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Farmers may apply for quality incentives program
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service is taking applications for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. EQIP offers assistance to participants to install or implement structural, vegetative, and management practices. Help is available to address the following concerns: cropland and grazing land water quality, animal waste, forestry, ground and surface water quality, wildlife habitat for at risk species, poultry litter transfer and small farm initiative.
Producers engaged in livestock or agricultural production are eligible. Eligible land includes cropland, pasture, private non-industrial forest land and other farmland. NRCS works with the participant to develop a conservation plan that identifies problems, land use objectives and planned practices. This plan becomes the basis for the cost-sharing agreement between NRCS and the participant. Payments under these agreements can be up to 10 years in duration.
Listed below are some of the conservation practices available for each resource concern that are applicable to the farms in this area.
Forestry - Prescribed burning, firebreak, forest site map, pest management, tree/shrub establishment, forest trails and landings, forest stand improvement, fence.
Cropland - Crop rotation, tillage management, crop diversity/ pest management
Animal waste - Nutrient management plan, waste storage facility, composting facility, fence, heavy use protection, water trough.
Grazing land - Brush control, fence, pasture planting, prescribed grazing, stream crossing, water trough, sinkhole protection, livestock shade structure.
Wildlife at-risk species - Hedgerow planting, warm season grass establishment, fence (to exclude livestock from marginal areas and woods), upland wildlife management (with possible payment of $30 to $95/acre for three years)
Poultry litter transfer - Waste utilization (will pay $15 per acre to defray cost of spreading litter according to a certified nutrient management plan for up to three years). Litter must come from source county (Augusta, Rockingham, Page, or Shenandoah). Waste field storage site - concrete slab and tarp.
Small farm initiative - Where at least 10 percent of farm production is specialty crops or animals, farm size less than 200 acres, pasture less than 100 acres, income less than $70,000. Most practices described above are included at a somewhat higher payment rate for those who quality.
Anyone interested in applying for EQIP should contact the Natural Resources Conservation Service at (540) 839-6642 or 1-800- 254-3854 or email: roger.canfield @va.usda.gov.
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