Farmers can sign-up for EQIP
Comet staff report

Jane Hardisty, state conservationist for Indiana's USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced sign-up is under way for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for fiscal year 2008. EQIP offers financial and technical assistance for farmers to install structural practices or implement management practices on agricultural land. The program promotes agricultural production and environmental quality as compatible goals.

Conservation funds are available for farmers engaged in row crop, livestock or other agricultural production. As a way to assure that EQIP assistance is available to all producers, beginning farmers and limited resource farmers are eligible for higher conservation practice payments.

Hardisty said applications for EQIP are accepted on a continual basis.

"Once we have the application in hand, our district conservationists rank the application using the producer's conservation plan," she explained. "Producers who don't have a plan will get help from the district conservationist to develop one. Ranking is based on the natural resource concerns addressed in the producers' conservation plans."

Applications which contained conservation plans and were in the system by Oct. 19 will be considered in the initial round of funding for EQIP 2008 dollars. Every two weeks after the initial funding the process will repeat until the 2008 EQIP allocation is exhausted.

In 2007, $10.9 million was committed to EQIP for conservation practices in Indiana. Funding is expected to be about the same for the 2008 fiscal year, which began Oct. 1.

"This is a busy time for farmers, we know," Hardisty continued. "But there is conservation work that needs to be done. By getting contracts approved early, farmers will be ready to apply conservation practices this fall or in the spring,"

Farmers are encouraged to apply as soon as possible for the 2008 EQIP funds. Applications not funded in previous years must provide an updated application and conservation plan.

Local farmers should call Joe O'Donnell of USDANRCS at (765) 564-4480 or visit the Ag Center south of Delphi on US421 for information. Find out more online at www.in.nrcs.usda.gov.