Washtenaw County Conservation District: A link to 2018 Farm Programs
By Erez Brandvain, Conservation Technician
The Farm Bill is a piece of legislation designed to provide support to landowners and consumers to implement a variety of programs and services around land use and food production. For landowners and land managers, the Farm Bill offers incentives to implement conservation practices on the ground. All Farm Bill Programs are managed through the USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). NRCS offices are located within USDA Service Centers across the State of Michigan. Wasthenaw County’s NRCS Office is located in Ann Arbor (Jackson Rd) and covers programs in Washtenaw and Wayne Counties. As a local government entity and partner of the NRCS, the Washtenaw County Conservation District (WCCD) technical staff are able to assist residents with accessing technical and financial assistance through USDA 2018 Farm Bill Programs. As a Conservation Technician, I directly assist residents with completing conservation plans and applications for various cost share programs.
The most recent 2018 Farm Bill offers financial and technical assistance through conservation practices, farm improvements, and enhancements to already existing conservation-based practices. The Farm Bill is broken down into several programs. The Washtenaw County Field Office and WCCD specifically focus on two programs: The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). The deadline for EQIP signups in Michigan is January 22, 2021 (roughly one week from the release of this newsletter.) While the deadline for CSP signup in Michigan has not yet been announced, it is expected to be announced soon as well. To be eligible for either, or both programs, producers must have established records with the Washtenaw County Farm Service Agency (FSA), and have a farm conservation plan.
In determining what Farm Bill program is right for you, there is an important distinction to be made. While both programs provide financial and technical assistance to producers, EQIP specifically works to address natural resource concerns, while CSP helps producers maintain and improve existing conservation activities, or to take conservation to the next level. For example, if an operation has a fuel setup on their farm that can lead to leaking fuel that ultimately can contaminate groundwater, EQIP would work to design a new system with appropriate tanks and a concrete pad, a practice that would address the natural resource concern of water contamination. In the case of CSP, if a producer is already employing the use of a cover crop, the program would have the producer add a second cover crop to the mix, thereby improving an already existing conservation practice.
For more information about how to stablish farm records with the FSA, to get your conservation plan under way, and to become enrolled as a candidate for a Farm Bill Program, please contact the me at erez@washtenawcd.org, or at (734) 302-8714. To view a list of CSP enhancements that could be possible for your farm, just search on for CSP FY 2020 Enhancements and Bundles on the USDA/NRCS website. We look forward to working with you!
The Farm Bill is a piece of legislation designed to provide support to landowners and consumers to implement a variety of programs and services around land use and food production. For landowners and land managers, the Farm Bill offers incentives to implement conservation practices on the ground. All Farm Bill Programs are managed through the USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). NRCS offices are located within USDA Service Centers across the State of Michigan. Wasthenaw County’s NRCS Office is located in Ann Arbor (Jackson Rd) and covers programs in Washtenaw and Wayne Counties. As a local government entity and partner of the NRCS, the Washtenaw County Conservation District (WCCD) technical staff are able to assist residents with accessing technical and financial assistance through USDA 2018 Farm Bill Programs. As a Conservation Technician, I directly assist residents with completing conservation plans and applications for various cost share programs.
The most recent 2018 Farm Bill offers financial and technical assistance through conservation practices, farm improvements, and enhancements to already existing conservation-based practices. The Farm Bill is broken down into several programs. The Washtenaw County Field Office and WCCD specifically focus on two programs: The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). The deadline for EQIP signups in Michigan is January 22, 2021 (roughly one week from the release of this newsletter.) While the deadline for CSP signup in Michigan has not yet been announced, it is expected to be announced soon as well. To be eligible for either, or both programs, producers must have established records with the Washtenaw County Farm Service Agency (FSA), and have a farm conservation plan.
In determining what Farm Bill program is right for you, there is an important distinction to be made. While both programs provide financial and technical assistance to producers, EQIP specifically works to address natural resource concerns, while CSP helps producers maintain and improve existing conservation activities, or to take conservation to the next level. For example, if an operation has a fuel setup on their farm that can lead to leaking fuel that ultimately can contaminate groundwater, EQIP would work to design a new system with appropriate tanks and a concrete pad, a practice that would address the natural resource concern of water contamination. In the case of CSP, if a producer is already employing the use of a cover crop, the program would have the producer add a second cover crop to the mix, thereby improving an already existing conservation practice.
For more information about how to stablish farm records with the FSA, to get your conservation plan under way, and to become enrolled as a candidate for a Farm Bill Program, please contact the me at erez@washtenawcd.org, or at (734) 302-8714. To view a list of CSP enhancements that could be possible for your farm, just search on for CSP FY 2020 Enhancements and Bundles on the USDA/NRCS website. We look forward to working with you!
