climate smart farmer PROGRAM (2025-2026)

Farmers continue to be on the frontlines of climate change. Their work to steward the land and feed communities is already extremely challenging and as they wrestle with the impact of climate change, farmers are becoming increasingly more vulnerable. They face an ever-increasing number of severe weather events and patterns, high heat, degradation of natural resources, rising pests and disease pressure. 

To equip farmers with adaptation and mitigation tools that build resilience and maintain productivity in the face of climate change, Georgia Organics has partnered with McIntosh SEED to expand the Climate Smart Farmer Program, launched in its first iteration in 2023. 

The new iteration of the Climate Smart Farmer Program will expand access to technical assistance to help farmers access USDA programs like NRCS EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) and USDA REAP (Rural Energy for America Program), which fund conservation agriculture and solar energy projects.  

In 2025, the program will focus on in-person and virtual workshops detailing conservation practices and renewable energy, as well as technical assistance to guide farmers through the application process and provide hands-on support in bridging connections between farmers and NRCS.  

In 2026, grant funding opportunities will open to help farmers implement conservation practices and solar projects. 

Funding for this program is made possible by the Climate Solutions & Equity Grant from Drawdown GA.  

The Climate Smart Farmer Program (CSFP) works with Georgia farmers to incorporate or expand their conservation agriculture practices and renewable energy projects. Georgia Organics and McIntosh SEED will assist farmers in accessing NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) resources through technical assistance on the EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) application process. EQIP boasts several climate-smart practices, including cover cropping, residue and tillage management, and conservation crop rotation.   

Our goal is to assist farmers in better leveraging these underutilized funds by walking them through an overly complex application process.    

Through partnership with Ag Solar Solutions, the Climate Smart Farmer Program helps farmers access information detailing how adopting solar energy on their farm can reduce their carbon footprint and improve their bottom line. Ag Solar Solutions also provides technical assistance for the REAP (Renewable Energy for America Program) application process. 

Are you a farmer looking to implement conservation practices or solar energy? Fill out this short form so we can better assess your technical assistance needs and to stay updated on upcoming workshops and funding opportunities! 

Curious about switching to renewable energy? Explore our new Solar Savings Toolkit—developed through Georgia Organics and McIntosh S.E.E.D.’s first Climate Solutions & Equity Grant—to learn how solar works, what the upfront costs are, and how much you could save over time!

To receive monthly updates on Educational Opportunities and Resources for Farmers, subscribe to our e-newsletter, Grower News here! 

For questions, contact us at farmerservices@georgiaorganics.org