Business Support

Application assistance and Farm Conservation Plans for any property owner in the Farm Forest and Open Space Program in Washington and Kent County. SRICD is a quasi-public not for profit corporation of the State dedicated to conserving the natural resources of Washington and Kent County, Rhode Island. We provide no cost assistance with applications for USDA NRCS federal funding as well as technical assistance with conservation needs.
We provide Open Space maps for a small fee and by-appointment assistance with your Farm Designation tax program application, as well as conservation education programs in your local school.
All services are available on site at our office, at your home, or at a public space convenient to you. Translated materials and interpreted services are available in Spanish, Swahili, Kinyarwanda, Hmong, and other languages but may require advance notice. Please give us a call for help connecting with local farming, forest management, and conservation resources. We look forward to serving you!

SRICD is a quasi-public not for profit corporation of the State dedicated to conserving the natural resources of Washington and Kent County, Rhode Island. We provide no cost assistance with applications for USDA NRCS federal funding as well as technical assistance with conservation needs.
We provide Open Space maps for a small fee and by-appointment assistance with your Farm Designation tax program application, as well as conservation education programs in your local school.
All services are available on site at our office, at your home, or at a public space convenient to you. Translated materials and interpreted services are available in Spanish, Swahili, Kinyarwanda, Hmong, and other languages but may require advance notice. Please give us a call for help connecting with local farming, forest management, and conservation resources. We look forward to serving you!

ERICD is a quasi-public not for profit organization dedicated to conserving the natural resources of Bristol and Newport Counties, Rhode Island. We provide no cost assistance with applications for USDA NRCS federal funding as well as technical assistance with conservation needs. We also provide Open Space maps for a small fee and by-appointment assistance with your Farm Designation tax program application, as well as conservation education programs in your local school. Though our current property is not ADA accessible, all services are available on site at your home or at a public space convenient to you. Translated materials and interpreted services are available in Spanish, Swahili, Kinyarwanda, Hmong, and other languages but may require advance notice. Please give us a call for help connecting with local farming, forest management, and conservation resources. We look forward to serving you!

The RI Department of State Business Services Division maintains Rhode Island’s business registry. While we record new business formations and ongoing business registration activity, we also provide thoughtful guidance and comprehensive services to those looking to start and maintain a business or non-profit in Rhode Island.

Explore Business Basics to learn how to create a comprehensive business plan, choose a unique business name, choose a legal structure, hire employees, and choose a location to ensure success from day one. You can also find a list of support resources from our partners, including start-up assistance, loan application preparation, marketing and brand building, legal counseling, and much more.

NRICD is a quasi-public not for profit organization dedicated to conserving the natural resources of Providence County, Rhode Island. We provide no cost assistance with applications for USDA NRCS federal funding as well as technical assistance with conservation needs. We also provide Open Space maps for a small fee and by-appointment assistance with your Farm Designation tax program application, as well as conservation education programs in your local school. Though our current property is not ADA accessible, all services are available on site at your home or at a public space convenient to you. Translated materials and interpreted services are available in Spanish, Swahili, Kinyarwanda, Hmong, and other languages but may require advance notice. Please give us a call for help connecting with local farming, forest management, and conservation resources. We look forward to serving you!

The Legal Food Hub is a free service that connects eligible food farmers, food entrepreneurs, and food/farm organizations in New England to volunteer attorneys for free legal assistance. Legal issues we help with include zoning, land leases, real estate transactions, intellectual property, entity formation, estate planning, contract review, disputes, and more! There are no limits on how often you can use our services as long as you are eligible (eligibility guidelines are available on our website).

The Rhode Island Disaster Relief Program (RIDRP), administered by RIDEM, provides financial assistance to eligible Rhode Island agricultural producers who experienced losses from weather events in 2023 and 2024. The program will distribute nearly $15M in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) disaster relief funding to help producers recover from eligible crop, livestock, timber, on-farm infrastructure, and other agricultural losses not covered by other USDA disaster programs.

Who Is Eligible?
An Eligible Producer is a producer who:

Suffered an eligible loss in Rhode Island as a direct result of a weather event in 2023 or 2024
Had an ownership share and production risk in the affected crop, livestock, or timber (including timber rights)
Eligible Loss Categories
Eligible producers may receive assistance for the following:

Infrastructure Loss
Future Economic Loss
Market Loss
Timber Loss
Bare-Ground Practices Necessary to Mitigate Land Loss
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify, all of the following must apply:

You meet the definition of an Eligible Producer.
The eligible loss occurred in the State of Rhode Island.
Total eligible losses across all claimed categories equal at least $2,500.

Join green crabber Captain Jason Jarvis and Mary Parks of GreenCrab.org for a conversation on green crab’s ecological impact, culinary efforts, and an interactive shucking demonstration and tasting. This workshop will also highlight in-classroom activities developed through GreenCrab.org’s Crab Class program and pathways for classrooms to engage in community science data-collection efforts.

European green crab is an invasive species that impacts valuable fisheries and vulnerable ecosystems in the Ocean State. After being introduced by European traders over 200 years ago via ballast water, their populations skyrocketed in the late 20th century due to climate change. Today, green crabs are one of the most common crab species in the Northwest Atlantic with growing populations in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the West Coast of the US and Canada.

Fortunately, green crab is also a delicious and versatile seafood with a rich culinary history in its native and invasive range. In Venice, green crabs are sold as soft-shells and for their bright orange roe (eggs). In Tunisia, France, and Portugal, green crabs are a staple ingredient in stocks for soups, couscous, and sauces. In Massachusetts and Rhode Island, invasive green crabs have been used as a substitute for rice paddy crab dishes such as Khmer kdam prai and Vietnamese bún riêu since the early 2000s.

Airbnb and American Farmland Trust are launching the Farm to Stay Grant Program through AFT’s Brighter Future Fund. This national grant will support farmers and ranchers creating or expanding farm stays and experiences as an additional income stream. We will distribute approximately 25-30 grants of up to $10,000 each.

Farmers and ranchers are navigating rising costs, volatile markets, and weather-related risks. At the same time, traveler interest in rural destinations and farm stays is growing. Not only will this partnership help farmers and ranchers build an additional income stream; it will also give more people a meaningful connection to working farms and ranches and the families who operate them.

Eligibility and guideline details will be made available before applications open in late November 2026.