What's Up at the USDA Office?
Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
November 1: Organic Certification Cost-Share and Transition/Education Certification Program
January 31: Livestock Forage Program (LFP)
2024 Program Dates
submitted by Ben Cottrell, District Conservationist
The end of September brings the end of the Fiscal Year 2023 for us and all the Farm Bill Programs. With that, we are transitioning to a new set of funding for Fiscal Year 2024. It was recently announced that an established application date for the first round of funding considerations on all programs will be November 3, 2023. Applications will still be accepted on a continual basis after the date and considered for future funding rounds. Two of the bigger programs we assist producers within the county are the Conservation Stewardship Program and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.
The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)helps agricultural producers maintain and improve their existing conservation systems and adopt additional conservation activities to address priority resource concerns. CSP pays participants for conservation performance - the higher the performance, the higher the payment.
CSP provides two possible types of payments through five-year contracts: annual payments for installing new conservation activities and maintaining existing practices; and supplemental payments for adopting a resource-conserving crop rotation.
In Fiscal Year 2022, NRCS obligated more than $16.4 million in new and renewed CSP contracts through 374 contracts covering 225,497 acres. In Fiscal Year 2023, preliminary results indicate an increase to about $23 million in CSP funding through about 450 contracts.
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
Through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the NRCS provides conservation planning and financial assistance to implement conservation practices such as no-till, cover crops, terraces, grassed waterways, nutrient management, manure management facilities, and pasture management.
During Fiscal Year 2022, NRCS obligated more than $31.9 million in EQIP financial assistance to Iowa farmers, covering 101,403 acres through 838 contracts.
In Fiscal Year 2023, preliminary results indicate an increase to about $35 million in EQIP funding throughout Iowa through about 900 contracts.
If you are interested in applying or would like more information, stop by the office or give us a call at 563-568-2148 Ext. 3.
