Programs available to agricultural community in Guam

Are you a farmer or landowner looking to support agricultural sustainable practices but looking on how to get started? The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service has several programs available to the agricultural community on Guam that can help.

It's important information you need to know, especially if you are a farmer or landowner looking to agriculturally expand but could use technical and financial assistance. The Farm Bill, which supports farmers, ranchers, and forest stewards through a variety of safety net, farm loan, conservation, and disaster assistance programs is something you may be unware of but is available to you.

Jolene Lau is the outreach coordinator and says the bill brings lot of federal financial aid, saying, "With the Inflation Reduction Act, it brought billions of dollars to NRCS nationwide, and we'd like to encourage our local producers here take advantage, come to our office, talk with our conservation partners and sign up with our field office."

Soil conservationist Amodsiw Jzar with the Guam Service Center says they can help in a variety of ways, telling KUAM News, "We can help through technical assistance, which is where we can formulate a conservation plan, something that the producer can follow. We can also offer cost-share programs, such as our environmental quality incentive program and our conservation stewardship program."

Both programs focusing on building upon the existing operations of the farmer or rancher to improve production. There is also the Emergency Watershed Protection Program, of which he says, "That's enacted in times of like we had Typhoon Mawar awhile back."

Its helps relieve imminent threats to life and property caused by floods, fires, and natural disasters. Erica Pangelinan, who is the district administrator for the Southern Soil & Water Conservation District on Guam, says they serve as the USDA NRCS counterpart  to help assist farmers here on island on the different programs and how to apply and really just being a great advocate.

"One thing that is so great about our partnership with NRCS and the district is we get to get training to expand our conservation planning and our future," she explained.

So now that we've caught your attention - how does a typical inquiry usually go? According to Jzar, they usually want to know what is available to them and start at a very ground level of understanding. "From there we build them up," she said. "Go home and think about it. Our own assessments."

If you are a farmer, a registered farmer, rancher, landowner, or a leasee of land and would like to be a member of the Southern or Northern SWCD, Pangelinan urges you to call (671)735-2014. And if you would like more information, on the many programs available from NRCS or have any questions, you can either stop by their officer on Airport Road in Tiyan Monday-Friday from 8am-4:30pm or you can give them a call at (671)300-8576.