The Wild Rice Soil Conservation District wants to take a minute and send out a reminder to all our producers about some upcoming deadlines in the USDA Forman Service Center.
March 16th
The deadline to sign-up for ARC/PLC with Farm Service Agency (FSA) is March 16th (less than 2 weeks away). If you fail to make your elections, your 2018 choice will be brought forward for 2019 and 2020. Additionally, farms that do not report an election to FSA will not be eligible for 2019 payments, so please get in contact with FSA to set-up a time to get this completed. Their phone number is (701) 724-6226 ext. 2. If you are unsure of what election you would like to make, Melissa at NDSU-Extension is taking appointments as time permits to help area farmers analyze their operation to determine which program makes the most sense. The number for NDSU-Extension is (701) 724-3355 if you would like to set-up an appointment.
March 27th
Also coming up is the application deadline for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office. To be eligible to receive a 2020 contract they must have a signed application by March 27th (end of the month). In recent years a variety of practices have been funded across multiple farm operation types. High tunnels have been very popular with small scale farms in Sargent County. We have seen grazing infrastructure like tanks, cross fence, and pipe funded through EQIP as well. On pivots we have seen variable irrigation water management contracts receive funding. Water quality and soil health practices on cropland like cover crops, variable rate nutrient management, and no-till/strip till contracts have been popular for individuals looking to adopt some of these concepts. We also have seen a recent boost in interest in erosion reduction practices like grassed waterways, windbreak plantings, and windbreak renovations. If you have thought about trying any of the practices above, make sure to stop in and talk to our District Conservationist, Jacob Johnson.
May 29th
The last deadline to be aware of is the deadline to sign an application for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) available through the NRCS office as well. CSP differs from EQIP as it involves adopting/maintaining a suite of different practices across your entire farming operation for the contract life of 5 years. Annual payment rates vary due to farm size, practices/enhancements adopted, and what kind of operation you have but are capped at $40,000/year for an individual or $80,000/year for a Joint Venture, Corporation, or Partnership. To inquire about CSP or to sign an application stop into the Forman office and visit with Jacob or if you would like to call ahead the number for the office is (701) 724-6226 ext. 3.
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It is the goal of the Wild Rice Soil Conservation District to educate and help the local land users (for conservation of soil) right here in Sargent County. We do this by offering a variety of services and making available various technical, financial, and educational resources.