USDA will invest $26.6 million in 45 new national projects to spur agricultural innovation and natural resource conservation in rural and urban communities. This funding is available through USDA's Conservation Innovation Grants. Nearly 25% of the funding will be used for projects to ensure historically underserved, military veteran, and new and beginning farmers, ranchers and forest landowners have equal access to USDA programs and services.

Nebraska's Center for Rural Affairs received a $162,000 CIG to increase soil health literacy among Nebraska farmers by teaching women, veteran and beginning farmers about conservation practices.

CONSERVATION INNOVATION: Nebraska's Center for Rural Affairs received a $162,000 Conservation Innovation Grant to increase soil health literacy among Nebraska farmers by teaching women, veteran and beginning farmers about conservation practices.

State conservationist Craig Derickson says, "The center is a valued partner that helps us reach new conservation program participants. This grant will help the Center for Rural Affairs ensure these new participants are educated in the benefits of implementing conservation practices, and how to access state and federal conservation programs. The Center will also provide feedback from these new program participants on ways conservation programs can be improved."

CIG, administered by NRCS, is funded through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. Nationwide, NRCS received 170 applications. The more than $100 million requested for proposed projects far exceeded the initial funding level. USDA selected 45 national projects to fund at $26.6 million, surpassing its initial $20 million goal to add more deserving projects.

The goal of CIGs is stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies while leveraging federal investment in environmental enhancement and protection in conjunction with agricultural production. CIG enables USDA to work with other public and private entities to accelerate transfer and adoption of promising technologies and approaches to address some of the nation's most pressing natural resource concerns.

CIG has an impressive track record of fostering innovative conservation tools and strategies. With funding from this announcement, USDA has invested $173 million to fund 414 national CIG projects since 2009.

For more information about CIGs, visit NRCS.

Source: Nebraska NRCS