New program focuses on outcomes of soil and water conservation practices

Andy Knight, The Herald Bulletin, Anderson, Ind.
·1 min read

Aug. 30—INDIANAPOLIS — A program encouraging farmers to share environmental outcomes of new conservation practices is now open for enrollment.

The Soil and Water Outcomes Fund is a project designed to replicate positive environmental outcomes by paying farmers based on those outcomes stemming from new conservation practices, according to a news release. These outcomes include water quality improvements and carbon sequestration.

"The unique aspect of this program is that it focuses on the outcomes of the soil and water conservation practices," said Angie Steinbarger, a farmer from Edinburgh, Indiana and a board member with the Indiana Soybean Alliance. "This is another opportunity for farmers to receive a payment for taking care of their own land. I encourage farmers to look into this."

The program is being funded in part by an award from the Regional Conservation Partnership Program Alternative Funding Arrangement (RCPP-AFA), which comes from the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

Madison County is part of a 49-county region in central and southern Indiana that is eligible for enrollment.

Applications for enrollment should be submitted before new practice implementation. The enrollment will be closed once the 10,000-acre limit is reached or by Sept. 7.

Follow Andy Knight on Twitter @Andrew_J_Knight, or call 765-640-4809.