FALL IS BUSY! WE ARE BUSY AT THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT OFFICE WITH SEVERAL PROGRAMS GOING ON TO BENEFIT THE MONTGOMERY FARMER AND CONSERVATIONIST!

DEADLINE NOV. 19 – One of the biggest programs of the year, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), offered by the NRCS is going on NOW.  Signup and fill out all eligibility paperwork for cost share assistance on practices like cover crops (1 or 3 year contracts), cropland conversion, erosion control practices, cross fencing, alternative watering sources for livestock, heavy use/feed pads, high tunnels (hoop houses), streambank stabilization, and the list goes on!  Contact our office as soon as possible to discuss your resource concerns:  NLHolt@mcgtn.net or 931-368-0252 x 3.

Check out the formal news release below…

USDA NRCS in Tennessee Now Accepting FY 2022 EQIP Applications
Application deadline is Friday, November 19, 2021

NASHVILLE, October 1, 2021– Producers in Tennessee who are interested in implementing conservation practices to improve natural resources on their farmland have until Friday, November 19, 2021 to submit their application for financial assistance through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

 “We accept applications for this program on a continuous basis, however, only the applications received by November 19th will be considered for funding this fiscal year,” said Sheldon Hightower, NRCS Tennessee State Conservationist. “EQIP places a priority on water quality, water conservation, and promotes soil health practices by offering financial and technical assistance to address these resource concerns on eligible agricultural land.”

EQIP is an incentives-based program that provides technical and financial assistance for conservation systems such as animal waste management facilities, irrigation system efficiency improvements, fencing, and water supply development for improved grazing management, riparian protection, wildlife habitat enhancement, and cover crops for soil resource protection.

Applications can be taken at all Tennessee NRCS county offices and USDA Service Centers.  To locate an office near you, please click visit the USDA Service Center website.  Applications MUST be received in your local Service Center by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, November 19, 2021.

Applicants can submit a signed and dated Form NRCS-CPA-1200 in the office, hand delivered, mailed, scanned, emailed, or through an agency-approved business tool (Farmers.gov). If NRCS receives a program application request by other means, such as by telephone, a NRCS representative must manually prepare Form NRCS-CPA-1200, using the date NRCS received the request in order to establish the application cut-off deadline has been met. NRCS will follow up to obtain the participant’s signature to ensure the application was properly completed prior to ranking.

NRCS continually strives to put conservation planning at the forefront of its programs and initiatives.  Conservation plans provide landowners with a comprehensive inventory and assessment of their resources and an appropriate start to improving the quality of soil, water, air, plants, and wildlife on their land.

Conservation planning services can also be obtained through a Technical Service Provider (TSP) who will develop a Conservation Activity Plan (CAP) to identify conservation practices needed to address a specific natural resource need. Typically, these plans are specific to certain kinds of land use, such as transitioning to organic operations, grazing land, or forest land.  CAPs can also address a specific resource need, such as a plan for management of nutrients.  Although not required, producers who first develop a CAP for their land use, may use this information in applying for future implementation contracts.