We help Indiana's farmers and non-industrial forest landowners conserve the nation’s soil, water, air and other natural resources. All programs are voluntary and offer science-based solutions that benefit both the landowner and the environment.
With the mission of “Helping People Help the Land,” the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Indiana provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers and non-industrial forest managers to implement conservation practices to address natural resource concerns on their land related to soil health, water and air quality, and wildlife habitat as well as implement climate-smart agriculture practices. With our help, producers are better able to conserve, maintain or improve their natural resources. As a result of our technical and financial assistance, land managers and communities take a comprehensive approach to the use and protection of natural resources in rural, suburban, urban, and developing areas.
Indiana NRCS has personnel in USDA Service Centers who work with local conservation districts and other partners to serve farmers and landowners throughout the state.
Indiana State Office
Indiana NRCS Assistance
Indiana Technical Resources and Land Uses
Indiana Technical Resources and Land Uses
Indiana NRCS's conservation programs and initiatives can help you address natural resource concerns throughout your operation.
Indiana Special Initiatives
Indiana Special Initiatives
NRCS uses Landscape Conservation Initiatives to accelerate the benefits of voluntary conservation programs, such as cleaner water and air, healthier soil and enhanced wildlife habitat.
Indiana Producer Success Stories
Indiana Producer Success Stories
Our producers are the key to Indiana's conservation success and we want to share their stories with you.
Ask the Indiana NRCS Expert
Ask the Indiana NRCS Expert
You have questions - we have answers! Visit the Ask the Indiana Expert page to answers to your frequently asked questions about cover crops, invasive species, urban agriculture and more.
Indiana NRCS Publications
Indiana NRCS Publications
The Natural Resources Conservation Service provides a variety of agency forms and free publications about conserving our natural resources.
State Programs and Initiatives
NRCS offers voluntary programs to eligible landowners and agricultural producers to provide financial and technical assistance to help manage natural resources in a sustainable manner.
Through these programs the agency approves contracts to provide financial assistance to help plan and implement conservation practices that address natural resource concerns or opportunities to help save energy, address concerns related to soil health, water and air quality, wildlife habitat, and implement climate-smart agriculture practices on agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest land.
Through these programs the agency approves contracts to provide financial assistance to help plan and implement conservation practices that address natural resource concerns or opportunities to help save energy, address concerns related to soil health, water and air quality, wildlife habitat, and implement climate-smart agriculture practices on agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest land.
State Payment Schedule
NRCS provides financial assistance for selected conservation practices. The availability and amount of financial assistance can vary between states.
Civil Rights Committee
The National Civil Rights Advisory Committee to the Chief (NCRACC) is designed to provide management officials and employees with counsel and advice to enhance and ensure compliance with their equal employment opportunity and program delivery responsibilities.
State Technical Committee
State Technical Committees serve in an advisory capacity to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and other agencies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on the implementation of the natural resources conservation provisions of Farm Bill legislation.
How to Get Assistance
Do you farm or ranch and want to make improvements to the land that you own or lease?
Natural Resources Conservation Service offers technical and financial assistance to help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners.
To get started with NRCS, we recommend you stop by your local NRCS field office. We’ll discuss your vision for your land.
NRCS provides landowners with free technical assistance, or advice, for their land. Common technical assistance includes: resource assessment, practice design and resource monitoring. Your conservation planner will help you determine if financial assistance is right for you.
We’ll walk you through the application process. To get started on applying for financial assistance, we’ll work with you:
- To fill out an AD 1026, which ensures a conservation plan is in place before lands with highly erodible soils are farmed. It also ensures that identified wetland areas are protected.
- To meet other eligibility certifications.
Once complete, we’ll work with you on the application, or CPA 1200.
Applications for most programs are accepted on a continuous basis, but they’re considered for funding in different ranking periods. Be sure to ask your local NRCS district conservationist about the deadline for the ranking period to ensure you turn in your application in time.
As part of the application process, we’ll check to see if you are eligible. To do this, you’ll need to bring:
- An official tax ID (Social Security number or an employer ID)
- A property deed or lease agreement to show you have control of the property; and
- A farm number.
If you don’t have a farm number, you can get one from USDA’s Farm Service Agency. Typically, the local FSA office is located in the same building as the local NRCS office. You only need a farm number if you’re interested in financial assistance.
NRCS will take a look at the applications and rank them according to local resource concerns, the amount of conservation benefits the work will provide and the needs of applicants. View Application Ranking Dates by State.
If you’re selected, you can choose whether to sign the contract for the work to be done.
Once you sign the contract, you’ll be provided standards and specifications for completing the practice or practices, and then you will have a specified amount of time to implement. Once the work is implemented and inspected, you’ll be paid the rate of compensation for the work if it meets NRCS standards and specifications.
