7 USC 1524 - Education and risk management assistance

View all text of Subchapter I [§ 1501 - § 1524]

§ 1524. Education and risk management assistance

(a) Education assistance

(1) In general

(2) Partnerships for risk management education

(A) Authority

(B) Basis for grants

(D) Administrative costs

(3) RequirementsIn carrying out the program established under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall place special emphasis on farm viability and risk management strategies (including farm financial benchmarking, business planning and technical assistance, market assessment, transfer and succession planning, and crop insurance participation), education, and outreach specifically targeted at—

(A) beginning farmers or ranchers;

(B) legal immigrant farmers or ranchers that are attempting to become established producers in the United States;

(D) farmers or ranchers that—

(i) are preparing to retire;

(ii) are using transition strategies to help new farmers or ranchers get started; 1

1 So in original. Probably should be followed by “and”.

(iii) are converting production and marketing systems to pursue new markets; and 2

2 So in original. The word “and” probably should not appear.

(E) producers that are underserved by the Federal crop insurance program established under this subchapter, as determined by the Corporation; and

(F) veteran farmers or ranchers.

(4) Funding

(b) Agricultural management assistance

(1) Authority

(2) UsesA producer may use financial assistance provided under this subsection to—

(A) construct or improve—

(i) watershed management structures; or

(ii) irrigation structures;

(B) plant trees to form windbreaks or to improve water quality;

(C) mitigate financial risk through production or marketing diversification or resource conservation practices, including—

(i) soil erosion control;

(ii) integrated pest management;

(iii) organic farming; or

(iv) to develop and implement a plan to create marketing opportunities for the producer, including through value-added processing;

(D) enter into futures, hedging, or options contracts in a manner designed to help reduce production, price, or revenue risk;

(E) enter into agricultural trade options as a hedging transaction to reduce production, price, or revenue risk; or

(F) conduct any other activity relating to an activity described in subparagraphs (A) through (E), as determined by the Secretary.

(3) Payment limitation

(4) Commodity Credit Corporation

(A) In general

(B) Funding

(i) In general

(ii) Exception for certain fiscal years

(C) Certain usesOf the amounts made available to carry out this subsection for a fiscal year, the Commodity Credit Corporation shall use not less than—

(i) 50 percent to carry out subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of paragraph (2) through the Natural Resources Conservation Service;

(ii) 10 percent to provide organic certification cost share assistance through the Agricultural Marketing Service; and

(iii) 40 percent to conduct activities to carry out subparagraph (F) of paragraph (2) through the Risk Management Agency.

(Feb. 16, 1938, ch. 30, title V, § 524, as added Pub. L. 106–224, title I, § 133, June 20, 2000, 114 Stat. 387; amended Pub. L. 107–171, title II, § 2501, May 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 263; Pub. L. 108–199, div. A, title VII, § 769, Jan. 23, 2004, 118 Stat. 40; Pub. L. 110–234, title I, § 1603(g)(3), title II, § 2801, title VII, § 7511(c)(2), title XII, § 12026, May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1011, 1085, 1267, 1390; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title I, § 1603(g)(3), title II, § 2801, title VII, § 7511(c)(2), title XII, § 12026, June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 1739, 1813, 2028, 2152; Pub. L. 112–55, div. A, title VII, § 716(a), Nov. 18, 2011, 125 Stat. 582; Pub. L. 113–79, title I, § 1609(b)(1), title XI, § 11027(c), Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 709, 977; Pub. L. 115–334, title XI, § 11125(a), title XII, § 12306(b)(3), Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4935, 4969.)