By Noah Gilbert-Fuller, Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced that they will be moving the deadline for Fiscal Year 2025 applications to August 23rd, 2024. This change affects all programs that the NRCS offers, including the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (Agency) still has funding available through the Vermont Farmers Ecosystem Stewardship Program (VFESP) to provide incentive funding to farmers who apply for the CSP program, receive an assessment on their agricultural land, and enroll their agricultural land into CSP contracts.
The largest conservation program in the United States, CSP is a federal program that helps land managers enhance natural resources and improve their business operations. CSP requires active producers to meet certain environmental objectives and commit to 5 years of enhanced conservation on their land. In return, producers receive an annual conservation payment. NRCS CSP contract conservation payments range from $4,000-$40,000 per year for five years.
The Vermont Farmers Ecosystem Stewardship Program is meant to introduce more producers to the CSP program and increase the number of enrollees who seek to improve their environmental stewardship. Under this program, agricultural producers of all sizes who successfully engage in the development of an NRCS Conservation Stewardship Program Assessment will receive a one-time payment from the state of $2,000, followed by an additional state payment of $7,500 if they successfully sign a CSP contract.
These funds are additional to payments farms would receive from NRCS over the course of their federal contract. Remaining funds for this State incentive program are limited, so interested farmers are encouraged to submit their applications to both the Agency and the NRCS at their earliest convenience to be eligible for funding.
To apply to CSP, interested farmers should ensure that their Farm Service Agency (FSA) records are up to date, and submit a CSP application to the NRCS by August 23rd, 2024.
Your local FSA and NRCS offices can be found using the locator at: https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app.
To apply to the VFESP program, after applying to NRCS please complete and submit the application and waiver form found at this webpage: https://agriculture.vermont.gov/CSP-Assist
If you have questions about the incentive program, you may contact Noah Gilbert-Fuller at Noah.Gilbert-Fuller@vermont.gov or at (802) 505-3407.