USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service plans to invest $10 million in the Conservation Innovation Grants program, funding innovative conservation projects in three focus areas: grazing lands, organic systems and soil health.

Grant proposals are due Feb. 26.

“Conservation Innovation Grants play a critical role in developing and implementing new methods in Minnesota to conserve natural resources, strengthen local communities and improve farmers’ bottom lines,” says Curtis Elke, NRCS acting state conservationist in Minnesota.

This year, NRCS is focusing funding in these areas:

• Grazing lands. The goal is to help livestock producers with grazing management decisions, encourage prescribed burning as a grazing management practice, and improve access to conservation planning tools used for developing grazing management plans.

• Organic agriculture systems. The goal is to help organic producers develop innovative cropping and tillage systems, edge-of-field monitoring, crop rotations and intercropping systems.

• Soil health. The goal is to incorporate soil health management systems to address specific resource concerns, such as nutrients and availability.

“Every sector of American agriculture has its unique conservation challenges,” Elke says. “We encourage groups and individuals in Minnesota to take advantage of this grant opportunity.”

Information on the program is available at grants.gov, where application materials and submission procedures are also listed.

All U.S.-based entities and individuals are invited to apply, with the sole exception of federal agencies. Up to 20% of CIG funds are set aside for proposals from historically underserved producers, veteran farmers, or ranchers or groups serving these customers.

NRCS is hosting a webinar for potential CIG applicants at 3 p.m. Jan. 11 Central time. Information on how to join the webinar can be found on the NRCS CIG webpage.

CIG is authorized and funded under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. Projects can last up to three years. The maximum award amount for any project this year is $2 million.

Source: Minnesota NRCS