Business Support

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 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 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!

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!

Dates: May 28, June 4, June 11 and June 18 2026
Time: 12:30-1:45 EST

As service providers, producers and farm workers in farming, fishing, and forestry industries, we know how stressful these careers and lifestyles can be. We are in the unique position to support the success of our neighbors, family members and clientele, because we understand the uniqueness of their motivations, concerns and wellbeing. While we are strong in many areas, often we are not so confident in our ability to have supportive conversations that will improve decision making, build on their strengths, and address tough topics. You may be unsure about what to say when working with those who are burned out or stressed. The focus of this training series is to strengthen skills and confidence in your ability to use proven communication tools to reduce all types of risks and build resilience in your community members and their enterprises.

This 4-part webinar series will provide an overview and model the Confident Conversations Curriculum developed by University of Delaware Cooperative Extension and colleagues in the NE. The series will be offered Thursdays 12:30 – 1:45 pm EST. The session on May 28th will offer an overview of the materials while the remaining sessions will model each of the 75 – minute lessons. We’ll wrap up each session with a discussion about implementing the materials with your audiences. Funding for this program came from Cultivemos and the NIFA/USDA Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network.

Participants will:
· Increase knowledge and skills for effective communication techniques that facilitate positive and productive conversations. This will include appreciative inquiry; improv techniques and the impact humor can have on mental well being;
· Increase knowledge about mental health, stress and stigma, and the impact these have on producers and their families;
· Increase knowledge of mental health resources and the Confident Conversations programmatic resources;
· Increase capacity to address mental health and build resilience in operations and the family within their communities.
· Increase likelihood to use the educational materials presented.
· If requested, you will receive access to training materials.

Wed, Jun 10 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Online

Running a business isn’t just about dollars and cents. It’s about how you manage all of your resources – and that has a financial impact! It’s important to understand the true cost of spending those resources and the ROI (Return on Investment) you’re getting. This 3-month workshop series is designed to help you calculate the real value of your resources and maximize that investment while building basic business financial literacy skills.

As business owners, we can be inundated with offers to vend, partner, place products, and expand our business, but how do you know if those offers are actually right for you? Now that you know your margins, we’re going to use that leveled-up business mindset to objectively look at “opportunities” such as markets, wholesale, new product lines, etc. to see if they are really worth the investment.

During this workshop, you will learn to:

Determine your goals for engaging in offers
Calculate the cost to your Resource Budget
Evaluate the potential ROI of an offered opportunity
Get creative about making your own opportunities