Producer Enrollment Guide
Growing GRASS Producer Payment Options Currently Available
The Growing GRASS project has USDA funding to provide directly to eligible US beef and bison producers.
Producers that successfully enroll with the project can get payments for:
Project Participation and Sharing Information
If you are interested and eligible for Growing GRASS project participation, you will receive $3000 for completing an enrollment survey. Your answers will teach us more about both the obstacles producers face and the opportunities they see tied to regenerative grazing systems, markets, and fuller byproduct valuation.
Value-Added Market On-Farm Audits & Certifications
We are building supply chains and lining up buyers for the processing byproducts of beef and bison. If you agree to receive emails from Growing GRASS, you will have access to this network.
Soil and Other Data Collection Related to Market Access And Research Needs
Apparel, pet food, and ingredients markets are interested in learning more about the additional benefits of regeneratively raised livestock. Soil sampling, nutrient density testing, and other forms of on the ground research for your operation can be covered by Growing GRASS.
Regenerative Grazing Training and Education
Whether you’re just starting out or been doing it for a long time, we know that access to information and being able to connect with other regenerative grazers at meetings and educational events can be helpful, so there’s funding available for farmers and ranchers to access these resources and attend relevant events and meetings.
Before you start the enrollment survey
Eligible beef and bison producers can receive payment for finishing this survey and agreeing to be part of the Growing GRASS Project.
Eligibility requirements include:
Raise beef cattle and/or buffalo using prescribed grazing practices as defined by USDA NRCS Conservation Practice 528
Be enrolled with the USDA Farm Service Administration (FSA), which means:
Having an active USDA Farm Number
Having the farm “fields” enrolled where you agree that you are implementing Practice 528 (prescribed grazing) of beef and/or bison
Confirmation you are not enrolled in another USDA AMP grant
Confirmation you do not operate a concentrated animal feeding operation (“CAFO”) on the farm/ranch (as defined by the Environmental Protection Agency) on your registered USDA farm.
Agreement to share information with Growing GRASS for research purposes. Growing GRASS will only release producer data in aggregate and without identifiable producer information unless you have given explicit permission otherwise.
Information to have available when applying:
Farm FSA ID you want to register.
The following information for all the USDA “fields” of the farm where you are implementing Practice 528 practices grazing beef and/or bison.
Field Name
FSA Farm #
FSA Tract #
FSA Field #
Acres
FAQs: More About the Growing GRASS project
Building beef & bison byproduct supply chains
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Growing GRASS is a USDA funded “Advancing Markets for Producers” (AMP) project; all support for producers comes from our USDA grant. The American Sustainable Business Institute is the recipient of this grant, and the entity administering payments for this program.
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Unfortunately, no. As this is a USDA funded project, for producers to be eligible for payments, USDA enrollment and an FSA ID is required.
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The Growing GRASS project cannot pay for costs incurred before you have completed the enrollment process AND have been approved for additional payments.
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Generally no, with the exception of enrollment in another USDA Advancing Markets for Producers grant program. The Growing GRASS project is paying for commodities (animal) raised on your enrolled fields, and NOT paying for conservation practice implementation like other NRCS programs (EQIP, CSP). This means you can still enroll in other federal programs that are paying for practice implementation.
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The Growing GRASS project aims to get farmers, ranchers, and herders of regeneratively raised beef and bison a higher value and more use out of their livestock. We’ll do this by establishing reliable, resilient, high-value supply chains for meat processing byproducts like hides and organs, providing more climate-friendly materials for leather, ingredient, and pet food markets.
For anyone raising cattle and bison, this project will make it easier to enter certified regenerative markets, creating a sustainable income stream.
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At the center of our project is the Generalized Regenerative Agriculture Sourcing Specification tool, or GRASS. GRASS is a verification and traceability system created to allow farmers, herders, and ranchers to use existing and diverse inspections (such as the American Grassfed Association, Audubon, and Regenerative Organic Certified) to minimize costs and be eligible for multiple value-added markets.
Using GRASS, our project team seeks to enable more livestock producers and processors to collect, process, and sell hides and byproducts with credible “regenerative” claims, increasing profits and market pathways.
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Farmers, herders, and ranchers are increasingly adopting regenerative livestock grazing systems in order to attain a wide array of benefits for their operations, including:
Improved soil health.
Improved water infiltration and holding capacity.
Increased grass and forage production.
Soil carbon sequestration.
Reduced off-farm inputs.
And when meat and other products from animals raised under these systems are verified, consumers have shown they are willing to pay more, which can contribute to even greater profitability for the producer.
Data reporting & privacy
Read our Data Privacy Agreement here.
Take the survey
Have you read this page? Enroll below!
Contact
Read the full FAQ section on this page.
Read it all and still need help? Email info@ggrass.org to get connected with a member of our team. It may take us up to 14 business days to respond
Interested in Growing GRASS but don’t plan on meeting the project enrollment requirements? Enter your information here to receive general project updates.