WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) re-introduced legislationto support farmers seeking to adopt conservation and innovative climate practices on their farms.
The Conservation and Innovative Climate Partnership Act would bridge the divide between the innovative research taking place at land-grant universities and those who farm for a living by helping family farms adopt climate friendly strategies like planting cover crops and using no-till practices.
“Strong farm programs that encourage sustainable conservation and climate practices help farmers maintain productive operations for generations to come,” said Senator Smith. “They also help us reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change. This bill will help connect farmers with the information and resources they need to adopt climate smart practices.”
“Hoosier farms feed our families and are integral to our supply chains. Every farmer faces unique decisions in their farm management, and pressure from the federal government to cut carbon emissions can place stress on the good work already underway,” said Senator Young. “My Conservation and Innovative Climate Partnership Act gives farmers access to the latest tools and research in order to be successful while keeping American soil productive and healthy.”
The Conservation and Innovative Climate Partnership Act would:
- Enable partnerships between land-grant institutions and local farmers to increase uptake of conservation and innovative climate practices
- Allow farmers to voluntarily adopt practices that suit their individualized needs
- Require land-grant institutions to partner with a non-profit, state, or federal entity
- Allow the partnership to conduct a variety of activities to support farming communities like workshops, distribution of digital materials, and tests to measure the effectiveness of conservation and climate smart practices
- Provide $13 million in funding for 4-year grants, with a maximum grant of $400,000
A one pager for this bill can be found here. Full bill text can be found here.
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