The Colorado Department of Agriculture has secured $13.7 million from the Natural Resources Conservation Service to help farmers and ranchers who use conservation practices reach new markets for what they grow.

The money comes from Advancing Markets for Producers (AMP), formerly the Partnership for Climate Smart Commodities. It will all be paid as direct-to-producer grants of between $20,000 and $300,000, depending on the programme, and is expected to cover two years of grants.

It will flow through existing state programmes including Colorado Proud, the State Conservation Board grants, the Soil Health Program, the Climate Resilience Grant Program, the Climate Smart Markets Program, the Noxious Weeds Program and the Urban Agriculture Program. Eligible practices include cover cropping, reduced or no till, irrigation water management, weed management, rotational grazing and nutrient management.

"This is real money in the pockets of Colorado's farmers and ranchers who are using soil health practices," said Agriculture Commissioner Kate Greenberg, adding that this year's tough season shows what producers must prepare for in a drier future. Governor Jared Polis called farmers and ranchers leaders in conservation.

The department's conservation and markets divisions will work together so that producers can both adopt the practices and sell the resulting crops. Evanne Caviness, director of the Conservation Services Division, said the grants will help cover the cost and reduce the risk of conservation. The release came from the Colorado Department of Agriculture.

Source: Morning Ag Clips