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IPM CAPs in Your Community
Integrated Pest Management Conservation Activity Plans (IPM CAPs) are a great tool for growers in your community to identify sensitive natural resources on or near their farm and outline what they can do to protect them.

What is Integrated Pest Management (IPM)?

• Prevention-based, highly effective approach to managing insects, diseases, avian and mammalian pests.
  
  
  • For example, crop rotations to break pest cycles, proper crop spacing and thinning to improve airflow and sunlight penetration, drip irrigation instead of sprayer irrigation to reduce foliar wetness.
    
    
• Uses pest biology, pest-damage thresholds, beneficial insects and pesticide toxicity to make informed decisions for the best methods of control.
  
  
  • I.e., pesticide applications are made only when needed.
    
    
• Reduces amounts and toxicity of pesticides used on farms; lowers risk to you, your workers and nearby natural resources.

IPM CAPs Need Your Support!

In 2009, the NRCS received and funded over 1,700 different CAPs nation-wide, attesting to the need for and feasibility of growers to adopt conservation practices on their farms.

Unfortunately, only eight of the 1,700 were IPM CAPs. This modest count is attributed to 1) the shortage of IPM CAPs-certified TSPs within those states and 2) a general lack of awareness of IPM and the CAPs program.

Ways You Can Help Increase the Success of the CAPs Program:

1. Request that your state offer IPM CAPs. Contact your state NRCS office to determine if NRCS offers IPM CAPs in your state. If not, express your interest and support for the program. States must choose by December 18, 2009 which CAPs they will offer. Mail, email and/or fax a written request to your State Conservationist to offer IPM CAPs.
   
   
2. Spread the word about IPM and the CAPs program. If your state offers IPM CAPs, increase the program's success by raising public awareness of the need and benefits of IPM programs such as IPM CAPs.
   
   • Research and understand the benefits of IPM. University of Michigan, Cornell University and University of California are great resources.
     
   • Write a letter to the editor in your local newspaper, or alert newspaper staff of the opportunity.
     
   • Let growers know that an IPM CAP can be written for their farm.
     
     
3. Attend an NRCS State Technical Committee meeting and make a pitch for IPM CAPs. Members of the State Technical Committee represent growers across the state and provide the state NRCS office with valuable input on what is happening and needed on the ground. Your opinion matters! Contact your state NRCS office to find out when and where the next meeting is.
   
   
4. Talk about finances. Call your state NRCS office to determine if their cost-share rate to growers is adequate. The NRCS offers a 75% cost-share to growers for hiring a TSP to write an IPM CAP. Because the CAP program is new, prices that TSPs charge for writing a CAP isn't well established and each state quotes a different price. If the price is too low, the grower is responsible for paying the remaining balance, which may be a disincentive to participate in the program.
   

In 2009, TSPs charged between $1,500 and $3,000 (depending on the size of the farm) to write an IPM CAP for a grower. Sharing this information with the NRCS will help them set a rate that is accurate and reasonable for growers.

Public Advocate Resources:
National IPM CAPs Working Group. Request Letter to NRCS State Conservationist. Nov. 2009. 5pp. (doc) Containing:

• Introductory message regarding the need to support IPM CAPs in your state,
• letter of request to offer IPM CAPs to your state conservationist and
• NRCS state conservationist contact information, listed by state.

National IPM CAPs Working Group. Nov. 2009 To-Do List for Developing an IPM CAP Program. 3pp. (PDF)

Natural Resources Conservation Service contact site to find your state NRCS office: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/about/organization/regions.html