Technical assistance options

Excerpt

Are farmers in your area applying for a USDA cost-share program such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)? If so, they may have the option to decide who will provide all or part of the conservation technical assistance. In many cases, farmers have the ability to choose the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) or a technical service provider (TSP).

TSPs are individual consultants, private businesses, nonprofit organizations, or public agencies certified by NRCS to provide technical services. The option to hire a TSP was created in the 2002 US farm bill. Since the TSP initiative hasn't been around long, deciding between NRCS and TSPs is a new experience for many farmers. In this article, we suggest key points for farmers to consider when deciding who will provide technical assistance, explain how farmers can locate certified TSPs, and provide tips for hiring and working with a TSP.

CHOOSING BETWEEN NRCS AND A TSP

For each item in a cost-sharing program, a producer may have the option of having NRCS or a TSP provide the required technical help. When deciding between NRCS and TSP assistance, a producer should consider the following:

Timeliness of Assistance. Due to the rising …