If you’re thinking about adding conservation practices on your farm, there’s a way to get help.
Oct. 10 marks the first deadline for Iowa farmers and other private landowners to apply for help with conservation practices in fiscal 2026 through USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service programs.
NRCS accepts conservation program applications on a continuous basis, but it sets application cutoff dates as funding allows. Agricultural producers and private landowners in Iowa can apply for NRCS program funding by visiting their local NRCS office. Iowa has 100 NRCS field offices located at USDA Service Centers in every county.
The Oct. 10 application cutoff includes the following NRCS farm bill programs:
- Conservation Stewardship Program
- Environmental Quality Incentives Program
- Regional Conservation Partnership Program
Last year, NRCS allocated about $61 million to Iowans through CSP, EQIP and RCPP. Jon Hubbert, Iowa NRCS state conservationist, says the demand for conservation assistance in Iowa remains high.
“We are committed to supporting Iowa farmers as they make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, while at the same time improving water quality, soil health and wildlife habitats,” he says.
In-depth look
Here are more details about NRCS conservation programs:
CSP. Through CSP, NRCS helps agricultural producers build their operation while implementing conservation practices that help ensure its sustainability. The program provides many benefits, including increased crop yields, decreased inputs, wildlife habitat improvements and increased resilience to weather extremes. CSP is intended for working lands such as cropland, pastureland, nonindustrial private forest land and agricultural land under the jurisdiction of a tribe.
EQIP. Through EQIP, NRCS offers planning and financial assistance to implement conservation practices such as no-till, cover crops, terraces, grassed waterways, nutrient management, manure management facilities and pasture management. The Oct. 10 application cutoff includes EQIP initiatives such as:
- National Water Quality Initiative
- Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative
- Prairie Pothole Water Quality and Wildlife Program
- Organic Initiative
- High Tunnel Initiative
- On-Farm Energy Initiative
RCPP. Through RCPP, NRCS co-invests with partners to implement projects that demonstrate innovative solutions to conservation challenges and provide measurable improvements and outcomes tied to resource concerns.
More information
To learn more about NRCS programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center. Producers also can apply for NRCS programs, manage conservation plans and contracts, and view and print conservation maps by logging into their farmers.gov account. If you don’t have an account, sign up today.
The USDA-NRCS state office in Des Moines provided information for this story.