General Signup Period for CRP

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) has announced that a Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) signup will be held March 14, 2011 through April 15, 2011. This is the second consecutive year that USDA has offered a general CRP signup. This signup will allow producers to offer new land to be enrolled in CRP and also the opportunity to re-offer land that is expiring from CRP on September 30, 2011.

Landowners with acreage enrolled in the CRP program receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource conserving covers on eligible farmland. Land that is not currently enrolled in CRP can be offered during the sign-up if all eligibility requirements are met. CRP participants with contracts expiring this fall can make new contract offers during the signup period. Contracts awarded during this general signup will become effective October 1, 2011.

All CRP offers are evaluated and ranked using an Environmental Benefits Index (EBI) that indicates the environmental benefits of enrolling land in CRP. There are five environmental factors that make up the EBI: wildlife, water, soil, air, enduring benefits and cost. Decisions on which offers will be accepted for enrollment in CRP will be made following the end of the sign-up period and after analyzing EBI data on all of the offers.

In addition to the general sign-up, the continuous CRP sign-up program will be ongoing. The continuous sign-up allows producers to enroll the most environmentally sensitive acreage into CRP at any time. This signup would include practices such as filter strips and waterways.

The financial incentives available through CRP have afforded farmers and ranchers a low risk opportunity to implement a variety of conservation practices that benefit the environment in a number of ways. Over the past 25 years, CRP practices have improved water and air quality, increased wildlife habitat and prevented soil erosion.

For more information, please contact the Worth County FSA Office at (660) 564-3341or go online and visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov/crp.