This Conservative Funding Opportunity May Be For You

January 9, 2017 Leave a comment


By Anna Johnson, annaj@cfra.org, Center for Rural Affairs

Farmers and ranchers, there’s a great conservation funding opportunity from the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) that you can take advantage of.

The NRCS is accepting initial applications for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) at its local offices and on its website (http://bit.ly/2gLg2Q6) until Feb. 3. CSP is a national program, tailored at the state and local levels to address regional conservation concerns.

Paul Ackley, in Taylor County, Iowa, found that enrolling in this program allowed him to implement conservation practices. On land he rented and owned, he noticed the soil was looking tired after several years of cropping – his beans even turned white in certain places where the soil was particularly depleted.

With payments from CSP, Paul was able to add soft red winter wheat to his corn-soy rotation, and the soil started looking healthier. He also used payments to begin rotational grazing on part of his grazing land. Now his pastures are more diverse and he has more warm season grasses.

Is CSP right for you? The program is designed to reward farmers and ranchers for using conservation practices on their land. It provides comprehensive conservation assistance to whole farms. Farmers and ranchers can receive payments for practices like planting cover crops, installing buffer strips or starting rotational grazing.

Remember, the deadline to submit an initial application is Feb. 3. If you have questions, we can help. Contact us at the Center for Rural Affairs at annaj@cfra.org or 515.329.0172.

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Conservation, Crop Insurance and Tax Dollars

June 16, 2015 Leave a comment


By Rachael Meyer, rachaelm@cfra.org, Center for Rural Affairs

America loves farmers. Our government loves them so much that they subsidize, on average, 62 percent of their crop insurance premiums. Crop insurance provides a safety net for farmers when things go wrong, and premium subsidies were intended to get more farmers interested in using crop insurance.
 
Crop insurance guarantees income year after year, but does not require much at all in terms of good soil and water conservation from farmers. Since farmers know they are guaranteed income, there is nothing stopping them from increasing insured acreage by planting marginal land, or land that is unsuitable for farming. Insurance companies ultimately hand farmers a nice cash reward for damaging the heartland.
 
To cut the budget, congress took money out of programs that support conservation such as the Conservation Stewardship Program. At the same time that they made this decision, they had spent $58.7 billion (from 2003-2012) on premium subsidies and administrative and loss reimbursements for insurance companies like Wells Fargo, which had $1.4 trillion in assets in 2013, and Ace, which had a $2.7 billion net income in 2012. But why put money toward conserving the soil and water we rely on for food when so much money goes to the very companies that are paying farmers through insurance regardless of their conservation efforts?
 
America needs to reexamine the effect crop insurance is having on our food industry or else taxpayers will continue to pour money into supporting farming practices that only destroy our environment.

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Deadline Extended for Conservation Stewardship Program

March 9, 2015 Leave a comment


Lyons, NE – USDA’s National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) recently announced  that the deadline for producer applications for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) has been extended to March 13, 2015.
While CSP is a continuous sign-up program and producers can apply to enroll at any time of the year, NRCS applies a cut-off date for applications to be considered during a particular fiscal year.  Once the cut-off date is past, producers may continue to apply for the program, but they will not be considered for entry until the spring of the following year, in this case spring of 2016. In order to enroll in 2015 applications must filed by March 13.
“We hope more farmers and ranchers will take advantage of this extension for the CSP application deadline. To meet this deadline, they just need to submit the basic application form to their local NRCS office,” said Traci Bruckner, Assistant Director of Rural Policy at the Center for Rural Affairs.
According to Bruckner, the Conservation Stewardship Program is a voluntary stewardship incentives program, administered by NRCS, designed to reward farmers, ranchers, and foresters for maintaining existing conservation, as well as for the adoption of additional conservation measures that provide multiple environmental benefits that run beyond the farm or ranch. This program pays producers for clean water, better soil management, improved habitat, energy efficiency, and other natural resource benefits. Since the program began in 2009, nearly 70 million acres of farm and ranch land have been enrolled in the program.
Bruckner is encouraging farmers, ranchers and others to call the Center for Rural Affairs’ Farm Bill Helpline to share their experiences, both positive and negative. “We know the previous sign-ups have yielded some great success stories for farmers and ranchers, but also some disappointments and frustrations.”
“We want this program to work for all farmers and ranchers employing conservation-based farming systems, and firmly believe the CSP is a step in the right direction for policy to financially reward historical commitments to conservation, as well as encourage further adoption,” Bruckner continued. “This is a far better approach than paying to clean-up problems.”
“One of the main goals for our Farm Bill Helpline is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of programs such as the CSP,” said Bruckner. “It is only with that information that we are able to push for any needed changes and improvements.”
Producers can also receive guidance for applying for other conservation programs. “Through our helpline you will speak to someone who is knowledgeable about the program rules to help you understand how to participate in the program,” Bruckner added. Producers can call (402) 687-2100 and ask for the Farm Bill Helpline or send an email to tracib@cfra.org.

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Time is Running Out to Sign Up For CSP

February 17, 2015 Leave a comment


By Traci Bruckner, tracib@cfra.org, Center for Rural Affairs 

Time is running out for farmers and ranchers that want to participate in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) this year. February 27th is the deadline for the 2015 round. Producers should visit their local NRCS office before that date to initiate the application process.

 

The CSP rewards farmers, ranchers, and foresters for maintaining existing conservation practices and for adopting additional practices on cropland, grassland, non-industrial private forestland and tribal lands. The program pays producers for fostering clean water, better soil management, improved habitat, and other natural resource benefits.

 

As part of the CSP application process, applicants work with NRCS field personnel to complete a resource inventory of their land to determine the conservation performance for existing and new conservation activities. The applicant’s conservation performance will be used to determine eligibility, ranking and payments. Contracts are awarded to those offering the highest level of environmental benefits, with NRCS working down through the list of eligible applicants until acreage allocated to the particular state runs out.

 

In addition, producers who received a CSP contract in 2011 have the opportunity to renew their contract for another five-year period. Renewal applications must be received by March 31, 2015 to ensure a seamless transition into their next contract without a lapse in payments. Renewal contracts do not compete with new applicants.

 

Potential applicants can call the Center for Rural Affairs Farm Bill helpline by calling (402) 687-2100 or emailing Traci Bruckner at tracib@cfra.org for assistance from Center staff with knowledge about program rules.

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