NRCS Announces Program Sign-Up for EQIP and AMA

(Signing Up May Also Assist Producers Who Experienced Crop Loss as a Result of July Flooding)

Although the FY2023 growing season isn’t yet over, it’s not too early to look forward to the next. Machelle Simmons, Acting State Conservationist for the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service in Connecticut, has announced funding for two of her agency’s conservation programs for FY2024 – the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) Program.

Not sure if either of these programs are for you?  Let’s take a look …

• Are you an agricultural producer looking for ways to conserve water, or address water, air, or animal waste issues?

• Are you looking to reduce erosion, improve wildlife habitat, or obtain a seasonal high tunnel?

• Do you want to make your farm more resilient to climate change?

• Do you just want to improve overall conservation on your farming operation?

If you answered yes to any of these, you may be eligible for technical and/or financial assistance. 

EQIP is a voluntary program for those engaged in livestock, forestry, or agricultural production – including organics. EQIP offers financial and technical assistance to implement conservation practices on eligible agricultural land. It also provides payments for implementing practices that have a positive environmental impact while protecting long-term production and sustainability. Eligible crop production includes, but is not limited to, field-grown ornamentals, fruits, orchards, plant materials in greenhouses, row crops, vegetables, vineyards, and small urban farms to larger rural operations.

AMA provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers to voluntarily address issues such as water management, water quality, and erosion control by incorporating conservation into farming operations.

In addition, Connecticut NRCS is now offering ACT NOW and early start waivers for some EQIP applications, which could be a benefit to producers whose fields were flooded during the July storms.

ACT NOW allows NRCS to immediately approve and obligate a ranked EQIP application in a designated ranking pool when an eligible application meets or exceeds a state-established minimum ranking score without waiting for all applications to be ranked and preapproved in that ranking pool. Applications eligible for any of the identified ACT NOW ranking pools will be accepted on a continuous sign-up and processed in the order received until the applicable application deadline. Any application that ranks at or above the state-established threshold ranking score will be pre-approved as funds are available. After the last ranking deadline (if funding is still available), applications with ranking scores less than the state-established threshold ranking score may be preapproved in ranking order. 

In Connecticut, ACT NOW will be available in FY2024 for the following:

• Conservation planning, design, implementation, and monitoring activities – including Conservation Planning Activity practices (CPAs), Design and Implementation Activities (DIAs), and Conservation Evaluation and Monitoring Activities (CEMAs)

• Cropland practices limited to Cover Crop, Crop Rotation, and Tillage Management (340, 328, 329 and 345)

Also, under ACT NOW eligible producers whose fields were affected by the July flooding may apply for cover crops or request a waiver from the State Conservationist to start a practice prior to receiving a contract. This would allow eligible applicants to plant cover crop this fall before their contract is developed. They will receive their first payment after the contract is signed. There are some stipulations with this waiver such as: no guarantee that a contract will be selected for funding, the practice can’t start before the waiver is approved, and the practice must meet NRCS standards and specifications to be eligible for payments.

Although NRCS accepts applications year-round, to be eligible for the first sign-up period for FY2024 funding, be sure to submit yours to your local NRCS office by October 31, 2023.

Not sure how to begin? Visit the Get Started with NRCS webpage. Or contact your local USDA Service Center: Danielson – (860) 779-0557; Hamden – (203) 287-8038; Norwich – (860) 887-3604; Torrington – (860) 626-8852; Windsor – (860) 688-7725.