sourcing partners that will help better track and report their sustainability measurements.

While the U.S. cotton industry has a tremendous story to tell when it comes to growing more sustainable cotton, they did not have a verified system that evidences their story effectively to the end customers. Until now. The Trust Protocol also strives to help our growers better illustrate the many advances and innovations they have implemented to improve sustainability and yield.

How does one become involved?

To begin the enrollment process, growers can visit our website, www.trustuscotton.org, and click the Join Now button. Growers will then need to follow six steps to successfully complete their registration:

• Review and sign the privacy statement. • Select their gin and marketer. This information can be added later if their gin and marketer is unknown. • Complete their farming profile. • Complete their self-assessment. Growers will answer 120 questions on their sustainable production practices in soil health, tillage operations, water use and pesticide manage ment, among others. • Commit to continuous improvements that the Trust Proto col has developed and confirm to have their data verified, if randomly selected. • Enter data into the Fieldprint Analysis throughout the sea son and complete your Fieldprint Analysis after harvest. Only 10% of your cotton acreage should be input.

All data collected by the Trust Protocol is used in aggregate form only. All individual data is maintained as confidential and cannot be shared outside of the Trust Protocol Platform.

What benefits do members get and what does it entail?

Growers play a role in maintaining and increasing market opportunities for U.S. cotton while demonstrating that their cotton is more responsibly grown, and that the U.S. is a leader in sustainable growing practices. For growers benefits include:

• The option for recognition on the Trust Protocol website as a program member. • Receive data that will enable growers to anonymously compare their operation on key sustainability measure ments against their state, region, and the Cotton Belt. • Use of the Trust Protocol logo on their farm’s letterhead, cards, etc. • Gain insights on best management practices from across the industry. • Receive regular communications of Trust Protocol news and other information.

When was it started and by whom?

The Trust Protocol was launched in 2020 and is affiliated with the following organizations: National Cotton Council, Cotton Council International (CCI) and Cotton USA™, Cotton Incorporated. Led by President Dr. Gary Adams, the Trust Protocol is based in Memphis, Tennessee and governed by a multi-stakeholder Board of Directors.

The Board is comprised of brands and retailers, non-governmental organizations such as the World Wildlife Federation and the Nature Conservancy, as well as growers, ginners, merchants, marketing cooperatives, spinning mills and cottonseed handlers. Board advisors include independent sustainability experts.

How many members are involved?

The Trust Protocol has over 500 members throughout the supply chain including mills, manufacturers, brands and retailers. This includes industry giants such as Levi Strauss & Co., Gap Inc., and Gildan.

In 2020 the Trust Protocol also welcomed over 350 grower members who enrolled roughly 1.5 million bales of cotton into the program. Our goal is to enroll 50% of U.S. cotton in the program by 2025.

What changes have you seen in the cotton industry as an organization and what steps are you taking?

greenhouse gas emissions, 38% less energy used, and 42% greater yields. The adoption of practices such as minimal tillage, GPS and sensor-driven precision agriculture, and the growing of winter cover crops have further improved soil health, reducing loss and erosion by 37% per acre and increasing soil carbon levels.

The Trust Protocol is also aligned with the following national goals set for 2025 for U.S. cotton:

• 13% increase in land use efficiency • 50% soil loss reduction • 18% water reduction • 30% soil increase • 39% GHG reduction • 15% energy use decrease

The Trust Protocol advances industry practices in providing its members access to aggregate sustainability metrics based on self-assessment questionnaires of participating growers. This data-based approach, backed up by independent, third-party verification from Control Union Certifications North America, gives brands and retailers the critical assurances that the cotton fiber element of their supply chain is more sustainably grown with lower environmental and social risk.