Nov 17 -- The USDA Farm Service Agency invites comments to OMB by December 27, 2023 regarding data collection for the Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program. The purpose of the Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program is to fund projects that support a diverse set of farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners (producers) on the edge financially; moving them from surviving to thriving as they address core barriers to attain land, capital, and market access. [Comments are due 30 days after submission to OMB on November 27.]
The Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program is funding cooperative agreements or grants (awarded) for projects that are designed to align with and respond to land, capital, and market access needs of the underserved farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners while concurrently providing wraparound technical assistance to ensure that program participants have the information, training, and customized support they require.
FSA will be collecting the initial report and progress reports quarterly and annually. Progress reports will be required after the first quarter and at least quarterly thereafter on the project, including the following components:
-- Targeted audience(s) including demographic, geographic, and economic status.
-- Conducted outreach including number and type of events, dates, locations, activities, and producers anticipated and impacted.
-- Budget information including requested fund amounts, allocation of requested funds, amount of funds provided for assistance directly benefitting underserved producers, and number of producers benefitted by use of funds.
-- Data identifying outcomes, improvements, and impact on underserved producers’ business and financial conditions.
-- Anticipated outcomes including the estimated number of underserved producers who will have increased access to land, capital, and markets (including new markets).
-- How many underserved producers will be able to retain land or acquire new land; and
-- How many underserved producers are seeking and participating in USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service programs, Farm Service Agency farm loan programs, Rural Development loan, Risk Management Agency or grant programs or any other programs and services administered by USDA.
-- Recommendations and barrier identification for USDA to improve access to programs and services.
-- Sharing of success stories.
These progress reports and associated Partner meetings may also include collection of the following information:
-- Lessons-learned as projects are implemented.
-- Options and approaches for providing technical assistance to participating farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners.
-- Mechanisms for reducing costs of implementation.
-- Synthesis of outcomes and successes.
-- Opportunities for USDA and others to inform future approaches to increasing a diverse set of farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners access to land, capital, and markets.
Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program
https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/increasing-land-access/index
FSA submission to OMB:
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202301-0560-001 Click IC List for data collection instruments, View Supporting Statement for newly added technical documentation. Submit comments through this webpage.
FRN:
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2023-25450
For AEA members wishing to submit comments, "A Primer on How to Respond to Calls for Comment on Federal Data Collections" is available at
https://www.aeaweb.org/content/file?id=5806