COLUMBIA — The Missouri Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced November 18, 2022, as the cut-off date to apply for the next available opportunity in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) Classic.
CSP is the nation’s largest conservation program in terms of participating land and is designed to help agricultural producers have more robust conservation activities. This program is designed to help producers take their conservation activities to the next level.
Through CSP, agricultural producers and forest landowners earn payments for actively managing, maintaining, and expanding conservation activities like cover crops, ecologically-based pest management, buffer strips, and pollinator and beneficial insect habitat – all while maintaining active agricultural or forest production on their land. CSP also encourages the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and new management techniques such as irrigation monitoring, precision agriculture applications, improved grazing systems, on-site carbon storage and planting for high carbon sequestration rate, and new soil amendments to improve water quality.
NRCS accepts CSP applications on a continuous basis, but applications are ranked and funded by enrollment period, which have application cut-off dates that are set by each state. Applications received after the cut-off date will automatically be considered during the next funding cycle. Agricultural producers can submit applications at local NRCS offices. NRCS also offers free technical assistance to all Missouri residents.
For more information about NRCS programs and assistance, visit the www.mo.nrcs.usda.gov or contact the NRCS service office serving your county. NRCS employees in county offices can provide more information about how to apply for benefits offered by NRCS.