Taking the next step in conservation
by Landry Jones, MFA Conservation Grazing Specialist
Conservation is something most producers embrace, whether they realize it or not.
Government conservation programs are not for everyone, but, in one form or another, conservation and agriculture go hand in hand. Conservation is synonymous with stewardship, one of MFA’s core values and something that most producers embrace, whether they realize it or not.
Stewardship may be changing from an ivermectin dewormer to a “white wormer” that more efficiently and effectively reduces parasite loads in your cattle without harming dung beetles. Stewardship could be using MFA’s Nutri-Track N modeling program to discover you only need 50 pounds of nitrogen on your corn instead of the 100 pounds you historically have applied, saving money while reducing nitrogen runoff in our creeks and rivers. Or maybe stewardship on your farm is as simple as adding another crop to the rotation for improved soil health.
The conservation and stewardship practices we adopt are typically implemented due to a financial incentive, increasing profitability for our operations. The financial incentive may be provided through a private or public entity, helping to ensure we maintain the practice and find the true value the change has on our farms.
One government-funded conservation program I encourage producers to consider is the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). This program is designed to reward producers who are already doing conservation practices on their operation, while also incentivizing them to adopt additional activities that go above and beyond what they are already doing.
For example, maybe you have a rotational grazing system installed and operational, but you have considered stockpiling fescue to reduce winter hay feeding. CSP would help with implementing measures to stockpile the fescue. Maybe your operation has been using single-species cover crops in front of soybeans for a while, and you wanted to try planting a more diverse cover crop in front of corn. CSP would incentivize you to maintain or improve some of the existing stewardship management you were already doing.
CSP contracts use a competitive ranking process, meaning that the more conservation practices you sign up for, the more likely it is to be funded. If you already have acres in a CSP contract, you may be eligible to renew your contract for an additional five-year term during the fifth year of the initial contract. Participants who have met the terms of their initial contract and agree to implement more conservation activities can compete for a renewal contract. To meet the renewal threshold, the participant must agree to meet or exceed two additional priority resource concerns or agree to adopt or improve conservation activities to achieve higher levels of conservation for two existing priority resource concerns.
“Conservation is something most producers embrace, whether they realize it or not.”
Eligible acreage includes private agricultural lands, agricultural Indian lands, nonindustrial private forest land, farmsteads, associated agricultural lands and public land that is under the control of the applicant and part of their operation. There is no minimum acreage requirement. CSP enrolls your entire operation into the program, not just one specific field or tract. All land must comply with USDA highly erodible land and wetland conservation provisions to be eligible for CSP.
If you are interested in CSP or have more questions about the program, the first step is to contact your local NRCS office. A conservation planner will schedule a visit to your property and walk the land with you to discuss your goals and review any resource concerns. Following the site visit, the conservation planner will develop a plan that includes a variety of conservation practices or activities to address the resource concerns and management goals discussed.
At times, “conservation” can have a stigma, depending on the definition, but think of it as a way to increase profitability on the farm while also enhancing and protecting the resources you rely on every day to make a living. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me at ljones@mfa-inc.com.