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USDA SIGNS TECHNICAL SERVICE PROVIDER AGREEMENT WITH UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE

 

 

Sylvia Rainford (202) 720-3210

WASHINGTON, April 9, 2003—The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced a cooperative partnership with the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service (UT-Extension) that will offer producers options in developing their comprehensive nutrient management plans. This is USDA’s first agreement that recognizes a university’s comprehensive nutrient management plan certification program as a source for technical service providers.

The 2002 Farm Bill expanded the availability of technical assistance to private landowners by encouraging the use of third parties—called technical service providers—to assist USDA in delivering conservation technical assistance services to farmers, ranchers and others.

USDA and the university signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at a ceremony held today at USDA headquarters in Washington D.C. The signatories were Bruce Knight, chief, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Dr. Jack Britt, vice president, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture; Dr. Charles Norman, dean, University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service; and Dr. Robert T. Burns, designated technical leader, University of Tennessee’s Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP) Certification Program.

The three-year agreement allows UT-Extension to recommend certified nutrient management specialists in manure and wastewater handling and storage, nutrient management and land treatment practices as USDA technical service providers. These providers must perform work that meets USDA standards and specifications for effective nutrient management.

“We recognize the value of the award-winning CNMP program offered by one of our nation’s land grant universities,” Knight said. “By making UT-Extension a certifying organization, we will ensure producers who need conservation assistance can choose from a cadre of top-notched experts.”

The certified specialists will be placed on a national, web-based registry called TechReg that is available to landowners, farmers, ranchers and others seeking conservation technical assistance.

Additional information on technical service provider assistance is available at http://techreg.usda.gov. Information on the 2002 Farm Bill can be found at www.usda.gov/farmbill.

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