(FDACS/TALLAHASSEE, FL/03-05-25) – Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced that the Governor and Cabinet, sitting as the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, have approved the preservation of nearly 6,500 acres of working Florida farms and ranches through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. Rural lands protection easements prevent …
Conservation Stewardship Program Sign-up Ends Friday in Georgia
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Georgia (NRCS-GA) wants to remind agricultural producers and forest landowners in the state looking to build on previous conservation efforts to apply by Friday, March 7th for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) to be included in this funding batch. CSP provides many benefits, including increased crop yields, decreased inputs, wildlife habitat improvements and increased resilience to adverse weather. CSP …
Protect Your Ag Land with a Conservation Easement in Florida
Agricultural landowners in Florida that may interested in protecting the integrity of your property are urged to consider safeguarding your land with a conservation easement through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Florida (NRCS-FL). While they do accept agricultural conservation easement applications year-round Friday, March 7th is the cutoff date to get applications in for Fiscal Year 2025 funding. The Agricultural Conservation Easement …
Washington County, Florida Farmland Preserved through RFLPP
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has announced the preservation of more Florida farmland through their Rural and Family Lands Protection Program (RFLPP). Hard Labor Creek, a 2,336-acre property located in Washington County, is being preserved through a rural lands protection easement for $4,995,000. Hard Labor Creek is 2,336 acres of rolling pinelands and forested wetlands in Washington County that includes …
Farmers Still Caught in Trump’s Funding Freeze
The Trump administration is withholding funds from farmers participating in conservation programs, despite the White House’s assurance last week that funding to individuals would not be frozen. Contractors supporting these programs have also been affected. The Iowa Soybean Association, in a letter to lawmakers, warned that $11 million owed to farmers is at risk. Many farmers are only now learning …
American Agriculture History Minute: Conservation to Control Flood Waters Begins
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. In 1885, Harriet Strong made a study about the shortage of water in Nevada, including control of floodwaters and water storage. She advocated conservation as a flood remedy, proposing a succession of dams to conserve the water for irrigation purposes and the generation of electricity. In 1887, she was granted a …
USDA Freezes Conservation, Farmer Payments
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has frozen some funding for farmers as it goes through a sweeping review, despite assurances from the Trump administration that programs helping farmers wouldn’t be affected during the government overhaul. Reuters says the impact has been wide-ranging, from cash assistance for ranchers to fixing cattle watering systems to help for corn growers wanting to …
NRCS Plant Materials Centers Support the National Seed Strategy
Plant development and studies at USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Plant Materials Centers (PMC) are a critical component of the multi-agency National Seed Strategy to ensure that private and public lands have the seed they need for revegetation and restoration projects. Native plant communities are nature-based solutions that provide essential environmental benefits, such as buffering against extreme weather, improving soil health and water, and conserving …
USDA Accepts EQIP Applications on a Continuous Basis
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) wants to remind landowners about the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). By providing financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers, EQIP addresses natural resource concerns and delivers environmental benefits. Those benefits include improved water and air quality, conserved ground and surface water, reduced soil erosion and sedimentation or improved or created wildlife habitat. EQIP provides cost share assistance …
USDA Invests in Two Florida Composting and Food Waste Reduction Projects
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing more than $7.5 million in 26 cooperative agreements that support innovative, scalable waste management plans to reduce and divert food waste from landfills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. And the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Florida (NRCS-FL) notes two Florida projects have been selected. The Composting and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) cooperative agreements are part of USDA’s …