Conservation advocates hope a federal infusion will cut the backlog of projects. But House Republicans want to repurpose the money for the Farm Bill.

Layering federal and private conservation programs has potential to add extra cash to your bottom line.

NRCS also presents different conservation efforts to children to introduce them to the information on climate-smart practices. "The programs we have now are with the 2018 Farm Bill," Ramming said.

Within NRCS, agency officials are eyeing reforms to make conservation programs more accessible and responsive.

The Biden administration has called such USDA conservation programs a linchpin in the nation’s climate strategy, yet they remain vastly underfunded.

The NRCS had $250 million in additional net budget authority for each program last year due to the Inflation Reduction Act funding, with those amounts expected to increase annually through 2026.

NRCS Deputy of Programs Chief Jimmy Bramblett told Agri-Pulse EQIP is popular because it addresses acute conservation needs such as waste storage facilities on dairy farms or managing a newly ...

The Conservation Stewardship Program, delivered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, is highly popular with farmland owners in North Dakota as a way to increase environmentally-friendly ...

The 2025 application deadline is September 9, 2024, for both Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP).

A sweeping federal investment in combating climate change will almost double the amount of money Wisconsin receives for some of its farm conservation programs, meaning more farmers will be able to ...

But these programs, despite their billion dollar budgets, aren’t equipped to deal with this demand, forcing the agency to turn away the majority of applicants.

The challenge for many growers is finding the time and money to prioritize conservation practices while maintaining daily operations.