Florida Private Landowners Encouraged to Apply for Conservation Easement Funding

Dan Conservation, Environment, Florida, Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), USDA-NRCS

Florida landowners in the St. Marks and Aucilla watersheds interested in protecting the conservation values of their land can apply for conservation easement funding through the Red Hills to the Coast – Connecting Land and Water project. Applications will be accepted through March 17, 2023. Led by the Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy, in partnership with the USDA Natural Resources …

Georgia NRCS Announces CSP Sign-up for Classic and IRA Funding

Dan Conservation, Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Environment, Georgia, USDA-NRCS

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Georgia has announced a Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) sign-up. Agricultural producers and forest landowners looking to build on previous conservation efforts and building climate resiliency should consider one of two funding opportunities available and apply by March 31. This year, NRCS will offer the statewide Classic CSP sign-up option for all producers in Georgia, as well …

Sorghum: A Useful Pollinator Food Source

Dan Pollinators, Pollinators, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours, USDA-ARS

An alternative food source for pollinators. That’s coming up in This Land of Ours. Sorghum bicolor, a pollen-rich grass species cultivated for grain and forage, which looks similar to corn, can be an important food source for pollinators and other beneficial insects during times when pollen and nectar are scarce. Researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) …

Alabama NRCS Announces Funding for Climate Smart Agriculture

Dan Alabama, Climate Change, Conservation, Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Environment, Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), USDA-NRCS

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Alabama encourages agricultural producers and forest landowners in the state to participate in voluntary conservation programs and adopt climate-smart practices. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provided additional funding over five years for climate smart agriculture through several of the conservation programs that NRCS implements. This includes the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). In Alabama, …

Conservation Easement Program Signup Deadline is Feb. 28 in Florida

Dan Agricultural Conservation Easement Program – Wetland Reserve Easements (ACEP-WRE), Conservation, Environment, Florida, USDA-NRCS, Water, Wetland

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida wants to remind agricultural landowners in the state who are interested in protecting their land uses with conservation values the fiscal year 2023 application deadline through the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) is Tuesday, February 28. NRCS in Florida is accepting applications for the Wetland Reserve Easement (WRE) component of ACEP. The program protects grazing uses and …

USDA-NRCS in Georgia Announces Sign-up for Conservation Practices

Dan Conservation, Environment, Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Georgia, Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), USDA-NRCS

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Georgia is conducting an Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) sign-up utilizing funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). This statewide sign-up will take two approaches to assist producers who plan to build climate resiliency into their operations. First, those applying for cover crops will be administered through the ACT NOW approach, which is a targeted, rapid, and streamlined …

Agricultural Landowners in Florida Reminded to Apply for CSP by February 24

Dan Conservation, Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Environment, Florida, USDA-NRCS

Agricultural landowners in Florida are being reminded applications to participate in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) are due by Friday, February 24th to qualify for the program’s current funding cycle. Through this voluntary conservation program, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) works one-on-one with producers to develop a conservation plan that outlines and enhances existing efforts while improving their agricultural operations. Using new conservation …

NPPC Leads Effort to Overturn EPA’s New Proposal on Rodenticides

Dan Environment, National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), Pork, USDA-EPA

EPA announced a proposal to overturn decades-long policies regulating farmers’ and ranchers’ use of rodenticides. The proposed changes would enhance current restrictions, create new certifications and trainings, add more requirements to labels, reclassify some products to restricted use pesticides and, if not the most important aspect, presents a major biosecurity risk to farms. A challenging, time-consuming and expensive proposal for …

Virtual Meeting of Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production is Thursday

Dan Agri-Business, Conservation, Education, Environment, USDA-NRCS

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is encouraging urban producers, innovative producers and other stakeholders to virtually attend the fourth public meeting of the Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (Committee) on Feb. 23 from 3:30-6pm ET.? The Committee will discuss recommendations it intends to submit to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to remove barriers to urban and innovative producers and …