SD woolgrowers invited to apply for climate-beneficial fiber program - Newscenter1.tv

SD woolgrowers invited to apply for climate-beneficial fiber program | News | newscenter1.tv

Woolgrowers in South Dakota have a new opportunity to receive technical and financial assistance to implement climate-smart land practices that can increase the profitability of family ranches and farms while building their drought resilience and improving soil health.

The Climate Beneficial Fiber program will work primarily with 54 finewool producers in South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana, as well as some medium-grade white wool producers in the area.

In exchange for adopting climate-smart land management practices that fit their ranching operations and goals, producers will receive technical assistance and $17.5 million in direct payments from the program.

“At least 40 percent of the program’s benefits will go to small, beginning, and underserved woolgrowers,” said Fred Bahnson, CEO of the National Center for Appropriate Technology. “We’re excited to bring the Climate Beneficial Fiber program to South Dakota and see those benefits go directly to land stewards on the Northern Great Plains.”

Funded by USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Program, the program is administered by NCAT and its partners — Fibershed, Carbon Cycle Institute, New York Textile Lab, Seed2Shirt, and the Colorado State University Department of Soil and Crop Sciences.

Woolgrowers will work with conservation planners to create Resilient Ranch Plans, tailored management plans which identify ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon in soils and vegetation. They can then apply for incentive payments to implement the practices, with payout rates based on NRCS EQIP payment schedules.

Climate-smart practices have additional benefits such as increasing the water-holding capacity of soils, reducing the need for expensive synthetic fertilizers and boosting overall farm productivity.

Growing concerns about textile-derived microplastics, land-use impacts, “fast fashion” and human rights have prompted an industry-wide shift to seek natural fiber sources with verified benefits to land and climate.

Building on Fibershed’s Climate Beneficial™ Verification program, the Fibershed team will be working with well-known clothing brands and textile manufacturers to expand markets for wool grown on ranches operating under Resilient Ranch Plans.

“Our long-term goal is to create a self-sustaining consumer market and regional manufacturing systems that reward wool producers with price premiums for drawing down carbon from the atmosphere,” said Fibershed Executive Director Rebecca Burgess. “That’s good for rural communities as well as the planet.”

Producers interested in learning more can visit the Climate Beneficial Fiber Partnership website to fill out an interest form or contact Alisha Horak, South Dakota Conservation Planner at alishah@ncat.org or 406-533-6653.

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