Many landowners across Alabama have heard of, and possibly even worked with Steve Musser through USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Alabama. But some of you may not have heard that after 42 years, Musser has officially retired. He started with the NRCS in January of 1979 at the Dale county field office in Ozark, Alabama as a soil conservationist, but …
USDA Expanding Access to Conservation Assistance
Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced they were investing $50 million in 118 partnerships to expand access to conservation assistance for climate-smart agriculture and forestry. The Equity Conservation Cooperative Agreements, administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), will fund two-year projects to expand the delivery of conservation assistance to farmers who are new to farming, low income, socially disadvantaged or military …
USDA Announces Targeted Cover Crop Initiative for Georgia
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 …
USDA Offers Expanded Conservation Program Opportunities in Florida
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida has announced several new and expanded opportunities for climate-smart agriculture in 2022. Updates include nationwide availability of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Conservation Incentive Contracts option. “Climate change is happening, and America’s agricultural communities are on the frontlines,” NRCS State Conservationist Juan Hernandez said. “We have to continue to support and expand the adoption …
Conservation Program Opportunities Support Climate Smart Agriculture in Alabama
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Alabama wants to remind producers and landowners across the state about several new and expanded opportunities for climate smart agriculture in 2022. These updates include availability of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Conservation Incentive Contracts option. It is a new and streamlined EQIP Cover Crop Initiative which includes added flexibilities for producers to easily re-enroll …
Alabama SWCC on Installation of Irrigation Pivots
Back in 2019, the Alabama Soil and Water Conservation Committee (SWCC) worked with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) to identify watersheds that would have funding priority for new irrigation systems. To update that progress, Alabama SWCC Executive Director Dr. William Puckett, told Southeast AgNet this week about the four areas of the state they are working with. Learn more …
USDA Renews Partnership with Federation of Southern Cooperatives
During an event held Monday in East Point, Ga., Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack joined the Executive Director of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund, Cornelius Blanding, to sign an agreement signifying a continued partnership between USDA and the nonprofit organization. The partnership aims to increase the number of minority landowners in the South and support them in sustainable forestry and …
Florida Natural Resource Meeting Web Conference is January 26
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida will conduct a State Technical Committee meeting January 26, from 10:00 am-12:00 pm Eastern time. The meeting is available to the public and NRCS will provide a report for natural resource and program priority decisions and seek recommendations. Materials for the meeting can be found on the NRCS State Technical Committee website. Here are the …
Restoring Longleaf Pine Forests through USDA-NRCS Program
While longleaf pine forests once encompassed more than 90 million acres across the Southeast, the past couple of centuries has seen development, timbering and fire suppression reduce the ecosystem’s range. These forests represent some of the world’s most biologically diverse ecosystems and are home to nearly 600 plant and animal species. That is why USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) …
2022 Soils Planner is Now Available
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) wants landowners to know the 2022 Soils Planner is now available. USDA’s Soil and Plant Science Division notes it is a highly educational, calendar-style planner and is provided free to the public while supplies last. Individual copies can be ordered from the NRCS Distribution Center website at nrcspad.sc.egov.usda.gov. Enter the keyword “planner” …