USDA to Open General and Continuous CRP Enrollment for 2025

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Thursday announced several Conservation Reserve Program enrollment opportunities for agricultural producers and landowners. USDA’s Farm Service Agency is accepting offers for both the General and Continuous CRP beginning today through June 6, 2025.  

CRP, USDA’s flagship conservation program, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. For four decades, CRP has provided financial and technical support to agricultural producers and landowners who place unproductive or marginal cropland under contract for 10-15 years and who agree to voluntarily convert the land to beneficial vegetative cover to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion and support wildlife habitat. The American Relief Act, 2025, extended provisions for CRP through Sept. 30, 2025. 

“With 1.8 million acres available for all CRP enrollment this fiscal year, we are very aware that we are bumping up against the statutory 27-million-acre statutory cap,” said FSA Administrator Bill Beam. “Now more than ever, it’s important that the acres offered by landowners and those approved by USDA address our most critical natural resource concerns. With the limited number of acres that we have available, we’re not necessarily looking for the most acres offered but instead prioritizing mindful conservation efforts to ensure we maximize the return on our investment from both a conservation and economic perspective.”     

General CRP (Signup 64)   

Agricultural producers and landowners submit offers for General CRP through a competitive bid process. Offers are ranked and scored, by FSA, using nationally established environmental benefits criteria. USDA will announce accepted offers once ranking and scoring for all offers is completed. In addition to annual rental payments, approved General CRP participants may also be eligible for cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource-conserving vegetative cover.  

Continuous CRP (Signup 63)

Unlike General CRP, Continuous CRP offers are not subject to a competitive bid process. To ensure enrolled acres do not exceed the current statutory cap of 27 million acres, FSA is accepting Continuous CRP offers on a first-come, first-served basis through June 6. However, should allotted CRP acreage remain available following the June 6 deadline, FSA will accept continuous CRP offers from interested landowners through July 31, 2025, and may be subsequently considered for acceptance, in batches, if it’s determined that the offered acres support USDA’s conservation priorities.  

Continuous CRP participants voluntarily offer environmentally sensitive lands, typically smaller parcels than offered through General CRP including wetlands, riparian buffers, and varying wildlife habitats. In return, they receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource-conserving vegetative cover.  

Continuous CRP enrollment options include:  

—State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement Initiative: Restores vital habitat in order to meet high-priority state wildlife conservation goals.

—Highly Erodible Land Initiative: Producers and landowners can enroll in CRP to establish long-term cover on highly erodible cropland that has a weighted erodibility index greater than or equal to 20. 

—Clean Lakes, Estuaries and Rivers (CLEAR) Initiative: Prioritizes water quality practices on the land that, if enrolled, will help reduce sediment loadings, nutrient loadings, and harmful algal blooms. The vegetative covers also contribute to increased wildlife populations.   

—CLEAR30 (a component of the CLEAR Initiative): Offers additional incentives for water quality practice adoption and can be accessed in 30-year contracts.  

—Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program: Addresses high priority conservation objectives of states and Tribal governments on agricultural lands in specific geographic areas.  

Grassland and Expiring CRP Acres

FSA will announce dates for Grassland CRP signup in the near future. Additionally, landowners with acres enrolled in CRP set to expire Sept. 30, 2025, can offer acres for re-enrollment beginning today. A producer can offer to enroll new acres into CRP and also offer to re-enroll any acres expiring Sept. 30, 2025. 

For more information on CRP participant and land eligibility, approved conservation practices and detailed program fact sheets, visit FSA’s CRP webpage.  

 

Sam Graves, Other Missouri Legislators Urge Release of CRP Lands

Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) joined Representative Sam Graves (MO-06), Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), and Representatives Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03), Jason Smith (MO-08), Mark Alford (MO-04), and Eric Burlison (MO-07) in sending a letter to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack urging the USDA to open Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands for emergency haying in order to provide immediate relief for Missouri's farmers and ranchers.

"Over 80 percent of Missouri is currently experiencing at least a moderate drought, with more than half the state in a severe drought, and 20 percent suffering under extreme drought conditions. These conditions have left Missouri farmers and ranchers with few remaining options to feed their livestock through the winter until CRP lands are opened to haying," the Members wrote.

They continued, "For these reasons, we urge you to explore all available options to immediately open CRP lands in Missouri to emergency haying to provide sufficient forage for livestock."

Read the full letter below.

 

July 5, 2023 

The Honorable Thomas J. Vilsack

Secretary United States Department of Agriculture

1400 Independence Avenue, S. W. Washington, D.C. 20250

Dear Secretary Vilsack, 

We write to you today regarding the ongoing drought conditions in the state of Missouri and the impending forage and feed crisis facing farm families in our state.

Over 80 percent of Missouri is currently experiencing drought conditions, with more than half of the state experiencing severe drought and nearly 20 percent suffering under extreme drought conditions. While current conditions are concerning, this current crisis has been building for months.

Many farmers have been facing moderate to severe drought conditions for much of the growing season. As a result, available forage in pastures and hay crop yields are far below typical for our state. Farmers and ranchers have reported feeding hay to livestock in June, long before Missouri farmers typically begin feeding hay in November.

The acute shortage of quality hay and forage due to drought conditions has led to a concerning uptick in scams targeting farm families desperate to feed their herds. While many farmers and ranchers have grazed or hayed just about every square inch of available forage, acres enrolled in the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) remain a largely untapped emergency relief valve.

While emergency grazing has been opened in some counties experiencing the most extreme drought conditions, it can be challenging for farmers to take advantage of these flexibilities. In many cases, these CRP lands do not have adequate fencing or water access for livestock. That forces already struggling farmers and ranchers to break their backs trying to build fence and haul water to care for their herds.

Faced with this daunting challenge, many have resigned themselves to selling off portions of their herds. In many cases, these families have spent generations building herd numbers and refining genetics to maximize the quality and quantity of production. Forcing these families to sell their herds or watch them starve will have devastating impacts on our communities for decades to come. Compounded with the other challenges facing farm families, including rising interest rates and astronomical input costs, this crisis threatens the very foundations of our agricultural economy.

We understand that emergency haying practices may be opened in some limited areas after the end of the primary nesting season on July 15th, but we have grave concerns that the quality or forage available for haying could substantially decline within the coming weeks.

For these reasons, we urge you to explore all available options to immediately open CRP lands in Missouri to emergency haying to provide sufficient forage for livestock. Thank you for your attention to this matter. 

Sincerely, 

Senator Josh Hawley (MO), Senator Eric Schmitt (MO), Congressman Sam Graves (MO-06), Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03), Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08), Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04), Congressman Eric Burlison (MO-07).

USDA Extends General Signup for Conservation Reserve Program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) General Signup period, which had previously been announced as ending on Feb. 12, 2021. USDA will continue to accept offers as it takes this opportunity for the incoming Administration to evaluate ways to increase enrollment. Under the previous Administration, incentives and rental payment rates were reduced resulting in an enrollment shortfall of over 4 million acres. The program, administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provides annual rental payments for 10 to 15 years for land devoted to conservation purposes, as well as other types of payments.

Before the General CRP signup period ends, producers will have the opportunity to adjust or resubmit their offers to take advantage of planned improvements to the program.

“The Conservation Reserve Program provides a tremendous opportunity to address climate change both by retiring marginal cropland and by restoring grasslands, wetlands, and forests,” said Robert Bonnie, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the Secretary. “CRP has a 35-year track record of success beyond just climate benefits, by providing income to producers, improving water quality, reducing erosion, and supporting wildlife habitat and the hunting and fishing opportunities that go along with it. By extending this signup period, we’ll have time to evaluate and implement changes to get this neglected program back on track.”

As one of the largest private-lands conservation programs in the United States, CRP provides both economic and conservation benefits by taking land out of agricultural production. 

Program successes include:

• Sequestering in soils and plants over 12 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), or about the same amount that the entire state of Delaware emits annually.

• Preventing more than 2 billion tons of soil from being blown away by wind erosion over the life of currently enrolled acres.

• Reducing phosphorous reaching streams by almost 85 million pounds, nitrogen by nearly 450 million pounds, and sediment by over 160 million tons in 2020 alone.

• Creating more than 2.3 million acres of restored wetlands while protecting more than 177,000 stream miles with riparian forest and grass buffers, enough to go around the world seven times.

• Establishing over a half million acres of dedicated pollinator habitat and nearly 15 million more acres of diverse plantings that provide forage for pollinators.

• Increasing populations of ducks and other game birds, prairie chickens, and such grassland songbirds as Baird’s Sparrow. CRP in the Northern Great Plains supports an estimated 8.6% of the grassland bird population.

• Increasing habitat that supports economic opportunities, such as job creation, related to hunting and fishing activities.

This signup for CRP gives producers an opportunity to enroll land for the first time or re-enroll land under existing contracts that will be expiring Sept. 30, 2021. All interested producers, including those on Indian reservations and with trust lands, are encouraged to contact their local USDA Service Center for more information.

All USDA Service Centers are open for business, including those that restrict in-person visits or require appointments. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, or any other Service Center agency should call ahead and schedule an appointment. Service Centers that are open for appointments will pre-screen visitors based on health concerns or recent travel, and visitors must adhere to social distancing guidelines. Visitors are also required to wear a face covering during their appointment. Our program delivery staff will continue to work with our producers by phone, email, and using online tools. More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.

CRP Signup Has Begun

Agricultural producers and private landowners interested in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) can sign up for the popular program beginning today, Jan. 4, 2021, until Feb. 12, 2021. The competitive program, administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provides annual rental payments for land devoted to conservation purposes.

“This signup for the Conservation Reserve Program gives producers and landowners an opportunity to enroll for the first time or continue their participation for another term,” Jeremy Mosley, Acting SED said. “This program encourages conservation on sensitive lands or low-yielding acres, which provides tremendous benefits for stewardship of our natural resources and wildlife.”

Through CRP, farmers and ranchers establish long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees, to control soil erosion, improve water quality and enhance wildlife habitat on cropland.

Farmers and ranchers who participate in CRP help provide numerous benefits to their local region and the nation’s environment and economy. CRP general signup is held annually and is competitive; general signup includes increased opportunities for wildlife habitat enrollment through the State Acres For Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) initiative.

New cropland offered in the program must have been planted for four out of six crop years from 2012 to 2017. Additionally, producers with land already enrolled but expiring on Sept. 30, 2021, can re-enroll this year. The acreage offered by producers and landowners is evaluated competitively; accepted offers will begin Oct. 1, 2021.

Signed into law in 1985, CRP is one of the largest private-lands conservation programs in the United States. The program marked its 35-year anniversary in December 2020. Program successes include:

• Preventing more than 9 billion tons of soil from eroding, which is enough soil to fill 600 million dump trucks.

• Reducing nitrogen and phosphorous runoff relative to annually tilled cropland by 95% and 85%, respectively.

• Sequestering an annual average of 49 million tons of greenhouse gases, equal to taking 9 million cars off the road.

• Creating more than 3 million acres of restored wetlands while protecting more than 175,000 stream miles with riparian forest and grass buffers, which is enough to go around the world seven times.

• Benefiting bees and other pollinators and increasing populations of ducks, pheasants, turkey, bobwhite quail, prairie chickens, grasshopper sparrows, and many other birds.

All USDA Service Centers are open for business, including those that restrict in-person visits or require appointments. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service or any other Service Center agency should call ahead and schedule an appointment. Service Centers that are open for appointments will pre-screen visitors based on health concerns or recent travel, and visitors must adhere to social distancing guidelines. Visitors are also required to wear a face covering during their appointment. Our program delivery staff will continue to work with our producers by phone, email, and using online tools. More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.

Worth County Compiling Disaster Reports for Drought

A sweltering heat wave has gripped the area and the governor has requested information so that he can declare disasters as needed. Various offices are completing damage reports and sending info regarding the drought to the governor’s office. Temperatures were in the 90’s and 100’s all last week with no end in sight for this week.
Mark Cadle of the Farm Service Agency said that they were trying to secure an emergency release of CRP land. Normally, most CRP land has managed provisions where they can be hayed only once every three years; Cadle said that the FSA is seeking the release of ground that was hayed last year. Cadle said that they were also seeking to get land released for grazing.
One of the difficulties is that the county must have a 40% shortfall in moisture over the last four months. While the county has received little rain in May and June, it still did not necessarily meet the 40% shortfall when March and April were added.

Extension Area Crop Pest Report

Growers have been finding high levels of alfalfa weevil and aphids. Fields have been sprayed but please refer to the pre-harvest intervals for insecticide applications. As far as aphids, different aphids have different economic thresholds. Use alfalfa weevil levels as a priority to guide spraying decisions.
The use of cover crops has provided additional complexity to herbicide program especially when managing glyphosate resistant weeds. The recrop intervals as provided on the herbicide label will some information of potential injury to planting a fall cover crop.
Weeds have an early start this spring with warm temperatures. Early herbicide applications may not last as long as you would typically expect. The early herbicide application timing should be monitored carefully for potential escapes as the weather impacts planting date.
Corn planting depth that is most concerning is too shallow especially in no-till. Coulters must cut residue and not hairpin residue into the seed furrow. Deep running of trash whippers may cause heavy rains to cut through the track especially if not running with soil slopes.
Watch fields coming out of CRP for additional pests or especially any fields that have not had typical management in the past. Pests such as white grub can be found especially the second year after coming out of sod. Scout fields carefully for crop injury.
Black cutworm moth flights in northwest Missouri have been light. As of this date, one may find an occasional area within a field that may have damage.
For more information, contact Wayne Flanary at 660-446-3724 or Heather Benedict at 660-425-6434, Regional agronomists, University of Missouri Extension.

FSA General CRP Signup Deadline Approaching

Mark Cadle, executive director of USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Worth County, reminds landowners and producers that the general signup for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) will end on April 15, 2011. Landowners and producers have until the deadline to offer eligible land for CRP’s competitive general signup at their local USDA service center. The April 15 deadline will not be extended.

Land currently not enrolled in CRP may be offered in this signup provided all eligibility requirements are met. Additionally, current CRP participants with contracts expiring this fall may make new contract offers. Contracts awarded under this signup are scheduled to become effective Oct. 1, 2011.

FSA will evaluate and rank eligible CRP offers using an Environmental Benefits Index (EBI) for environmental benefits to be gained from enrolling the land in CRP. The EBI consists of five environmental factors—wildlife, water, soil, air and enduring benefits—and cost. Decisions on the EBI cutoff will be made after the signup ends April 15 and after analyzing the EBI data of all the offers.

In addition to the general signup, CRP’s continuous signup program to enroll the most environmentally sensitive land is ongoing. This signup would include practices such as filter strips and waterways. For more information on CRP, visit the Worth County Service Center or www.fsa.usda.gov/crp.

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.

Graves: Release of CRP Land Critical

U.S. Congressman Sam Graves called the release of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land for haying in Presidential Disaster areas critical to farmers and ranchers. Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, DeKalb, Gentry, Harrison, Holt, Nodaway, Schuyler, and Worth counties are now eligible to release certain CRP lands.
CRP participants must write their county Farm Service Agency (FSA) office, obtain a modified conservation plan and receive county office approval before beginning to hay.
"The release of CRP lands is critical to our farmers and ranchers who have been affected by the flooding," Graves said. "While I am disappointed with the court's decision to disregard federal agriculture policy and change the Critical Feed Use Program, I am happy to see that those in areas affected by flooding will get relief."
On July 8th, 2008 the National Wildlife Refuge sued the USDA to stop the Critical Feed Use program. As a result of the lawsuit, applicants for the Critical Feed Use initiative (CFU) who had applied and been approved for participation on or before entry of the initial temporary restraining order (TRO) on July 8, 2008, are grandfathered and may participate in the CFU as the program was announced. Those who have applied but have not been approved before July 8, 2008 but have been or will be approved for participation will be permitted to participate but must end haying activity by September 30 and grazing activity by October 15.
Graves is a co-sponsor of H.R. 6533 which reinstates the CFU program to its original intent and makes more than 24 million acres of CRP land eligible to be released for haying and grazing.
"Elected officials, not the courts should be making our agricultural policy," Graves said. "These lands were made eligible, in a responsible way, to help farmers deal with the rising price of feed. I will continue to fight for policies that help our farmers and ranchers."
H.R. 6533 has been referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

CRP to be Released for Grazing

On May 27, 2008, Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer announced that USDA has authorized certain acreage enrolled under the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to be available for haying and grazing. CRP participants can complete the request to use CRP acreage for critical feed use beginning at the present time, however haying or grazing cannot begin until after July 16, 2008.
CRP participants can use their own acreage for haying or grazing or lease the privilege to other producers. Participants who choose to release their acreage will be required to pay a $75 administrative fee per contract and will not be assessed any further payment reductions from their annual rental payments."
Eligible land may not be hayed or grazed until July 16, 2008 or later, which is after the primary nesting season, which for Missouri, is May 1 through July 15th. In addition all hay and livestock must be removed from the CRP acreage by November 10, 2008.
Only certain CRP practices are eligible for this release. For more information on CRP haying and grazing eligibility and program provisions, call the Worth County FSA at 660-564-3341 or visit online at www.fsa.usda.gov.

CRP Program for Bobwhite Restoration

USDA has approved the Missouri Farm Service Agency to administer a new Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) referred to as State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE). Sign-up for the SAFE practices will be on May 1, 2008, and will continue on an on-going basis until the allocated acreage for the practice is used.
SAFE proposals are designed to address state and regional high-priority wildlife objectives. In Worth county the SAFE project that local producers will be able to participate in will help restore habitat for the bobwhite quail. The Bobwhite Quail Habitat Restoration project has 6,250 acres allocated and all Missouri counties are eligible.
Producers with land located in Worth County can submit offers to enroll acres in contracts for 14 to 15 years. In exchange, producers receive annual CRP rental payments, incentives and cost-share assistance to establish habitat-enhancing natural covers on eligible land."
Through Continuous CRP and SAFE, FSA accepts year-round producer offers, provided the land and the producer meet certain eligibility requirements. Eligible, land must have been planted, or considered planted, to an agriculture commodity during four of the six years between 1996 and 2001. In addition, the land must be physically and legally capable of being planted, in a normal manner, to an agricultural commodity.
To learn more about Continuous CRP and SAFE projects, contact the Worth County Farm Service Agency staff at 660-564-3341. Fact sheets and other information are available from the local FSA office or on the agency’s website at http://www.fsa.usda.gov.