Montpellier — New waste storage infrastructure can be costly, but it is one of the most effective ways for farms to reduce nutrient runoff and is often required to meet state water quality regulations. is an investment.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Environmental Quality Incentive Program helps farms invest in manure management projects, in addition to low engineering burden projects such as grazing rotation infrastructure and field conservation practices.
Every five years, farms are eligible for up to $450,000 in federal assistance per farm bill under EQIP.
Eligible federal and state support can be maximized if farms think ahead and divide their most expensive projects into multiple farm bills. The 2018 Farm Bill ends next fiscal year.
Farmers should contact their local Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources Conservation now to find out how close they are to reaching the EQIP cap under the 2018 Farm Bill and get this done before next year’s cap resets. You must apply for final year funding. The deadline is November 18th.
