CTIC Launches Conservation Connector Platform to Help Producers Discover Local Programs and Service Providers
Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) has introduced the first and only tool to connect farmers, ranchers and advisers to local conservation programs and local service providers in a single platform at Connector.ag.
The Conservation Connector directory allows users to search programs by crop, conservation practice, and geography, allowing producers to find local programs that fit their operation, and more importantly, connect with local contacts for technical support and guidance to help them put conservation to work.
The beta version, released at the Sustainable Ag Summit in November, is fully functional and provides early access to organizations that administer conservation programs or provide technical assistance to producers. Program administrators can register to manage new or existing programs and service offerings.
“Producers have unprecedented opportunities to access programs for cost-share, carbon credits, and other support methods through various programs both for the great work they are already doing and for new conservation practices they are considering, but the information is scattered,” says Ryan Heiniger, CTIC executive director. “The Conservation Connector gives farmers, ranchers and advisers a one-stop shop, and CTIC’s established track record of providing unbiased information for researchers, policymakers and producers makes us the perfect home for this solution.”
Almost 500 programs and service providers from public, private and nonprofit organizations already are populated in the directory, raising their visibility and accessibility to farmers, ranchers and trusted advisers who consult on land management practices. The directories currently focus on the Upper Midwest, California, and the Northeast, and it is building out national coverage for farmers throughout the country.
The CTIC Conservation Connector will bring many benefits to producers, allowing them to find other programs to support adoption of conservation practices, and to find service providers to help implement them. Additional CTIC Conservation Connector capabilities – including the ability to automatically tap measuring, monitoring, reporting and verification resources – are planned as later phases of the overall project.
The CTIC Conservation Connector was developed with support from OpenTEAM, a collaborative network facilitated by Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture and the Environment. “This is an incredible resource for producers: a comprehensive tool to navigate the landscape of conservation funding programs and service providers” says Eliza Baker-Wacks, OpenTEAM Collaborative Projects Team Lead. “With the Conservation Connector, producers can easily find and access the opportunities that best support their unique business and stewardship goals.”
Manage or Create Your Free Listing
Conservation program administrators and technical service providers at the state, local and national levels can register and log in to Connector.ag at any time to manage existing information or create their new free listing. Additional help and information is available at [email protected].
Additionally, a free Webinar will take place Jan. 21 for conservation program administrators and technical service providers to help them create and/or manage their free listings on the platform. Webinar participants include representatives from CTIC, USDA, The Nature Conservancy, OpenTEAM, and Houston Engineering.
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