AUBURN, Ala., August 23, 2011 – State Conservationist Dr. William Puckett with the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announces October 1, 2011, as the cutoff date for a partnership initiative with the Alabama, Mountains, Rivers, and Valleys Resource Conservation and Development Council on capturing rainwater runoff from poultry houses under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Applying for EQIP is continuous; however, selecting applications for funding is completed periodically through batching periods with specific cutoff dates.
EQIP is a voluntary program that provides financial and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers who face threats to soil, water, air, and related natural resources on their land. Rainwater harvesting is a method for collecting, storing, purifying and conserving local surface run-off for agriculture purposes. The initiative targets four house broiler operations between 5 to 15 years old.
Poultry producers in the following targeted counties are encouraged to participate: Cullman and Franklin.
For more information about NRCS conservation programs, visit: http://www.al.nrcs.usda.gov/ or visit the nearest USDA Service Center to determine eligibility.
Contact your local NRCS or Farm Service Agency Office to begin this process. NRCS field offices are listed in the telephone directory under U.S. Department of Agriculture or on-line at http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/.