Conservation Reserve Program sign-up

September 14, 2004

The USDA Farm Service Agency is conducting a Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) sign-up August 30 through September 24, 2004.
CRP, previously referred to as the soil bank, is a voluntary program available to agricultural producers to help them safeguard environmentally sensitive land. Producers enrolled in CRP plant long-term,resource conserving covers to improve the quality of water, control soil erosion, and enhance wildlife habitat.
In return, FSA provides participants with rental payments and cost-share assistance. Tennessee Quail Unlimited State Council will offer an additional per acre incentive for landowners that establish native grass buffers in the Conservation Reserve Program. Contract duration is between 10 to 15 years.
To be eligible for CRP, producers must have owned or operated the land for at least 12 months. Cropland (including field margins) that was planted or considered planted to an agricultural commodity four of the six crop years from 1996 to 2001, and is capable of being planted to an agricultural commodity. The land must also have a weighted average erosion index of eight or higher.
For more information on CRP, contact your local FSA office (931) 728-2472 ext. 2 or visit FSA's web site at www.fsa.usda.gov.