Equip

[One Acre Farm]

Anybody have any experience working with a soil conservation district. I am told from my district there is money for all sorts of things from money for wells to keeping it in hay etc. Something makes me think it could be to good to be true, or that it might be more work then it's worth. Any ideas?

 

[smstonypoint]

Anybody have any experience working with a soil conservation district. I am told from my district there is money for all sorts of things from money for wells to keeping it in hay etc. Something makes me think it could be to good to be true, or that it might be more work then it's worth. Any ideas?

I assume you are referring to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

Environmental Quality Incentives Program | NRCS

That program does provide cost-sharing for qualifying projects. Your best bet is to contact your local USDA NRCS office.

Steve

 

[TRR]

Not the soil conservation district, but do with the USDA (dept of agriculture) and the Texas Parks and Wildlife department. I'm on the fence as to whether it is worth while. They do have money and they will assist on projects, both equipment, guidance, and funding wise, but they have projects they want to implement and with particular procedures. In my case, the goal matched one of their programs so they were interested, but we hit a snag about tilling. (I want the notill, they wanted bare soil). We had a couple of "discussions" back and forth and I was ready to pull out but finally arrived at a compromise. They are providing chemicals, a seeder, and some funding. We provide all the labor, fuel, tractor, seeds, etc. and we have to do an annual report for 2 years and have a 10 year commitment to the program. If we do anything else with the acreage in those 10 years I have to reimburse them their costs. They also have a minimum of 25 acres for their programs, BUT they have excess funds so they are funding smaller projects - mine is planned for about half of that.

on edit: We are not in the EQIP program, USDA has several that might apply. Be sure you mention "new producer" if you are actually getting into farming or ranching and have your place checked for "highly erodibale soils". The reimbursement rate is higher.

 

[One Acre Farm]

I have already spoken with our local nrcs many times, I just want peoples opinion who have had experience with them. I am a little skeptical.

 

[sweettractors]

I have already spoken with our local nrcs many times, I just want peoples opinion who have had experience with them. I am a little skeptical.

We participated in the seventies and early eighties. Planting trees, digging ponds, reseeding fields etc. By the time you finish jumping through all the hoops, it is just is not worth the effort. They want everything done by the "Book" and lots of time the book is wrong in actual field applications. To date, I take the same amount of $ and do the projects for the same cash outlay and at my convenience and with my variables. Ken Sweet

 

[One Acre Farm]

That's sounds like how I thought it would be

 

[two_bit_score]

That's sounds like how I thought it would be

That is what almost everyone says. But, they must be giving money away somewhere, right?

 

[forgeblast]

I have about 2 acrs enrolled in crp/crep. It was also a cost share program, I was able to get almost all my money back by doing the work myself. So far i have a postive experience with it. I crep'ed a waterlogged erosion prone area, that i was tired of mowing, this way its reforested and i will not have to cut it after this year.

 

[sweettractors]

I have about 2 acrs enrolled in crp/crep. It was also a cost share program, I was able to get almost all my money back by doing the work myself. So far i have a postive experience with it. I crep'ed a waterlogged erosion prone area, that i was tired of mowing, this way its reforested and i will not have to cut it after this year.

The CREP fields are required to be mowed in strips 1 time per year here in my area. Noxious weeds are not allowed and the landowner pays for keeping them out of his fields. Most fields are required to be burned every so often. The CREP rules are subject to change at the will of the Government. A fellow down the road about 10 miles let Canadian thistle and Johnson Grass get out of control on his CREP farm. They stopped his payments and required him to redo the entire project at his own expense. He did chemically burn down the entire farm and reseeded it back to CREP specs at his own expense, which was $20,000. If he had not complied, he would have had to give back all prior CREP payments. Ken Sweet

 

[blueriver]

That's sounds like how I thought it would be

I absolutly love the programs and have found no problems working with the local office. They are very knowledgeable as well they are more than happy to work with you.

I signed up a 40 acre parcel. Cost share on a pond ... the engineers know the proper design and it holds and maintains its water level.... cross fencing on cost share, lime, fertilizer and sprigging on cost share ... as well a 600 ft 3 row windbreak on cost share.

You pay for it and then they pay back the agreed upon cost share. I have not experience an problems working with them.

I had 3 years to complete the program.

 

[smstonypoint]

IMO, each potential NRCS cost-sharing project is unique and depends on the landowner's objectives, circumstances, etc. and the NRCS specifications, requirements, etc.

This is borne out by the responses above -- the NRCS programs work for some, but not for others.

Back to the OP's question. I would argue that the OP should base his decision based on the particulars of his own situation rather than relying on a poll of others' experiences. It appears that he has his doubts. If he is unable to resolve those doubts in communicating with the local NRCS staff, pass.

Steve

 

[blueriver]

Back to the OP's question. I would argue that the OP should base his decision based on the particulars of his own situation rather than relying on a poll of others' experiences. Steve

The orginal question...

"Anybody have any experience working with a soil conservation district"

"Any ideas?"

I don't believe one should argue anything ... he asked and perhaps he wants to rely on a poll of other experiences to help him with a decision.

 

[smstonypoint]

The orginal question...


I don't believe one should argue anything ... he asked and perhaps he wants to rely on a poll of other experiences to help him with a decision.

My bad. I should have said "suggest."

Steve

 

[JeremyL]

Our local NRCS is the best thing since phillips-head screws. We have gotten liberal cost-sharing reimbursement for eco-friendly projects that we wanted to do anyway, that have improved the quality of life for us, our horses, the watershed, woods and soil.

This is what good government is all about.

 

[bigtiller]

They were pleasent and very helpful to me in the 90's planting a wind break and again last year building a waterway.

 

[forgeblast]

Wow he must have let the place just go. The program gave me a yearly calendar that lists what weeds are out, and if it may be a time to spray.
for the first two years, i was told to mow, this will keep the vole population down, after that i can just spray around the trees and let the rest grow...which is part of the program to repopulate and regenerate. If i let the thistle here go one year it would be everwhere, i spray it and weed wack it. One thing i did was look at what my wife puts out for the birds, it had a lot of thistle seed and i was wondering why it was coming back all the time.
My main issues are thistle, canadian and bull, along with multiflora rose. a couple of other little problem ones here and there, but i have no problem throwing a 5 gallon back pack sprayer on and walking/spraying. It also gives me a chance to check the tubes and netting on time.
My local office is great, gave me an extension to plant when my little one came early. I had people out to do a "weed" walk with me and tell me which ones to watchout for. They also gave me a ton of handouts on what to do. I really enjoyed the whole process, right now all the hard work is done. I spray a couple of times a year and get a check for it. Along with that i now have butternut, blackwalnut, hickory, oaks, and fruit shrubs in an area that was a pain to mow. The deer are all in there and next year my archery stand will be right near there.

 

[TripleR]

That's sounds like how I thought it would be

A LOT depends on your contact person. We have had a really good experience with ours. I would at least talk with them. Our guy said there are some changes in the new farm bill that will be a little more demanding, but it has helped us overall with some of our property and ponds. You are still talking about a lot of money out of your own pocket, but it helps.