The 2018 Farm Bill was passed nearly two years ago, and efforts to implement this piece of legislation still continue today. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been working hard to write the regulations necessary to update its programs and incorporate new provisions from the farm bill ever since it was signed into law. In the past few weeks, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has finalized the regulations for two of the biggest conservation programs in the farm bill – the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
CSP provides financial assistance to producers who have already begun to implement conservation on their land and are committed to doing more. Producers must have enrolled their entire operation in the program and have already addressed two priority resource concerns, as well as commit to addressing another priority resource concern over the life of their five-year contract.
The 2018 Farm Bill made some significant changes, including funding cuts to CSP. Changes to the program include:
- Removing the requirement of $18 average payment per acre;
- Eliminating automatic renewals in the program;
- Authorizing a few special “initiatives” with increased payment rates, including a comprehensive conservation plan, cover crops, resource crop rotations and advanced grazing management;
- Changing application ranking to focus more on the outcomes of practices;
- Directing the secretary to streamline and coordinate EQIP and CSP and to manage the program to enhance soil health; and
- Creating a new “Grasslands Conservation Initiative” within CSP, intended to protect grazing lands and improve soil, water and wildlife resources on land with base acres that have not been planted in 10 years.
Environmental Quality Incentives Programs (EQIP)
EQIP is one of the bedrock conservation programs responsible for introducing many farmers, ranchers and forestland owners to conservation. As such, it was a priority for NACD to ensure EQIP continues to receive a robust investment in the 2018 Farm Bill.
Unlike CSP, EQIP received a boost in funding in the 2018 Farm Bill. Other changes to the program include:
- Authorizing new conservation activity plans, including conservation planning assessment, soil health planning, resource-conserving, crop rotation planning, and precision conservation management planning;
- Authorizing soil testing and soil remediation as a practice;
- Cutting the livestock set-aside from 60 percent to 50 percent and increasing the wildlife set aside from five percent to 10 percent annually; and
- Retaining many of the other “carve-outs” or “set-asides” in the program, which makes it more difficult for program priorities to be set at the local level.
Looking Ahead
While work on regulations for these two programs has been completed, NACD is still waiting for the final regulations for several more programs. USDA is still finalizing the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).
NACD expects these regulations to be released in the coming months. Fortunately, USDA is still able to continue implementing these programs under the existing regulations as long as necessary. While the regulation-writing process can be lengthy, cooperators at the local level should see NRCS and Farm Service Agency (FSA) working as normal.
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JOHNSON COUNTY SWCD, IOWA |
The project’s initial goal was to improve land quality at the Johnson County Poor Farm, as poor drainage was becoming an issue for farmers. The high volume of food grown on Poor Farm by the nonprofit Grow: Johnson County and the Iowa Valley Global Food Project greatly benefited underrepresented populations in the area, including immigrant communities.
Through the 2017 UAC Grant, the partners implemented cover crops, installed a bioreactor, shaped waterways, and installed tiling for drainage. Workshops and educational initiatives were also developed for the community and promoted on Facebook, greatly benefiting community members. Throughout this project, Continuum Ag, an agricultural cooperative, assisted in soil health monitoring, which evaluated changes in nutrient availability and soil health regularly and was also documented through photos, Facebook posts and a soil health field day.
Now, over two years after the project began, Poor Farm and the community are seeing continual success after the implementation of these strategies. The soil samples (pictured above) done twice a month year-round by Continuum Ag yielded very helpful data, including trends in nutrient availability and soil health.
Understanding how the soil is changing gives the organizations using the land and the farmers managing the soil very useful information and insight on how the soil and crops are responding. Grow: Johnson County has continued to monitor the tile drainage through testing with the help of the University of Iowa. Since this project began in 2017, they have installed groundwater wells and will use these to monitor the depth to the groundwater as they adjust the gates in the tile system.
The Iowa Valley Global Food Project, which also uses land on Poor Farm, had “a fantastic three years of production, and then–pandemic.” They are waiting to see what comes in the near future but have suspended operations for this past growing season. Learn more about the project here.
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NRCS ENCOURAGES "KEEPING THE STUBBLE"
ON LANDS WITH
NO-TILL NOVEMBER
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This month, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is encouraging farmers nationwide to “keep the stubble” on their harvested crop fields and improve soil health during No-Till November.
Launched in 2017, the NRCS project is mirrored after the national cancer awareness "No Shave November" campaign that encourages people not to shave during the entire month. The NRCS campaign encourages farmers to keep tillage equipment in their machine sheds this fall and keep the crop stubble on their fields.
According to NRCS, no-till is one of the key practices of soil health management systems and can improve water quality, reduce erosion, and save money. The campaign has reached more than 1.5 million people through Twitter and local media since 2017.
To learn more about the benefits of no-till through the lenses of soil health, water quality, economics and beneficial microbes, visit NRCS's website.
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SPACE LEFT FOR
NOVEMBER U&C WEBINAR
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Space is still left for NACD's Urban and Community (U&C) Conservation webinar, scheduled for 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020, featuring Oklahoma's Yard by Yard Community Resiliency Project.
In conjunction with the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts (OACD), the Oklahoma County Conservation District (OCCD) recently launched the Yard by Yard Community Resiliency Project. This community-based yard certification program highlights and rewards urban neighbors who adopt earth-friendly conservation practices on their land and empowers them to encourage their friends and neighbors to do the same.
These popular webinars, held on the third Thursday of each month, are sponsored by The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation in partnership with the NACD Urban and Community Resource Policy Group. There is no cost to participate, but space is limited. Registration will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis.
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NACD Offices Closed
for Veterans Day
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NACD's offices will be closed Wednesday, Nov. 11, in observance of Veterans Day.
At NACD, we honor and support those who have served us. Read about the Spokane Conservation District's Vets on the Farm program, which teaches former U.S. military veterans agricultural practices through teaching sessions and technical assistance.
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NOYF 2021 Awards Congress Canceled |
The officers of the Outstanding Farmers of America (OFA) recently announced that the 2021 National Outstanding Young Farmers (NOYF) Awards Congress, scheduled for Feb. 4-7, 2021, in Appleton Wis., has been canceled due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) concerns.
Candidates for the 2021 NOYF Awards will be recognized at the 2022 NOYF Awards Congress, which is planned for Hilton Head Island, S.C., in February of 2022. Both candidates from 2021 and the new class of 2022 will be honored there.
OFA appreciates the understanding of the members as this difficult decision is announced. Read the full statement at NOYF's website. |
Submit Your Friends
of NACD District
Grants Program Application Today
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What would your conservation district do with a Friends of NACD District Grant? Learn more about the 2020 awardee winners and their projects, including the remote seed sanctuary that the Richland County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) in South Carolina implemented this year.
You still have time to propose your creative new project and apply for a $2,500 Friends of NACD District Grant before the Nov. 30, 2020 deadline. Review the full RFP and eligibility criteria on the Friends of NACD District Grants webpage. Contact NACD Pacific Region Representative Ariel Rivers at
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Register Now:
NRCS Webinar on Ecosystem Services
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On Thursday, Nov. 12 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will host a webinar on linking ecosystem service values (such as reduced flooding risks and improvements of air and water quality) to rangeland practices in the central Great Plains.
This webinar is part of NRCS's "Conservation Outcomes" monthly webinar series, which highlights recent outcomes, emerging opportunities, and conservation tools and data developed to assist with conservation planning and impact and efficiency assessment.
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Out on the Land, Sharing Conservation Secrets Available for Purchase
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Retired Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist (Texas) Dr. Larry Butler recently wrote and published a book entitled Out on the Land, Sharing Conservation Secrets.
This book features the stories and experiences of Dr. Butler and how he became inspired to dedicate his life to the conservation mission. Covering almost seven decades of work, Dr. Butler discusses his work with ranchers and other land managers and conservation groups who inspired him to create positive change on the nation's lands.
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SCDEA Announces Award Winners |
On Nov. 4, the Southeast Conservation District Employees Association (SECDEA) announced the winners of the annual District Official and District Professional Awards. The 2020 winners are:
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District Official Award: Jerry Smith, Mississippi Association of Conservation Districts (MACD) president and NACD alternate board member
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District Professional Award: Meleiah Tyus, information and education specialist, Desoto County SWCD, Miss.
Congratulations to both winners!
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Promote your conservation district or state association's tree sale, annual meeting, webinar, field day or more on NACD's Calendar of Events!
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