(2/2021) Conservation Reserve Program General Signup Begins

Agricultural producers and private landowners interested in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) can sign up for the popular program until Feb. 12. The competitive program, administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provides annual rental payments for land devoted to conservation purposes.

"This signup for the Conservation Reserve Program gives producers and landowners an opportunity to enroll for the first time or continue their participation for another term," Jim Eichhorst said. "This program encourages conservation on sensitive lands or low-yielding acres, which provides tremendous benefits for stewardship of our natural resources and wildlife."

Through CRP, farmers and ranchers establish long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees, to control soil erosion, improve water quality and enhance wildlife habitat on cropland. Farmers and ranchers who participate in CRP help provide numerous benefits to their local region and the nation’s environment and economy. CRP general signup is held annually and is competitive; general signup includes increased opportunities for wildlife habitat enrollment through the State Acres For Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) initiative.

New cropland offered in the program must have been planted for four out of six crop years from 2012 to 2017. Additionally, producers with land already enrolled but expiring on Sept. 30, can re-enroll this year. The acreage offered by producers and landowners is evaluated competitively; accepted offers will begin Oct. 1.

Signed into law in 1985, CRP is one of the largest private-lands conservation programs in the United States. The program marked its 35-year anniversary in December 2020. Program successes include:

• Preventing more than 9 billion tons of soil from eroding, which is enough soil to fill 600 million dump trucks.
• Reducing nitrogen and phosphorous runoff relative to annually tilled cropland by 95% and 85%, respectively.
• Sequestering an annual average of 49 million tons of greenhouse gases, equal to taking 9 million cars off the road.
• Creating more than 3 million acres of restored wetlands while protecting more than 175,000 stream miles with riparian forest and grass buffers, which is enough to go around the world seven times.
• Benefiting bees and other pollinators and increasing populations of ducks, pheasants, turkey, bobwhite quail, prairie chickens, grasshopper sparrows, and many other birds.

All USDA Service Centers are open for business, including those that restrict in-person visits or require appointments. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service or any other Service Center agency should call ahead and schedule an appointment. Service Centers that are open for appointments will pre-screen visitors based on health concerns or recent travel, and visitors must adhere to social distancing guidelines. Visitors are also required to wear a face covering during their appointment. Our program delivery staff will continue to work with our producers by phone, email, and using online tools. More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.

Agriculture Innovation Grants

Applications are being accepted for Frederick County Government’s new Agriculture Innovation Grants. The program is designed to keep agriculture a viable and profitable industry for future generations of farmers, a goal of the award-winning Livable Frederick master plan. Farmers may apply for competitive grants of $5,000 or more to help expand or diversify their business operations.

To be eligible, applicants must be a crop or livestock producer, a value-added producer, an agricultural cooperative, a seafood processor, or a primary or secondary timber products processor. Funds may be used for research and development, production buildings, major fixtures, or processing facilities.

Information on the program, including how to apply, is available online at www.DiscoverFrederickMd.com/ag_innovation_grant. If a printed application is required, contact Katie Stevens, Associate Director of Agriculture Business Development in the Office of Economic Development. She can be reached by phone at 240-285-2795.

A review committee will score all applications based on established metrics and then recommend awards to the County Executive. The process is expected to take four to six weeks after the application period closes. There will be two application periods each year for the Agricultural Innovation Grant Program, one in January and another in July.