Agricultural News
Conservation Stewardship Program Changes Give Flexibility to Local Producers, Apps Coming Due
Mon, 23 Jan 2017 17:31:16 CST
Last week, the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts, Southern Plains Climate Hub and Redlands Community College, hosted the fifth Central Oklahoma Soil Health seminar to teach local farmers about some of the tools and technologies available to them to improve the overall quality of the soil they farm. Andy Bennett, a resource conservationist with USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), presented to those in attendance some changes being made to the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Associate Farm Director Carson Horn was there to speak with Bennet about these changes and how farmers can take advantage by enrolling in the program, which are coming due at the end of next week.
"We've been in the current form for about seven years, since 2010 and there's been a movement to try to improve things," Bennett said. "We're taking that step to make some improvements to the program; make it a little easier for the producers to use and to provide more environmental benefits."
According to Bennett, these changes represent USDA's effort in attempting to make the program more tailored to the needs and management programs of farmers on the local level, rather than trying to make the farmers fit a nationalized standard.
"This is one of the advantages that we have in the new CSP is we're able to both modify the enhancements that we use, to make them more applicable to Oklahoma conditions," Bennett said. "Now, we have a lot more flexibility to adapt that process to make sure it reflects Oklahoma conditions and what Oklahoma producers are doing."
Bennett advises those interested in enrolling, to consult with their district conservationist at their local NRCS office to walk them through the different options that best suit their operations in the application process. Those applications to enroll for the 2017 CSP are due February 3rd. For additional information regarding CSP, including national and state ranking questions and enhancement descriptions, click here.
Listen to Horn discuss the new changes to NRCS' 2017 Conservation Stewardship Program with Bennett, by clicking or tapping on the LISTEN BAR below.
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