USDA Action. The National Office of Outreach and the Small Farms Director will develop a plan for a "Voluntary Small Farms Directory."  Once the "Notice to Seek Approval to Conduct an Information Collection" has been implemented by the Department,  State Food and Agricultural Councils (FACs) and Outreach Councils will work with local field offices to identify underserved audiences and to encourage them to participate in the establishment of a "National Small Farms Voluntary Registry." 

Status:  Partially implemented (code 2).  The Federal  Register "Notice to Seek Approval to Conduct an Information Collection" for a Voluntary Minority Registry has been cleared by OMB. The USDA Office of Outreach (OR) is working with the Department's Office of General Council (OGC) staff to implement. Once OGC completes its review, USDA will finalize its plans to implement this recommendation.  (See USDA/OR Action Plan above for Recommendation 1.24).

Mission Area: N/A 
Office: OR (Office of Outreach) 
Contact: Charles L. Whitaker 
Tel: 202-720-6078 
Fax: 202-720-4995 
Email: cwhitaker@usda.gov 
Rev. Date: 01/18/2001 
Status Code: 2-Partially implemented.

USDA Action. The National Office of Outreach and the Small Farms Director will develop a plan for a voluntary small farms directory and continue to work on clearing the privacy act notice for the voluntary minority farm register. 

State FACs and Outreach Councils will work with local field offices to identify underserved audiences and to encourage them to participate in the voluntary directory. 

Status: Partially implemented (code 2). The Office of Outreach has identified and planned for the use of information collected in the minority farm registry and the subsequent small farm directory in State Outreach Council planning and reporting processes. 

This effort is expected to begin in FY 2001, as the Minority Farm Registry is implemented. 

USDA Action. The Office of Outreach (OR) has completed a review of its mission, functions, goals and organization. Resource needs have been identified and a reorganization has been implemented. 

The new organization will include Policy and Planning, Field Operations, and Operations Management units. The reporting and impact assessment instruments, as well as analysis of program impacts and effectiveness are still in the planning stage, and are dependent upon completion of Outreach staffing plans. 

Status: Partially implemented (code 2). OR will continue its ongoing efforts to develop strategies to implement this recommendation. 

USDA Action. A decision memo was sent to the Secretary for consideration recommending legislation to provide for a new relending program for production agriculture through the Farm Service Agency, but not funded in FY 1999. 

Status: Not implemented (code 4). No Congressional action taken.

USDA Action. OR is working with agency coordinators and once its reorganization is complete and staffed, guidelines for establishing and supporting mentoring programs and apprenticeships will be developed and implemented. 

OR also is funding an Outreach newsletter and coordinating the exchange of information and opportunities. Additional efforts will be planned and implemented with the completion of the reorganization and staffing effort. 

Additionally, OR is working with State Agency leadership and Outreach Councils to establish the network and communication lines necessary to support these objectives. State Outreach Council plans have and are being developed. Many plans identified target audiences of under served constituents. Strategies have been adopted by some of the councils and they are moving forward to implementation. 

Agencies, working closely with the USDA Office of Outreach, have fostered on-going partnerships through memorandums of understanding, cooperative agreements, and other forms with land-grant colleges and universities, community-based organizations and others. 

Status. Partially implemented (code 2). OR will continue to develop plans and strategies to implement this recommendation.

USDA Action. The Office of Outreach is working with agency coordinators and once its reorganization is complete and staffed, guidelines for establishing and supporting mentoring programs and apprenticeships will be developed and implemented. 

The Office of Outreach is funding an Outreach newsletter and coordinating the exchange of information and opportunities. Additional efforts will be planned and implemented with the completion of the reorganization and staffing effort. 

The Office of Outreach is working with State Agency leadership and Outreach Councils to establish the network and communication lines necessary to support these objectives. State Outreach Council plans have and are being developed. Many plans identified target audiences of under served constituents. Strategies have been adopted by some of the councils and they are moving forward to implementation. 

Agencies, working closely with the USDA Office of Outreach, have fostered on-going partnerships through memorandums of understanding, cooperative agreements, and other forms with land-grant colleges and universities, community-based organizations and others. 

Status. Partially implemented (code 2). OR will continue to develop plans and strategies to implement this recommendation. 

USDA Action. NRCS and other appropriate agencies will develop via each State Outreach Council, annual actions plans for conducting local educational outreach seminars for small and traditionally under-served farmers and ranchers for the purpose of explaining agency programs, including the environmental and economic benefits derived from the programs. 

Status: Fully implemented (code 1). NRCS and other agencies continue to hold seminars and meeting at the state and local levels to explain programs and available assistance, as reflected in the State Outreach Plans. 

USDA Action. The Office of Outreach is continuing the 2501 Training and Technical Assistance to Small and Disadvantaged Farmers grant program through FY 2000, and is planning a new cycle of projects to begin in    FY 2001. 

This program uses community based organizations and land grant institutions to assist small farmers in navigating through USDA programs as well as strengthening their own farm management and marketing operations. 

Status. Fully implemented (code 1). Will continue to monitor. 

USDA Action. The Farm Service Agency has already undertaken an array of activities which implement the recommendation.  

Status: Fully implemented (code 1). FSA will continue to meet with commercial lenders to discuss minority and beginning farmer lending. FSA is currently working with the National Bankers Association to facilitate guaranteed minority lending and with the American Bankers Association (ABA) to expand use of guarantee program for beginner farmers as envisioned in ABA's Task Force on the 21st Century Report. 

USDA Action. The Rural-Business Cooperative Service (RBS) has produced a business programs video and provided it to the field for use in outreach. RBS has completed a lender orientation video that assists lenders in understanding the B&I program and how to access the B&I program for rural businesses. 

A brochure was also published entitled "Cooperative Stock Purchase Program" and it was distributed to the field for use in outreach. 

Status: Fully implemented (code 1). A lender orientation video has been completed and is in the process of being distributed to Rural Development State Offices. 

In addition, $170 million of B&I Guarantee Loan Program funding has been set aside in FY 2000 for cooperative development with a priority given to projects involving small or limited resource farmers and value-added cooperatives.

USDA Action. RBS participated in an HBCU conference held on November 30, 1998, at Hampton University, Hampton, VA. As a part of this conference, attendees were advised of RBS Business Programs targeting objectives including assistance to small farmers, minority women, and beginning farmers. 

Attendees were encouraged through their cooperative agreements with RBS to provide outreach and technical assistance to target groups and areas so that better access to our programs is made to these groups/areas. On November 19-20, 1998 Rural 

Business-Cooperative Service participated in the Rural Opportunities through Revolving Loan Funds conference. The conference was a partnership between RBS, the National Rural Economics Developers Association and other sponsors with more than 125 participating. 

Status: Fully implemented (code 1). In August 1999, RBS sponsored the first National Intermediary Relending Conference in which over 110 Intermediaries attended. RBS/mission area objectives, including market development for small farm businesses was discussed. 

The RMA educational initiative must document the number and type of small farmers and ranchers it has reached; the products developed specially for small farmers and ranchers as a result of risk management; and provide producers with more information about risk management, production practices, marketing techniques, and processing options

USDA ACTION: Risk Management Education program provides farmers with information and with educational opportunities to become more aware of risk, know the tools available to manage risk, and learn strategies for making sound risk management decisions.

A provision relating to organic and sustainable agriculture was included in the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000-(2000 Act), signed by President Clinton on June 20, 2000. Under Section 123 of the 2000 Act: "Scientifically sound sustainable and organic farming practices" will now be recognized as "good farming practices."

Please check our web site for further details on new risk management educational activities nationwide -- http://www.rma.usda.gov/.

Status: Partially implemented (code 2). Will continue to monitor.

USDA Action. RMA reviewed several areas of the crop insurance program which can be modified to enhance the coverage available to producers, reduce the impact of extended areas of adverse weather, and assist producers in obtaining coverage for crops which they are growing in response to the 1996 Farm Bill.  

Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 (2000 Act). On June 20, 2000, the President signed the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 (2000 Act). The 2000 Act takes important steps for the U.S. agriculture industry which are consistent with Administration proposals advocated over the past two years. The 2000 Act:

• Makes crop insurance more affordable and useful to producers through increased subsidies for buy-up coverage and provides increased Federal backing for revenue products.
  
• Establishes an important financial commitment to crop insurance expansion, research and development, and education and outreach, which are key to specialty crop growers and states with traditionally low levels of crop insurance participation.

• Improves the Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance program (NAP) by lifting the area trigger and other improvements.
  
• Addresses multi-year losses and their effect on insurance coverage's by permitting producers to adjust certain actual yields to improve insurable yields.
  
• Authorizes a pilot program for livestock options.
  
• Improves program integrity by providing stiff penalties for program abuse and limiting certain practices such as receiving more than one indemnity on the same acreage in areas that are not traditionally double cropped.
  
• Requires the Risk Management Agency and the Farm Service Agency to reconcile data for producers to ensure consistent reporting of production and losses for the purposes of USDA program participation.

Please check our web site for further details on the new programs -- http://www.rma.usda.gov/.

Status. Fully implemented (code 1).

USDA Action. FSA field offices will continue to send reminder notices to borrowers with a shared appreciation agreements. In regulation: three different letters must be sent out. 

Status: Fully implemented (code 1). New regulations were issued on 03/10/98 requiring all servicing offices receive a monthly report on expiring shared appreciation agreements. Borrowers are notified annually as well as 60 days prior to the end of the agreement. 

USDA Action. The Farm Service Agency has shortened the loan application process by consolidating and eliminating forms. The Agency is also working on an abbreviated loan application process for those who borrow on an annual basis. This project should be completed by February or March of FY 2000. 

Status. Partially implemented (code 2). The Office of Outreach (OR) continues to fund grants to assist small farmers in the loan application process. The replication of successful practices and dissemination of models for both outreach and assistance are still in the planning stage, and are dependent upon completion of Outreach staffing plans. 

Also, the Commission supports implementation of CRAT recommendations 38, 39, and 40, respectively, which proposed that USDA should: 

1. Make the Office of Outreach's strategic outreach plan "part of the Department's strategic plan, for which Agency Heads will be held accountable through the Civil Rights performance standard..." (CRAT Recommendation No. 38); 

2. Establish in each agency an outreach coordinator who serves as a liaison with the National Office of Outreach (CRAT Recommendation No. 39); and 

3. "Establish State and National Outreach Councils, comparable to the USDA Food and Agriculture Council (FAC), to coordinate outreach efforts of all USDA agencies with State and local-level program delivery..." (CRAT Recommendation No. 40). 

USDA Action. A USDA strategic outreach plan for fiscal years 1998 - 2002 was drafted and submitted to the Chief Financial Officer for help in coordinating a target peer review. A Secretary's transmittal memorandum was sent to Sub-cabinet officials, directing them to incorporate the goals and objectives of the plan into the outreach components of agency plans. 

As requested by the Director of USDA's National Office of Outreach, each Under Secretary and Agency Head designated an agency coordinator to serve as liaison with the Outreach Office for outreach initiatives. 

Secretary's memorandum number 4360-1, dated March 24, 1998, directs the establishment of State and National Outreach Councils. States are organizing their councils. 

Also, see USDA Action in response to Recommendation No. 2.12. 

Status: Partially implemented (code 2). OR and the Director of Small Farms is working with each Mission Area to make outreach efforts and small farms initiatives part of each Agency's strategic planning process as well as the Department's strategic planning process.

USDA Action. In support of this recommendation, USDA has formed a Small Farms Coordinators' Committee that includes representatives from each USDA agency and Mission Area. This group meets each month to discuss and coordinate small farms activities within and outside of USDA. 

The Small Farms Coordinator's Committee also includes members of USDA's National Outreach Coordinator's Committee which consists of   outreach coordinators for each USDA agency and Mission Area. 

Both USDA groups work with representatives from the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. USDA also supports plans to provide USDA agency personnel with an overview and training of the benefits offered by SARE program to improve their agency's efforts to reach small farms and ranch operators. 

Additionally, USDA agencies also will establish ongoing partnerships with community based organizations, land-grant institutions, and other such groups to assist in outreach efforts. 

Status: Partially implemented (code 2). USDA will continue to implement this recommendation and expand communications among USDA agencies, our field offices, and small farms and ranch operators. 

USDA Action. OR has completed a review of its mission, functions, goals and organization. Resource needs have been identified and a reorganization has been implemented. 

The new organization will include Policy and Planning, Field Operations, and Operations Management units. The reporting and impact assessment instruments, as well as analysis of program impacts and effectiveness are still in the planning stage, and are dependent upon completion of Outreach staffing plans. 

Status: Not implemented (code 4). Will proceed with implementation after Outreach staffing plans have been completed.

USDA Action. The Office of Outreach (OR) is working with agency coordinators and once its reorganization is complete and staffed, guidelines for establishing and supporting mentoring programs and apprenticeships will be developed and implemented. 

OR is funding an Outreach newsletter and coordinating the exchange of information and opportunities. Additional efforts will be planned and implemented with the completion of the reorganization and staffing effort. 

OR is working with State Agency leadership and Outreach Councils to establish the network and communication lines necessary to support these objectives. State Outreach Council plans have and are being developed. Many plans identified target audiences of under served constituents. Strategies have been adopted by some of the councils and they are moving forward to implementation. 

Agencies, working closely with the USDA Office of Outreach, have fostered on-going partnerships through memorandums of understanding, cooperative agreements, and other forms with land-grant colleges and universities, community-based organizations and others. 

Status. Partially implemented (code 2). OR develop plans and strategies to implement this recommendation. 

USDA Action. After implementation of the reorganization and staffing of the Office of Outreach (OR) reorganization, we will develop and start work with agencies to implement field level alternative work schedules so hard to reach customers will have more opportunity to be reached by USDA program specialists. 

Status.  Not implemented (code 4). However, OR will continue to pursue implementation of this recommendation.-

USDA Action. The Office of Outreach is continuing the 2501 Training and Technical Assistance to Small and Disadvantaged Farmers grant program through FY 2000, and is planning a new cycle of projects to begin in FY 2001. 

This program uses community based organizations and land grant institutions to assist small farmers in navigating through USDA programs as well as strengthening their own farm management and marketing operations. 

Status. Partially implemented (code 2). OR will continue to pursue implementation of this recommendation. 

USDA Action. Service completed a study of existing USDA Forest Service State and Private Forestry (S&PF) organization outreach programs and initiatives August 27, 1998. 

This study allowed the agency to determine the scope of existing outreach programs and resource commitments, prior to further decisions regarding new positions and their interrelationships with National programs. 

Status: Fully implemented (code 1).