USDA Announces Grants and Technical Assistance Funding for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production

USDA is making available up to $2.5 million for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production grants with an application deadline of March 10. NRCS is also providing $11.9 million in technical assistance funding through an interagency agreement with the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

CIG Partners Develop 3D Technology to Help Farmers with Weed Suppression

Through a Conservation Innovation Grant, NRCS partners are using 3D imagery to map cover crops and weeds with precision, helping farmers make informed decisions on how to control resistant weeds on their operations.  

Third NRCS DC in 81 Years Set to Retire in Keokuk County

When Larry Stevens retires as a District Conservationist (DC) for USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) at the end of 2024, it will end the tenure of only the third Keokuk County DC in 81 years.

NRCS Tops $100 Million in Conservation Funding to Iowa Farmers

NRCS obligated a record $112.1 million in conservation practice funding to Iowa farmers in fiscal year 2024 (FY24), through 1,960 conservation program contracts that will help treat natural resource concerns such as soil erosion and water quality on nearly 400,000 acres.

USDA Announces Strategy to Uphold its Federal Trust Responsibilities to Increase Support for Conservation on Tribal Lands

NRCS has released a new Tribal Relations Strategy, demonstrating the agency’s commitment to honoring its federal trust relationship with the 574 federally recognized tribes and Alaska Native Villages that have sovereign interest in more than 119 million acres of land across the United States.

USDA Invests $7 Million in Eight Wetland Mitigation Banking Projects to Support Producers and Protect Wetland Ecosystems

USDA is investing $7 million in eight projects to support the development of wetland mitigation banks for agricultural producers through the Wetland Mitigation Banking Program (WMBP). 

USDA Seeks Public Input on Climate Benefits of Conservation Practice Standards

USDA is publishing a Request for Information in the Federal Register requesting public input on its Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation conservation practice standards. 

USDA Invests $1.5 Billion in 92 Partnership Projects to Advance Conservation and Climate-Smart Agriculture as Part of the Biden-Harris Investing in America Agenda

USDA today announced a historic $1.5 billion for 92 partner-driven conservation projects through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program.

Two Iowa Partnership Projects Selected to Advance Conservation and Climate-Smart Agriculture

USDA today announced a historic $1.5 billion for 92 partner-driven conservation projects through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), a partner-driven approach to conservation that funds solutions to natural resource challenges on agricultural land.

NRCS Helping Long Walk Farm Achieve Conservation Goals

A southwest Iowa couple is benefitting from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation assistance to protect the soil and water resources on their small-scale farm outside Council Bluffs, allowing the operators to reach their long-term goals.