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Farmers across the U.S. are eligible for significant technical and financial assistance from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

If you are engaging in environmental stewardship and conservation efforts on your farm, the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) can help support your progress. CSP compensates agricultural producers who agree to increase conservation on their farm by adopting additional conservation activities or improving upon existing practices. With technical assistance from a conservation planner, farmers will work to increase conservation through practices best suited to their operation, like cover cropping, integrated grazing, or building wildlife habitats.

Obtain additional translated materials, or schedule interpretation services for phone calls or in-person visits, at farmers.gov/translations, or request personalized Spanish language support for any USDA resource, at farmers.gov/translations#spanish-request.

Important Points:

• CSP provides annual payments for farmers, with the annual minimum being $4,000, for a 5-year contract for installing, maintaining, and improving existing conservation on a farm.
• CSP payments are reported to the IRS and should be treated as taxable income.
• Unlike the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), there are no minimum acreage requirements, but the program requires whole-farm enrollment. The applicant’s farm must be in existing production; the program generally will not support land being cleared or prepared for future production.
• Contacting your local NRCS office is a key step in determining your eligibility and beginning your application process.
• Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and will be reviewed on the next ranking date for your state. Begin your application process as soon as possible to ensure completion by the next deadline! Applications are prioritized by local resource concerns and the applicant’s level of need.
  • The 2026 batching deadline was January 15, 2026, for all states. 
• You will need to create a free online account at Farmers.gov and ensure that it is up to date.
• If you do not own your land, you will need to submit written permission from the owner with your application.
• New this year: the Regenerative Agriculture Initiative may be an opportunity for organic and transitioning-to-organic producers to leverage their operational status for qualifying for contracts.

Step 1. Research Your Options.

CSP offers support for a broad scope of conservation activities and projects to producers, including both financial and technical support. CSP contracts last 5 years, with the option for renewal. Read up on the program to determine your eligibility and brainstorm how you already are, or would like to, increase conservation on your farm. For some possible project inspiration, check out NCRS’s Conservation at Work video series.

Step 2. Connect with USDA.

Create or update your account at Farmers.gov, and contact your local NRCS office to get started. Your conservation specialist will confirm your eligibility and help you determine your farm’s current stewardship thresholds. A stewardship threshold is NRCS’s benchmark for whether a CSP applicant is meeting or exceeding the level of conservation for a specific natural resource concern. To qualify, applicants must meet the threshold for at least two priority resource concerns across all land uses in their operation and commit to meeting or exceeding at least one additional concern by the end of their contract.

Guiding questions for initial contact with NRCS:

• “I’m interested in  _conservation project(s) of interest_. What do you need from me to get started on my application?”
• “What additional funding opportunities are available to my farm?”
• “When is the deadline for the next CSP ranking period?”
• “I _(own/rent)_ my land. What documents will you need for completion of my CSP application by the deadline?”
• “My farm is _certified/transitioning_ to organic. What additional will you need for completion of my conservation plan and application by the deadline?”

Step 3. Gather your application documents.

You’ll need your:

• Official tax ID (Social Security Number or Employer Identification Number)
• Adjusted gross income certification (Form CCC-941), which requires your Taxpayer ID Number and AGI from the previous 3 tax years.
• Deed, or property lease agreement, and written authorization from the landowner to install structural or vegetative practices.
• A map showing all land uses and acres in the operation, and a map or other documentation identifying any known ineligible land and associated acreage amounts (NRCS staff will help you obtain this information if you don’t already have it).
• Farm tract number (obtained from Farmers.gov or FSA membership).
• Documentation of organic certification (if applicable).
• Documentation of your land’s irrigation history (if applicable to project).

Step 4. Complete your application & submit!

Your NRCS conservation specialist will complete and submit your application form (CPA 1200) based on your established conservation plan.

Step 5. Implement your plan.

If your application is selected, NRCS will offer a contract outlining the approved conservation activities, payment rates, and other terms. CSP contracts last five years and begin only after both the farmer and NRCS sign the agreement. NRCS provides technical assistance, verifies completion of contract activities, and issues annual payments after October 1 each year.

Apply for CSP now to take conservation efforts on your farm to the next level! 

All of this information is summarized in a printable, downloadable PDF below.