USDA offers conservation funding to Missouri producers

Thursday, October 26, 2023

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is encouraging agricultural producers and forest landowners in Missouri to participate in voluntary conservation programs in fiscal year 2024.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), and Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). These programs help a wide variety of producers, including urban and organic producers.

NRCS has $3 billion in Inflation Reduction Act funds to invest in climate-smart mitigation activities and more than $2 billion in Farm Bill funding available to producers for priorities like organic and urban agriculture, soil health, water quality and quantity, and wildlife habitat development.

Producers can apply for funding from both the Farm Bill and the Inflation Reduction Act. In some cases, applications for eligible practices that meet or exceed state-determined minimum ranking thresholds will automatically be considered for priority funding when applying for EQIP and CSP.

NRCS provides technical and financial assistance for conservation practices that are popular among organic as well as traditional producers, including cover crops, integrated pest management, drip irrigation, high tunnels, and rotational grazing. NRCS also provides assistance for a new organic management conservation practice, which was introduced in fiscal year 2023 as part of USDA’s Organic Transition Initiative.

NRCS also provides technical and financial assistance for conservation practices that are popular among urban producers, including high tunnels, soil health management systems, composting, irrigation, and weed and pest management.

USDA is increasing staffing at its St. Louis, Mo., Urban Service Center where employees will offer farm loan, conservation, disaster assistance, and risk management programs. USDA is also establishing an Urban County Committee in Kansas City, Mo. To learn more, visit usda.gov.

For more information about NRCS programs and assistance or to find your local USDA Service Center, visit www.mo.nrcs.usda.gov.