Enrollment for USDA Farm Service Agencys Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has opened.
The program began Dec. 9 and runs through Feb. 28.
This is an opportunity for producers to submit offers to re-enroll land that expired from a previous CRP contract or to re-enroll an existing CRP contract that expire in September 2020.
Some of the basic eligibility requirements:
Producers must have owned or operated the land for at least 12 months prior to close of sign-up.
The land must be cropland that was planted or considered planted to an agricultural commodity four of the six years from 2012 to 2017.
Have a weighted average erosion index of 8 or higher or be expiring CRP acreage.
This may be whole or part of a field.
General sign-up offers are typically larger land masses than the Continuous CRP practices.
General CRP practices require the land to be seeded to a permanent cover.
In exchange for seeding the cover, the program participant will receive an annual rental payment during the 10- to 15-year contract period.
Participants will also be able to receive assistance with the cost of installing the practice. Cost share can be paid on 50% of the eligible actual cost incurred but will be limited to the county average cost.
CRP offers will be taken until Feb. 28 and will be ranked according to the Environmental Benefits Index (EBI).
FSA staff members will explain the EBI ranking factors to allow each producer the opportunity to maximize their EBI score.
After sign-up is complete, all offers are transmitted to Washington, D.C., for ranking and to determine which offers will be accepted.
For more details, please contact the Allen County Farm Service Agency at 202 W. Miller Road, Iola, or call 365-2901.
