Agricultural Management Assistance Program

Overview

In Rhode Island, Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) provides cost-share payments to agricultural producers to voluntarily address issues such as water management, and wildlife controls by incorporating conservation into their farming operations. Producers may construct or improve irrigation systems, develop or improve water supply through wells or ponds, install fencing to protect crops or livestock from wildlife damage, and mitigate risk through production diversification or resource conservation practices, including soil erosion control, integrated pest management, or transition to organic farming.

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has leadership for the conservation provisions of AMA. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is responsible for an organic certification cost-share program and the Risk Management Agency (RMA) is responsible for mitigation of most difficult challenges, will benefit by having financial risk through an insurance cost-share program.

How AMA Works

AMA is available in 15 states where participation in the Federal Crop Insurance Program is historically low. Applicants may request AMA assistance at any time by submitting an application to NRCS or your local conservation district office. The application (form CCC-1200) is available at the USDA NRCS Service Center, 60 Quaker Lane, Suite 46, Warwick, or on the Web at http://www.sc.egov.usda.gov.

A conservation plan is required for the area covered in the application and becomes the basis for developing the AMA contract. NRCS will work with the landowner to develop a conservation plan. Landowners must agree to maintain cost-shared practices for the life of the practice. Contracts are for five to ten years.

The NRCS state conservationist, in consultation with the State Technical Committee, will determine eligible structural and/or vegetative conservation practices using a locally led process. The Federal cost share is 75 percent of the cost of an eligible practice. Participants will be paid based upon certification of completion of the approved practice.

Eligibility

Applicants must own or control the land and agree to implement specific eligible conservation practices. Applicants must meet the Food Security Act’s definition of "person." Eligible land includes cropland, hay land, pastureland, land used for subsistence purposes, and other land (such as forestland) that produces crops or livestock where risk may be mitigated through operation diversification or change in resource conservation practices.

Funding

AMA is authorized nationally at $20 million per year from FY03 to FY07. The total AMA payments shall not exceed $50,000 per participant for any fiscal year.

For More Information about AMA, please contact
 

Michael Moorman, Assistant State Conservationist - Programs
USDA NRCS
60 Quaker Lane, Warwick, RI 02886
phone: (401) 822-8820
michael.moorman@ri.usda.gov