The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Georgia has announced several new and expanded opportunities for conservation programs that lend to climate-smart agriculture production in fiscal year 2022. Among these is the Cover Crop Initiative (CCI) that incentivizes the use of cover crops on Georgia’s agricultural land.
The Georgia counties included in this targeted effort to improve soil health through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) are: Baker, Baldwin, Ben Hill, Bleckley, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Calhoun, Chatham, Coffee, Colquitt, Crawford, Crisp, Decatur, Dodge, Dooly, Dougherty, Early, Effingham, Emanuel, Glascock, Grady, Greene, Hancock, Houston, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Jones, Laurens, Lee, Macon, Marion, Miller, Mitchell, Montgomery, Peach, Pulaski, Schley, Screven, Seminole, Sumter, Taliaferro, Taylor, Telfair, Treutlen, Turner, Twiggs, Warren, Washington, Wheeler, Wilcox, Wilkinson and Worth.
“Cover crops provide multiple benefits to the land, a producer’s bottom line, and are a critical tool to help them combat the effects of climate change,” NRCS State Conservationist Terrance O. Rudolph said. “By drastically reducing erosion and improving the availability of nutrients and water, cover crops help build a more extreme weather resilient landscape and help Georgia’s farmers and ranchers management goals.”
Through this initiative, NRCS can support the goals of agricultural producers and increase the critical environmental benefits that cover crops provide.
NRCS accepts applications for conservation programs year-round, but to be included in this funding batch, producers should contact their local USDA Service Center and apply by January 25, 2022. To learn more, visit the NRCS Cover Crops and Soil Health webpage.