By Blake Jackson
A new incentive program is offering financial assistance to farmers and producers who want to adopt agroforestry practices on their land. The Expanding Agroforestry Incentive Payment Program will pay producers $36 million over five years to transform 30,000 acres in 30 states into agroforestry systems.
Program Overview
The program is focused on the use of three agroforestry practices: alley cropping, silvopasture, and windbreaks. These practices can provide a range of benefits to farmers and producers, including increased profitability, diversified production, and improved environmental quality.
Eligibility
Eligible producers can apply for the program through the Nature Conservancy website. The deadline to apply for the first enrollment cycle in the Lower Midwest region, which includes Missouri, is Dec. 15. The next application cycle will begin in spring 2024.
Benefits
Producers selected for the program will receive financial assistance to cover up to 75% of the installation costs of their agroforestry plantings. They will also be paired with technical assistance providers who will help them develop agroforestry plans for their operations.
Impact
The Expanding Agroforestry Incentive Payment Program could eventually spur the adoption of agroforestry practices on tens of millions of acres of U.S. farmlands. This would help to sequester carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve water quality.
For more information, visit nature.org/ExpandingAgroforestry or email the project’s Lower Midwest education specialist, Gina Beebe, at atgbeebe@missouri.edu.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-stockseller_ukr
Categories: Missouri, Crops