LIVINGSTON COUNTY SWCD 1510 W. Reynolds Pontiac, IL (815) Ex. 3

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1 June 2012 Newsletter LIVINGSTON COUNTY SWCD 1510 W. Reynolds Pontiac, IL (815) Ex. 3 Come Celebrate USDA S 150 TH Anniversary and Our Conservation Efforts in the INDIAN CREEK WATERSHED PROJECT! Tuesday, July 10, 2012 Contents USDA News 2 Conservation Programs/ Practices 4 Indian Creek Tour 12

2 Reaching Beyond the Field This year is a milestone for the United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, as it celebrates 150 years of service. The USDA was established by President Abraham Lincoln in USDA has helped support America s food and fiber production through educational, technical and financial assistance. What better way to help celebrate than to take a look at what local producers are doing today in 2012 to protect their investment and your environment. Through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS) Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watershed Initiative (MRBI) and with leadership from the Livingston County Soil and Water Conservation District, local producers in the Indian Creek Watershed are taking steps to improve water quality and soil health by adding more conservation practices to their land and addressing critical resource issues. These practices include grassed waterways, cover crops and reduced tillage. Good conservation planning, programs and technical assistance available through USDA NRCS have paved the way for nearly 41 percent producer participation on 20,805 acres in the watershed. The Initiative has also opened the door for many other valuable opportunities. For instance, located throughout these acres of corn and soybeans are research plots where water runoff and ground water is tested for nitrate content. Conducting the research is the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) with funding through the Illinois EPA. Data will be collected for a 3-5 years in hopes of generating quality information to support the 4-Rs (Right Source, Right Time, Right Place, and Right Rate.) The research data will collaborate with the types of practices producers are using and installing on the land. A second tour of the watershed is scheduled for July 10, 2012 will show results collected over the past year. There will be opportunities to talk with the producers. Learn about what changes they made, what they learned, and what lasting experiences they have gained. As we celebrate 150 years of the USDA, it is encouraging to see the continuation of the movement to protect our precious resources. The Indian Creek Watershed private landowners can stand proud of their commitment to reassess their operations and change management practices to ensure everyone will enjoy clean water and maintain a healthy and sustainable livelihood for years to come. 2

3 New NRCS State Conservationist Ivan Dozier On April 23, 2012, Ivan Dozier became the new State Conservationist for Illinois Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The selection ensures a continued commitment to quality conservation and support of NRCS broad partners and clients statewide. Dozier holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agronomy and a Master s in Environmental Studies from the University of Illinois. He served six years in the U.S. Army Reserve and is a 28-year veteran of NRCS, having worked in seven locations across Illinois as a soil scientist, soil conservationist, and a district conservationist. For the last eight years Dozier served as the Assistant State Conservationist for Programs. In addition to his work history with NRCS Dozier served as President of the Illinois Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society, was the American Indian Male representative to the National Civil Rights Committee and served as national president of NRCS American Indian and Alaska Native Employee Association. He s familiar with NRCS programs and federal policies and he has well-established relationships with key partners and staff. I am honored to take on this challenge and to continue working with so many talented people here in Illinois, said Dozier. Dozier noted what a critical time this is for agriculture and for conservation even more so with formation of the new Farm Bill so close. Dozier was raised on his family s grain and cattle farm located just outside of Mill Shoals in White County, Illinois. Dozier, his wife, and two sons reside in rural Ivesdale in Champaign County, Illinois. 3

4 Conservation Programs to Help You Environmental Quality Incentives Program Introduction The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary program that provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers through contracts up to a maximum term of ten years in length. These contracts provide financial assistance to help plan and implement conservation practices that address natural resource concerns and for opportunities to improve soil, water, plant, animal, air and related resources on agricultural land and nonindustrial private forestland. In addition, a purpose of EQIP is to help producers meet Federal, State, Tribal and local environmental regulations. Who Can Apply Owners of land in agricultural or forest production or persons who are engaged in livestock, agricultural or forest production on eligible land and that have a natural resource concern on the land may participate in EQIP. How EQIP Works EQIP provides financial assistance payments to eligible producers based on a portion of the average cost associated with practice implementation. Additional payments may be available to help producers develop conservation plans which are required to obtain financial assistance. Historically underserved producers (limited resource farmers/ranchers, beginning farmers/ ranchers, socially disadvantaged producers, Tribes) may be eligible for a higher practice payment rate for the implementation for conservation practices and conservation plans. NRCS works with the producer to develop a plan of operations that: 1) Identifies the appropriate conservation practice or measures needed to address identified natural resource concerns 2) Implements conservation practices and activities according to an EQIP plan of operations developed in conjunction with the producer that identifies the appropriate conservation practice or measures needed to address identified natural resource concerns. The practices are subject to NRCS technical standards adapted for local conditions. EQIP Application Information Applications for EQIP are accepted on a continuous basis, however, NRCS establishes application "cut-off" or submission deadline dates for evaluation and ranking of eligible applications. To obtain an EQIP application, visit or contact your local NRCS field office. 4

5 Conservation Stewardship Program What is CSP? The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is a voluntary USDA program that encourages agricultural and forestry producers to address resource concerns by: undertaking additional conservation activities and improving and maintaining existing conservation systems. CSP provides financial and technical assistance to help land stewards conserve and enhance soil, water, air, and related natural resources on their land. Protecting Resources CSP addresses the following resource concerns: soil quality air quality soil erosion plant resources water quality animal resources water quantity energy Who is eligible? CSP is available to all producers, regardless of operation size or crops produced. Eligible lands include cropland, grassland, prairie land, improved pastureland, nonindustrial private forest land, and agricultural land under the jurisdiction of an Indian tribe. Applicants may include individuals, legal entities, joint operations, or Indian tribes. They must be: the operator of record in the USDA farm records management system for the eligible land being offered for enrollment; have effective control of the land for the term of the proposed contract and be able to produce records documenting that control; be in compliance with the highly erodible land and wetland conservation provisions and adjusted gross income provisions; and include the eligible land in their entire agricultural or forestry operation. What are the benefits? CSP pays participants for conservation performance the higher the performance, the higher the payment. It provides two possible types of payments: 1. An annual payment is available for installing new conservation activities and maintaining existing practices. 2. A supplemental payment is available to participants who also adopt a resource conserving crop rotation. 5

6 Payments Through five-year contracts, NRCS makes payments after October 1 for contract activities installed and maintained in the previous fiscal year (Oct. 1 - Sept. 30). Payment Limit: A person or legal entity may have more than one CSP contract, but for all CSP contracts combined, may not receive more than $40,000 in any year or more than $200,000 during any five-year period. Contract Limit: The contract limit is the same as the payment limit except in the case of joint operations, for which the contract limit is $80,000 per fiscal year and $400,000 over the term of the contract period. Signing Up NRCS makes CSP available through continuous sign-up, with announced cut-off dates for ranking and funding applications. Application Rankings Applications are evaluated and ranked. In the ranking process, producers get credit for: conservation measures they have already implemented new measures they agree to add (Agricultural land and nonindustrial private forest land applications are ranked separately) Self-Screening Potential applicants are encouraged to determine whether CSP is right for them by completing the self-screening checklist and reviewing the CSP Conservation Activity List to identify new conservation activities they might install. Because some conservation enhancements work better when implemented as a group, the activity list identifies enhancement bundles that receive both higher rankings and higher payments. Both the checklist and the activity list are available at If an applicant is preapproved for funding, NRCS requests the applicant s conservation activity records and conducts on-site field verification to ensure that the information provided is accurate. Once the information is verified, NRCS and the applicant proceed to develop the contract. More Information For more information about CSP, visit your local NRCS office located at USDA Service Centers in every Illinois county. CSP information is also available online at: or 6

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8 *A special informational meeting will immediately follow the lunch for* those interested in learning about the CREP program. 8

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10 Conservation Practice to Help You Let s Talk Cover Crops! Cover crops are making a comeback in Illinois. Why? Because they do some amazing things! Cover crops can protect soil from erosion by covering it in the fall and sometimes through the spring. Fertilizer that crops were unable to use can be scavenged by cover crops and released back into the soil for the next crop to use. Cereal grains, annual rye grass and tillage radish are common cover crops for this purpose. Cover crops also provide protective vegetative cover for the soil which helps suppress winter annual weeds. The additional organic matter cover crops provide will improve soil tilth, porosity and infiltration by providing the natural glues that hold soil particles together. Some cover crops tillage radish and annual ryegrass may have the ability to suppress soybean cyst nematode! Similar to high priced commercial Nitrogen fertilizers, a legume cover crop could help grow some of your N needs the old fashioned way. In addition to providing low-cost nitrogen, you get benefits of erosion control and organic matter soil additions. Finally, compaction has been an issue with recent weather conditions. Annual ryegrass and tillage radish can reduce compaction problems. Cover Crop Benefits Reduce Soil Erosion Build Soil Tilth; Improve Soil Health Increase Soil Porosity & Infiltration Reduce Pests Improve Soil Microbiology Produce/ Scavenge Crop Nutrients Reduce Soil Compaction Increase Nutrient Recycling Help Winter Annual Weed Control Improve Yield Potential Over Time Protect Water Quality Planting Tips Cover crops can be seeded with ground equipment like drills or broadcast equipment or aerially applied to get the cover crop started early enough to achieve the desired results. Cover crops are ideal for planting after early harvested crops like wheat, sweet corn, seed corn, and silage corn. In northern Illinois, they should be inter-seeded into mature corn and soybeans for ample growth before winter. 10

11 Types of Cover Crop Nutrient Scavengers? Nitrogen Producers? Nitrogen Producers/Scavengers Annual Ryegrass Crimson Clover Crimson Clover/Tillage Radish Tillage Radish Hairy Vetch Hairy Vetch/Annual Rye Grass Winter Cereal Rye Austrian Winter Pea Crimson Clover/Radish Oats Austrian Winter Pea/Tillage Radish Cover Crop Funding Opportunities Environmental Quality Incentives Program Ideal for1st time Cover Crop producers. Up to 3 annual payments allows for 3 years to gain experience from planting cover crops. Payment rates based on seed mixture used. Must meet NRCS Cover Crop seeding requirements Payment Rates Legumes $38.76/Ac Winter Kill Species $29.98/Ac Grasses/Cereal Grains $35.46/Ac Species Mix $42.46/Ac Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) 5 year contract; annual payments. Payments for existing conservation system PLUS additional enhancements to existing conservation system. Maximum annual payment $40,000 CSP Cover Crop Enhancement Options Continuous Cover Crops Cover Crop Mixtures Deep-Rooted, compaction-buster Cover Crops Cover Crops to Scavenge Nitrogen For more information, or to apply for EQIP/CSP funding, contact: Livingston County NRCS (815) Ex. 3 USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 11

12 Conservation Tour Reasons for Attending the Conservation Tour Every farming operation today professes to be sustainable. Choices that we make today in our farming operation will have a big impact on our ability to produce food in the future. If the soil and water we use to produce food is damaged, will we be able to meet the production needs in the future? The questions are: what are the best methods to use to protect our soil and water quality, and who is really making the commitment for the long term? Join us on our watershed tour and learn about ways we can all work together to improve our environment. The best way to inform the general public that we are protecting the environment is showing them practices and answering questions about how we are protecting the soil and improving water quality. On the tour we will see new and innovative methods on fertilizer rates and timing so that we are applying nutrients at the right time, right place, right source, and right rate. Learn about the advantage of working together on a watershed project to improve water quality. Additionally, this year is a milestone for the United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, as it celebrates 150 years of service. The USDA was established by Abraham Lincoln in

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