If NRCS programs feel confusing or intimidating, you’re not alone. In this episode, Sam Tilton talks with Thomas Manley to unpack the cost-share opportunities available to organic grain farmers—and explain how good conservation planning can strengthen an operation long after the contract ends.

Resources from this episode:

• Certified Technical Service Providers directory: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/getting-assistance/technical-assistance/technical-service-providers
• EQIP Organic Initiative overview: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/eqip-organic-initiative
• NRCS Organic Transition Initiative fact sheet (PDF): https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2023-04/2023-NRCS-Organic%20Transition%20Initiative%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf
• NRCS conservation planning information: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/getting-assistance/conservation-technical-assistance/conservation-planning
• CSP program summary insert (PDF): https://sustainableagriculture.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/2021-CSP-Insert-On-Screen.pdf

This series is brought to you by the Organic Agronomy Training Service and Albert Lea Seed, a fourth-generation, family-owned company offering a full line of organic and non-GMO field crop seed.

This event is supported through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). TOPP is a program of the USDA Organic Transition Initiative and is administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP).

🔗Learn more about Albert Lea Seed: https://alseed.com

🌱 Learn more about OATS: https://www.organicagronomy.org/

📅 Events & registration: https://www.organicagronomy.org/events

📚 Resource Library: https://www.organicagronomy.org/resource-library

📧 Join our listserv: https://www.organicagronomy.org/join-listserv

Organic fertilizer is expensive—so how do you know you're applying the right amount? In this episode, guest host Ashley Adair joins James Schroepfer to decode soil tests, compare manure sources, and use field history to create fertility plans that work for organic grain systems.

This series is brought to you by the Organic Agronomy Training Service and Albert Lea Seed, a fourth-generation, family-owned company offering a full line of organic and non-GMO field crop seed.

🔗Learn more about Albert Lea Seed: https://alseed.com

🌱 Learn more about OATS: https://www.organicagronomy.org

📅 Events & Registration: https://www.organicagronomy.org/events

📚 Resource Library: https://www.organicagronomy.org/resource-library

📧 Join our Newsletter: https://www.organicagronomy.org/subscribe

Can biologicals really boost organic crops? In this Organic Advisor Call, Sam Oschwald Tilton of OATS joins Dr. Connor Sible and Brett Bell to break down biologicals, seed treatments, and on-farm testing so advisors and farmers know what’s worth the investment.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

• Article - Understanding Biologicals for Row Crop Production: https://cropphysiology.cropsci.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Biological-Summary.pdf
• Video Presentation - Understanding Biologicals For Improved Soybean Management: https://fieldadvisor.org/webinar-understanding-biologicals-improved-soybean-management/
• Slides - What We Know About Biologicals Today: https://cropphysiology.cropsci.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2025-Biological-Summary.pdf

This series is brought to you by the Organic Agronomy Training Service and Albert Lea Seed, a fourth-generation, family-owned company offering a full line of organic and non-GMO field crop seed.

This event is supported through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). TOPP is a program of the USDA Organic Transition Initiative and is administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP).

🔗Learn more about Albert Lea Seed: https://alseed.com

🌱 Learn more about OATS: https://www.organicagronomy.org/

📅 Events & registration: https://www.organicagronomy.org/events

📚 Resource Library: https://www.organicagronomy.org/resource-library

📧 Join our listserv: https://www.organicagronomy.org/join-listserv