climate smart farmer PROGRAM

Farmers are at the frontlines of climate change. Their work to steward the land and feed communities is already extremely challenging. 

As we witness the impact of climate change, farmers are becoming increasingly vulnerable as they face an increased number of severe weather events and patterns, high heat, degradation of natural resources, and rising pests and disease pressure.  

To prepare farmers with the adaptation and mitigation tools that build resilience and maintain productivity in the face of climate change, Georgia Organics has partnered with McIntosh SEED to the launch the 2023-2024 Climate Smart Farmer Program (CSFP) 

The Climate Smart Farmer Program (CSFP) will consist of an application and selection process to identify an eight-farmer cohort that will receive technical assistance, on-farm investments, and more to boost their farms’ climate resiliency. The program will consist of two key phases, detailed below. 

The application period for the 2023-2024 Climate Smart Farmer Cohort is now CLOSED. 

In year one, Climate Smart Farmer Program (CSFP) farmers will work to incorporate or expand their conservation agriculture practices.  

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.   

In year two, CSFP farmer members will work to add a small-scale solar array system to their farming operations. Georgia Organics and McIntosh SEED will provide technical assistance for the REAP (Renewable Energy for America Program) application process. Currently, REAP grants cover up to 40 percent of the total solar installation costs. Recognizing that the remaining 60 percent of solarization is a significant financial hurdle most farmers cannot afford, Georgia Organics and McIntosh SEED will provide mini-grants to eligible farmers to help mitigate the time and expense of shifting to renewable energy sources as well as technical assistance to advise farmers on accessing federal renewable tax credits. 

The Climate Smart Farmer Program will accept eight farmers for the 2023-2024 cohort.  

Each cohort member will work with Georgia Organics and McIntosh SEED in a two-year program to develop a climate-smart action plan tailored specifically to their needs.  

These plans may include:   

• Transitioning to or expanding conservation agriculture such as cover cropping, residue and tillage management, and crop rotations; 

• Building climate smart infrastructure, including high tunnels;  

• Installation of a small-scale solar array system to power farming operations   

• Improvement of energy efficiency 

The application period for the 2023-2024 Climate Smart Farmer Cohort is now CLOSED. 

For questions, contact us at farmerservices@georgiaorganics.org