The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers and non-industrial forest managers to address natural resource concern
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Fiscal Year 2023 Missouri EQIP Opportunities
Organic Transition Initiative
Application deadline is June 15, 2023
NRCS in Missouri is accepting applications through June 15, 2023, for FY2023 funding. Applications received after this date will be considered for the next available funding.
Funding for OTI supports conservation practices required for organic certification. The initiative will help build new and better markets and income streams, strengthen local and regional food systems and increase affordable food supply for more Americans, while promoting climate-smart agriculture and ensuring equity for all producers.
Organic Transition Initiative overview
St. Louis Urban Hub Initiative
Application deadline is Aug. 1, 2023
NRCS in Missouri will accept applications until Aug. 1, 2023, for the EQIP St. Louis Urban Hub Initiative. Applications submitted prior to this date will be assessed and ranked as soon as the applicant has made treatment decisions through a conservation plan.
Based on fund availability, eligible applications that meet a minimum threshold score of 30 will be preapproved immediately, allowing the applicant to ACT NOW. Application assessments below the minimum threshold will be batched and funded in ranking order as funding allows.
The St. Louis Urban Hub Initiative is focused on assisting urban and small farmers within the St. Louis Urban Hub geographical area address resource concerns on their operations. Urban and small farmers provide critical access to healthy food for local communities, as well as jobs, increased green spaces, and closer community ties.
For a map of the area covered by this initiative please see attachment below.
Please contact Sarah Szachnieski, NRCS Urban Conservationist at (314) 457-4746 or sarah.szachnieski@usda.gov for assistance with this initiative.
Climate Smart Agriculture - Native Forages Initiative
Application deadline is Aug. 1, 2023
NRCS in Missouri will accept applications until Aug. 1, 2023, for the EQIP Climate Smart Agriculture - Native Forage Initiative. Applications submitted prior to this date will be assessed and ranked as soon as the applicant has made treatment decisions through a conservation plan.
Based on fund availability, applications that meet a minimum threshold will be preapproved immediately, allowing the applicant to ACT NOW. Application assessments below the minimum threshold will be batched and funded in ranking order as funding allows.
The Native Forages Initiative is for producers interested in addressing resource concerns associated with managing moisture and drought susceptibility, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing carbon sequestration by converting non-native forages to native forages for haying or grazing or converting cropland to native forages for haying or grazing.
The Missouri Department of Conservation is offering a $100 per acre Sign-up Incentive Payment in coordination with this initiative on eligible areas. To learn more, click here.
Climate Smart Agriculture - Nutrient Management Initiative
Application deadline is Aug. 1, 2023
The Inflation Reduction Act provides NRCS with $19.5 billion in additional funding for its conservation programs that support climate change mitigation. Nutrient Management is a Climate-Smart Mitigation Activity, which makes it eligible for IRA funding.
Nutrient Management has many benefits, including:
- Improves Water Quality
- Benefits Wildlife and Pollinator Habitat
- Mitigates Climate Change
- Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Increases Carbon Sequestration
- Improves Soil Health and Climate Resiliency
This unique funding source allows producer and landowners to receive technical assistance for the development of a Nutrient Management Plan and financial assistance for implementing the plan through conservation practice 590 Nutrient Management for up to five years.
EQIP Conservation Incentives Contracts (EQIP-CIC)
Applications received after April 21, 2023, will be accepted and evaluated for future rounds of funding.
The 2018 Farm Bill introduced EQIP incentive contracts to expand resource benefits for producers for the implementation, adoption, management, and maintenance of incentive practices that effectively address at least one eligible resource concern with a State-identified high priority area (HPA). EQIP-CIC can be a stepping-stone between the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). EQIP-CIC offers a unique opportunity for a 5-year contract with an annual payment, without enrolling the entire operation into the program. The flexibility can be a gateway to future participation in CSP enrollment and achievement of a higher level of conservation stewardship for their entire operation.
The conservation goals and funding priorities of the EQIP-CIC High Priority Area (HPA) ranking pools are to focus on providing resource protection across the State of Missouri.
EQIP-CIC High Priority Areas (HPA)
HPA 1- Native Grassland Restoration
The Native Grassland Restoration HPA will concentrate on native grassland management for both grazing resource concerns and wildlife habitat. The focus area covers the entire state of Missouri.
- Land Use(s):
- Pasture
- Associated Agricultural Land (AAL)
- Cropland
- Priority Resource Concern(s):
- Terrestrial Habitat
- Livestock Production Limitation
HPA 2- Soil Health Management System
The Soil Health Management System HPA focuses on improving soil health by applying a suite of conservation practices on agricultural lands. The focus area covers the entire state of Missouri.
- Land Use(s):
- Cropland
- Pasture
- Priority Resource Concern(s):
- Soil Quality Limitations
HPA 3- Source Water Protection for Water Quality and Quantity
The Source Water Protection for Water Quality and Quantity HPA focuses on improving drinking water quality and quantity by applying conservation on agricultural lands within targeted watersheds. The focus area corresponds with the Missouri Source Water Protection Priority Watersheds
- Land Use(s):
- Cropland
- Pasture
- Priority Resource Concern(s):
- Field sediment, nutrient & pathogen loss
- Soil quality limitations
- Source Water Depletion
EQIP Classic
Applications accepted on continuous basis
Next funding opportunity: TBA
Missouri's Priority Resource Concerns for FY23:
- Sheet and Rill Erosion
- Classic Gully Erosion
- Plant Productivity and Health
- Terrestrial Habitat for Wildlife and Invertebrates
- Inadequate Livestock Shelter
Missouri is offering funding with the following focus areas for Fiscal Year 2023:
General EQIP
The General EQIP funding is for owners of land in agricultural or forest production, or persons who are engaged in livestock, agricultural or forest production on eligible land that has a natural resource concern. Applicants under general EQIP compete for funding against other applicants on similar land uses. Land use funding pools covered under general EQIP funding include, Cropland, Pasture/Hayland, Wildlife, Forestland, and Animal Feeding/Waste.
Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry - Soil Health Cropland Initiative
The Soil Health Cropland Initiative is a state initiative focused on assisting cropland producers address resource concerns associated with soil quality degradation to implement Soil Health Management Systems on their farms.
Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry - Agroforestry Initiative
The Agroforestry Initiative is a state initiative focused on assisting farmers addressing resource concerns with Agroforestry practices. Agroforestry practices include Tree/Shrub Establishment, Alley Cropping, Windbreak/Shelterbelt, Silvopasture Establishment, Riparian Forest Buffer and more.
Organic Initiative
The EQIP Organic Initiative assists eligible applicants to install conservation practices on agricultural operations related to organic production such as certified organic producers, producers transitioning to organic production, and certification exempt producers according to the USDA-National Organic Program.
High Tunnel Initiative
The purpose of the High Tunnel Initiative is to assist producers to extend the growing season for high value crops in an environmentally safe manner. The practice has the potential to assist producers to address resource concerns by improving plant quality, improving soil quality, and reducing nutrient and pesticide transport.
On-Farm Energy Initiative
The EQIP On-Farm Energy Initiative assists producers by identifying ways to conserve energy on the farm through an Agricultural Energy Management Plan (AgEMP), also known as an on-farm energy audit; and by providing financial and technical assistance to help the producer implement recommendations and conservation practices identified in the audit plan.
Specialty Crop and Livestock Agriculture
This initiative assists eligible applicants in either rural, suburban, or urban areas to address resource concerns on operations producing specialty crops and/or livestock where production is on a total of 20 acres or less.
National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI)
The National Water Quality Initiative is a focused approach to assist landowners in priority watersheds to apply selected conservation practices to reduce the flow of sediment, nutrients and other runoff into impaired waterways.
The FY23 Missouri NWQI priority watersheds are:
- Little Hunting Slough in Butler County, HUC 110100070805
- Upper Petite Saline in Cooper County, HUC 103001020403
- Middle Petite Saline in Cooper County, HUC 103001020405
- Sugar Creek-East Fork Little Chariton River in Randolph County, HUC 102802030204
- Capps Creek in Barry and Newton Counties, HUC 110702070703
- Zerbert Branch-Shoal Creek in Barry and Newton Counties, HUC 110702070706
- Spencer Branch-Shoal Creek in Newton County, HUC 110702070801
- Dry Branch-Shoal Creek in Newton County, HUC 110702070803
Mississippi River Basin Initiative (MRBI)
To improve the health of the Mississippi River Basin, including water quality and wildlife habitat, NRCS developed the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watershed Initiative (MRBI). Through MRBI, NRCS and its conservation partners will assist producers in selected small watersheds within the Mississippi River Basin voluntarily implement conservation practices that avoid, control and trap runoff, while maintaining agricultural productivity and improving wildlife habitat.
The FY23 Missouri MRBI priority watersheds are:
- Upper Apple Creek in Bollinger, Perry and Cape Girardeau counties, HUC 071401050401
- Middle Apple Creek in Perry and Cape Girardeau counties, HUC 071401050403
- Lower Apple Creek in Perry and Cape Girardeau counties, HUC 071401050404
- Cane Creek-Diversion Channel in Bollinger county, HUC 071401070404
- Dry Creek in Bollinger and Cape Girardeau counties, HUC 071401070406
- Headwaters Indian Creek in Audrain, Pike and Ralls counties, HUC 071100080201
- Sandy Fork-West Fork Cuivre River in Audrain, Pike and Montgomery counties, HUC 071100080105
- Coon Creek in Audrain and Montgomery counties, HUC 071100080104
- Spring Branch-Elk Creek in Chariton and Linn counties, HUC 102801031302
- Turkey Creek in in Chariton and Linn counties, HUC 102801031301
- Long Branch in Linn and Sullivan counties, HUC 102801031204
- Mozingo Creek in Nodaway county, HUC 102400130303
- Fox River in Clark county, HUC 71100010306
- Brush Creek-Fox River in Clark county, HUC 71100010301
EQIP Overview
EQIP is NRCS' flagship conservation program that helps farmers, ranchers and forest landowners integrate conservation into working lands
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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 tract number.
If you don’t have a farm tract 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 tract 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.
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.