TOPP Plains

Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

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

Versión en español a continuación.

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.

Front page of a CSP factsheet in English
Front page of a CSP factsheet in Spanish

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 in English and Spanish.

Front page of a CSP flyer

English

Información de CSP en español

Español

Los agricultores de todo Estados Unidos son elegibles para recibir asistencia técnica y financiera del Servicio de Conservación de Recursos Naturales (NRCS).

Si usted participa en esfuerzos de gestión ambiental y conservación en su granja, El Programa de Administración para la Conservación (CSP) puede ayudarle a apoyar su progreso. El CSP compensa a los productores agrícolas que aceptan aumentar la conservación en su granja adoptando actividades adicionales de conservación o mejorando prácticas existentes. Con la asistencia técnica de un planificador de conservación, los agricultores trabajarán para aumentar la conservación mediante prácticas más adecuadas a su explotación, como la construcción de cultivos de cobertura, el pastoreo integrado o la construcción de hábitats para la vida silvestre.

Obtenga materiales traducidos adicionales, programa servicios de interpretación para llamadas telefónicas o visitas presenciales, en farmers.gov/translations, o solicite apoyo personalizado en español para cualquier recurso del USDA, en farmers.gov/translations#spanish-request.

Puntos importantes:

  • CSP da pagos anuales a los agricultores, con un mínimo anual de 4.000 dólares, por un contrato de 5 años por instalar, mantener y mejorar la conservación existente en la granja.
  • Los pagos del CSP se reportan al IRS y deben considerarse ingreso sujeto a impuestos.
  • A diferencia del Programa de Incentivos para la Calidad Ambiental (EQIP), no existen requisitos mínimos de superficie, pero el programa exige la inscripción de toda la granja. La granja del solicitante debe estar en producción existente; El programa generalmente no apoya la limpieza o preparación de terrenos para futuras producciones.
  • Contactar con la oficina local del NRCS es un paso clave para determinar su elegibilidad y comenzar el proceso de solicitud.
  • Las solicitudes se aceptan de forma continua y se revisarán en la siguiente fecha de clasificación para su estado. ¡Comience su proceso de solicitud lo antes posible para asegurarse de finalizar antes de la próxima fecha límite! Las solicitudes se priorizan según los recursos locales y el nivel de necesidad del solicitante.
    • La fecha límite para 2026 fue el 15 de enero de 2026 para todos los estados. 
  • Tendrá que crear una cuenta online gratuita en Farmers.gov y asegurarse de que está actualizada.
  • Si no es propietario de su terreno, tendrá que presentar un permiso por escrito del propietario con su solicitud.
  • Novedad de este año: la Iniciativa de Agricultura Regenerativa podría ser una oportunidad para que los productores orgánicos y en transición a orgánicos aprovechen su estatus operativo para calificar para contratos.

Paso 1. Investigue sus opciones.

El CSP ofrece apoyo para un amplio alcance de actividades y proyectos de conservación a los productores, incluyendo apoyo financiero y técnico. Los contratos CSP duran 5 años, con opción de renovación. Infórmese sobre el programa para determinar su elegibilidad y haga una lluvia de ideas sobre cómo ya está, o le gustaría, aumentar la conservación en su granja. Para alguna posible inspiración en proyectos, revise la serie de videos sobre Conservación en el Trabajo de NCRS.

Front page of a CSP factsheet in Spanish
Front page of a CSP factsheet in English

Paso 2. Contacte con USDA.

Cree o actualice su cuenta en Farmers.gov y contacte con la oficina local del NRCS para empezar. Su especialista en conservación confirmará su elegibilidad y le ayudará a determinar los límites actuales de gestión de su granja. Un umbral de manejo responsable es el referente de la NRCS para determinar si un solicitante de CSP cumple o supera el nivel requerido de conservación para una inquietud específica de recursos naturales. Para calificar, los solicitantes deben cumplir el umbral para al menos dos inquietudes prioritarias de recursos naturales en todos los usos del suelo en su operación y comprometerse a cumplir o superar al menos una inquietud adicional antes de finalizar su contrato.

Preguntas orientadoras para el contacto inicial con el NRCS:

  • “Me interesa el/los _proyecto(s) de conservación(es) que le interese. ¿Qué necesitan de mí para empezar con mi solicitud?”
  • “¿Qué oportunidades adicionales de financiación hay disponibles para mi granja?”
  • “¿Cuándo es la fecha límite para el próximo periodo de clasificación CSP?”
  • “Yo _(poseo/alquilo)_ mi tierra. ¿Qué documentos necesitarán para completar mi solicitud CSP antes de la fecha límite?”

Paso 3. Reúna sus documentos de solicitud.

Necesitará su:

  • Identificación fiscal oficial (Número de Seguro Social o de Identificación del Empleador)
  • Certificación de ingreso bruto ajustado (Formulario CCC-941), que requiere su número de identificación de contribuyente y AGI de los 3 años fiscales anteriores.
  • Escritura, o contrato de arrendamiento de propiedad, y autorización por escrito del propietario para instalar prácticas estructurales o vegetativas.
  • Un mapa que muestre todos los usos del suelo y acres en la operación, y un mapa u otra documentación que identifique cualquier terreno no elegible conocido y las extensiones asociadas (el personal de NRCS le ayudará a obtener esta información si aún no la tiene).
  • Número de parcela de la granja (obtenido de Farmers.gov o de la membresía FSA).
  • Documentación de certificación orgánica (si procede).
  • Documentación del historial de riego de su terreno (si es aplicable al proyecto).

Paso 4. ¡Complete su solicitud y envíela!

Su especialista en conservación del NRCS completará y enviará su formulario de solicitud (CPA 1200) en base a su plan de conservación establecido.

Paso 5. Implemente su plan.

Si su solicitud es seleccionada, el NRCS ofrecerá un contrato que detalle las actividades de conservación aprobadas, las tarifas de pago y otros términos. Los contratos CSP duran cinco años y solo comienzan después de que tanto el agricultor como el NRCS firmen el acuerdo. El NRCS proporciona asistencia técnica, verifica la finalización de las actividades contractuales y emite pagos anuales después del 1 de octubre de cada año.

¡Solicite CSP ahora para llevar los esfuerzos de conservación en su granja al siguiente nivel! 

Toda esta información se resume en un PDF imprimible y descargable a continuación, disponible en inglés y español.

Información de CSP en español

Español

Front page of a CSP flyer

English

By |2026-01-22T12:38:40-05:00January 15th, 2026|Federal Assistance, News, Spanish Resources, TOPP West|
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Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

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

Farmers and technical service providers know firsthand that the most significant barriers to developing sustainable infrastructure and production practices are due to time and resource scarcity. NRCS’ EQIP program offers financial assistance and technical support to implement new conservation practices on your farm, with additional support for historically underserved applicants, including socially disadvantaged, beginning, veteran, and limited-resource farmers and ranchers. In this blog post, we’ll provide an overview of what EQIP has to offer and the steps to utilizing this program.

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:

  • EQIP is a reimbursement program; most operations will have to pay for improvements up-front and get funding to cover those costs.
  • Do not begin reimbursable conservation activities and projects prior to completion of your application process and contract with NRCS.
  • 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 is 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.

Step 1. Research Your Options.

EQIP offers support for a broad scope of conservation activities & projects to producers, including both financial and technical support. EQIP provides funds to reimburse costs associated with specific practices or infrastructure projects on a farm. EQIP’s most popular sub-programs include the High Tunnel Initiative, which covers the cost of high tunnel installation for production farms, the On Farm Energy Initiative, which covers the cost of energy-saving equipment and infrastructure improvements such as refrigeration units or greenhouse improvements, and the Organic Initiative, which provides up to $140k to certified organic or transitioning farms to implement conservation practices such as design and installation of efficient irrigation systems, nutrient & pest management strategies, or developing a grazing plan. Funding availability varies by state. As of 2026, not all initiatives are offered in every state. Check with your local NCRS office to determine what funding pools are available in your state.

Front page of a CSP factsheet in English

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 identify which projects & practices best suit your operation. 

Guiding questions for initial contact with NRCS:

  • “I’m interested in applying for EQIP’s  _initiative(s) of interest_ for my farm to help finance _conservation project of interest_. What do you need from me to get started on my application?”
  • “What additional funding opportunities are available to my farm?”
  • “How soon can a conservationist help me set up a conservation plan (AD 1026)?”
  • “When is the deadline for the next EQIP ranking period?”
  • “I am eligible for the increased and advanced payment option for Historically Underserved farmers. How will this change my application process?”
  • “I _(own/rent)_ my land. What documents will you need for completion of my EQIP 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. Schedule your conservation plan development.

Your NRCS conservation specialist will work with you to develop a conservation plan for your operation and complete the AD 1026 form.

Step 4. 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.
  • 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 5. Complete your application & submit!

Your NRCS conservation specialist will complete & submit your application form (CPA 1200) with you using your established conservation plan and the above documents. 

Step 6. Implement your plan.

If you’re selected, you can choose whether to sign the contract for the work to be done. You’ll be provided with guidelines and a timeframe for implementing your plan. Once the work is implemented and inspected, you’ll be paid the rate of compensation for the work.

Apply for EQIP now and unlock a more affordable path to sustainable agriculture. Your farm deserves the support it needs.

All of this information is summarized in a printable, downloadable PDF below, available in English and Spanish.

Cover page of TOPP EQIP Toolkit

English

Español

By |2026-01-15T10:21:50-05:00January 5th, 2026|Federal Assistance, News, Spanish Resources, TOPP West|
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Building Successful Farmer-Researcher Collaboration

Farmers and ranchers are natural researchers, regularly using trial-and-error to address on-farm questions and challenges. Research shows that farmers greatly benefit when they lead on-farm research trials.

Programs like the OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trials and the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education’s Farmer-Rancher Grant put farmers in the driver’s seat, allowing them to conceive and carry out research on their farms.

For research involving farmers and University scientists, successful collaborations between farmers and researchers can greatly enhance results. However, these collaborations take time to build. Read our report on for lessons learned from organic farmers and researchers about how to form these effective collaborations.

Front cover of seeds of success resource
By |2025-12-19T12:51:02-05:00December 19th, 2025|On-Farm Research, Resource|
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Three Springs Farm: Small-scale Farming Rooted in Organic Principles

Source: Three Springs Farm, Cherokee County, Oklahoma
Farmer Mike Appel stand in a field of tall corn.Source: Three Springs Farm, Cherokee County, Oklahoma
A greenhouse on the far side of a farm field.Source: Three Springs Farm, Cherokee County, Oklahoma

By Clare Boland, Communications & Outreach Fellow, and OFRF staff

Three Springs Farm is a certified organic farm located in eastern Oklahoma in the Ozark Hills. Farmers Mike Appel and Emily Oakley cultivate over forty different crops and more than 150 individual varieties on three acres of land. Their goal is to maintain a family operation that demonstrates the economic viability of small-scale farming.

Originally, Three Springs sold the majority of their produce at farmers’ markets, but since the pandemic, they’ve transitioned into being majority Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Instead of giving customers a pre-packed box like a traditional CSA, they offer a free choice model, allowing customers to pick what veggies they want to receive at their weekly pick-up in Tulsa. CSA members also receive a newsletter containing recipes, photos, and stories from the farm. “It’s non-traditional, but we still have that community support,” says Mike. In addition to their CSA, they also sell wholesale to a restaurant and a Food is Medicine Program.

For Mike and Emily, farming organically was their intention from the start. Both studied agriculture in college, and afterward gained experience working at organic farms like Full Belly Farm in California. After Emily finished her graduate degree at the University of California-Davis, they relocated to Oklahoma, where Emily was raised, to start a farm of their own.

But finding a permanent home for their farm took a bit longer than they had hoped. They looked at more than 100 properties over the course of three years. During this time, they farmed on leased land, but were unable to become certified because of soil amendments used on the land prior to their lease. Eventually, they found land in Eastern Oklahoma, about an hour east of Tulsa, where they have been farming for the past 22 years.

“Oklahoma is really difficult because there’s not a lot of good soil,” Mike explains. “The best land tends to be river valleys, but they’re prone to flooding. Or, there might be really great land but no water. The best land we saw was south of Tulsa, but it was too expensive for us. We were at the eleventh hour when we just kind of stumbled upon our place.”

Why Organic

The land they purchased hadn’t been farmed before, so they didn’t have to go through the three-year organic transition period to obtain organic certification. “It’s why we do what we do,” Michael said when asked about the decision to be certified organic. “There was never a question of doing anything other than that… We actually don’t need it for marketing purposes.”  

Despite that, Mike says their CSA customers are still interested in the organic label – what it means and the integrity behind it. He also thinks the bashing of big organics doesn’t do a lot to support the label overall. “When you’re doing that consistently, the consumer doesn’t understand and is going to equate organics as something that is fraudulent. That’s a worry. It has to be a lot more delicate and balanced. There are a lot of us out there doing it right. There’s a lot of concern, and I think we’re riding a very fine line of losing consumer support if we don’t make integrity and strict standards the priority.”

In addition to being USDA-certified organic, Three Springs Farm is also certified through the Real Organic Project. Emily served on the National Organic Standards Board from 2016-2021 and advocated against the inclusion of hydroponic vegetables under the USDA label. The USDA’s decision to include hydroponics was what led to the founding of the Real Organic Project, where Emily currently serves on the standards board. The Real Organic Project label goes beyond the USDA organic label, differentiating organic food produced in concert with healthy soils and pasture, and offering customers greater transparency.

Mike’s top reasons why people should choose organic whenever possible start with the obvious. “You don’t want poisons in your food. That to me is fundamental. We don’t want to eat food grown with chemicals and we don’t want other people to either. 

“Also, farmworkers shouldn’t be working in fields that have nasty chemicals. We have a long way to go to ensure people have good working conditions, but at least we can ensure people aren’t being exposed to bad chemicals when they’re growing our food.”

Then there are the larger environmental impacts. “Living near a creek and seeing the life that’s there is incredible. While it is resilient, it’s also very vulnerable to our influences. It’s important to make sure your food choices don’t impair that. When we buy organic, we think beyond ourselves. Our choices have huge impacts in other parts of the world. Just try to make the best choices you can with what you have in front of you.”

Cover Cropping for Scale and Climate Extremes

Although Mike and Emily own around 100 acres, they only keep three to four acres in production since it’s just the two of them and their daughter. The majority of their land is in conservation for wildlife habitat and native ecosystem restoration. Determining the right schedule for their cover cropping has helped not only to build biomass, but also to manage their farm with minimal staff.

”Anything that was spring crops gets turned into a summer cover crop. And then any land that isn’t gonna be utilized at all that year is also in summer cover crop. We end our season on Labor Day to get our winter cover crop planted. So we spend most of September, and a little bit of October, cleaning up fields and just selling to the restaurant and the Food is Medicine program.” The goal, Mike says, is to get the entire farm into cover crop by mid-fall. “Over time, we’ve figured out how to sustain the farm as two people; not growing year-round is one way to do that.”

Though, climate irregularities have caused them to adapt their plans season to season. “ Our falls have been a lot drier, so we’re not able to plant until we get a rain, and those rains haven’t been coming until October. So we’ve modified our winter cover crop a little bit because of that, adding more winter-hardy [varieties].”

In addition to fall droughts, they’ve also been experiencing heavy rains in the spring. This past year was “the wettest spring we’ve ever had, which is saying a lot for this region because we have pretty wet springs. We get pretty severe storms. It’s usually a deluge. And this spring was the worst in our 20 years of farming. We just could not get back into the field. And there were a lot of disease problems in our potatoes and onions because of it.”

Along with the changes they’ve made to their cover crop mix, Mike and Emily are also experimenting with reduced tillage to combat climate extremes. This year, instead of rototilling their summer crop prior to winter planting, they tried discing it in instead. “We’re really happy the way that turned out. The soil is a lot less abused when we don’t rototill.” In the coming year, they are hoping to experiment with interseeding, planting cover crops alongside cash crops, to combat soil erosion and build resilience for rain events.

Learning Through On-Farm Research

Mike and Emily have also developed a good relationship with Oklahoma State University. “We’ve done some varietal trials with them, which helped us figure out what works,” says Mike. “What’s been interesting is to see the extension agents become more interested in cover cropping. They’re still very conventional, but they’ve become more interested after seeing what cover crops have done for us—the fact that we’re organic, our plants are healthy, and our yields are good—without having to put down chemical fertilizers.”

“We’re a bit far away from the university, so it makes it harder to collaborate, but we’ve told them to call us whenever they do variety trials. We have lots of ideas and have trialed a bunch of different crops.”

His best advice for new farmers? Perseverance.

“There are times I’ve definitely wanted to just throw in the towel. But in the end, things work out. You talk to people, figure out the problems. Each year it gets better, but you’ll still have setbacks, like the weather for us this year. Know that while nothing is static, each year you’ll be able to build on your experience.”

By |2025-12-18T11:47:59-05:00December 17th, 2025|Farmer Stories, News|
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Lessons from the Plains on the Transition to Organic

A Farmer Panel recap from the Transitioning to Organic Farming Conference at the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension, and Education Center in Ithaca, NE

By Brian Geier, OFRF Communications Manager.

“I used to write checks to chemical companies. Now I write them to my kids,” explains Tom Schwarz, a 5th-generation farmer from southern Nebraska, while discussing the advantages of organic production. The Schwarz Family Farm has been farming organically since transitioning the farm in 1988. Along with his wife and two kids, Tom raises corn, soybeans, wheat, field peas, alfalfa, oats, and numerous cover crops. He was speaking at the Transition to Organic Farming Conference hosted by the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, alongside two other organic farmers. 

As may be the case for many farmers in rural Nebraska, farming is not new to any of the organic farmers on this particular panel. Each spoke with a familiarity and vocabulary that comes with decades of experience. All three of them are from families who are farming hundreds or thousands of acres, some owned, many rented, in various stages of leases. And all of them had, at some point in the past few decades, switched a portion of their farming enterprises to certified organic production. For these farmers, who carry on family legacies of farming that survived the farm crises of the 1970s and 80s, organic is, among other things, a way to survive. It is also a path toward passing a farm operation onto the next generation that is better, safer, and more profitable than when they started. 

No-till, organic corn at Young Family Farm in Nebraska. Photo credit: Barry Young, farmer-presenter on the “Organic Production: Nebraska Growers’ Perspectives” panel. 

Like most farming, organic is not all easy. Tom presented what he sees as the disadvantages of organic: it is management-intensive (more machinery passes per season), requires extra recordkeeping, and WEEDS (emphasis via capitalization added from Tom’s presentation). “It’s just plain harder,” he explained, citing the need to be able to adapt on the fly and to creatively problem solve.

Matt Adams, who started farming with his dad in 2016 and operates about 600 acres in Seward, Nebraska, also spoke on the panel. He agreed that there can be difficulties with the transition to organic, particularly with having machinery settings or setups needed for larger-scale grain production. “Get everything ready way before,” he warns, “so the day you need to be out there, you’re ready.” 

Matt transitioned non-irrigated land that was previously in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to organic hay and row crops. Since the fields were in CRP, there had been no prohibited substances applied to them, and they were ready to certify, meaning he did not have to steward them through the three-year transition period to organic. But since the land had not been fertilized or cultivated, Matt is finding that yields have been low and weed pressure high, putting extra strain on the need for timely, effective cultivation setups. 

When addressing challenges, the number one source of information for organic farmers is other farmers. And Nebraska’s organic farmers on this panel are no exception. 

“I do have some original thoughts. But I always throw them to the wolves first,” explains Barry Young, the third panelist who operates Young Family Farm in southeast Nebraska. “I should call it ‘Young Community Farm’”, he chuckles, giving credit to past mentors that first taught him about polyculture planting, and acknowledging fellow farmers and family members that he discusses ideas with before trying them. Barry finds that sourcing inputs is one of his biggest challenges. Despite living in farm country, “No one around me was doing what I’m doing,” he said. Still, by persistently asking questions of fellow organic and regenerative farmers, who he finds are more apt to share knowledge than many conventional growers, he has learned to meet main challenges like developing inter-species planting mixes for weed control. 

Organic farmer Barry Young explains his polyculture planting mix for organic wheat, which includes a custom mix of 120 pounds of wheat with 2 pounds of radish and 3 pounds of flax. The flax, a legume, helps enhance the soil microbiome while the radish helps break compaction especially following alfalfa. Both winterkill and the wheat matures as a pure stand for harvest the next season.

Earthworms and good soil structure in a November cover crop at Young Family Farm.

A high biomass (10-ton per acre) pea/oat cover crop following no-till corn planting at Young Family Farm

Corn grows with a soil-building mix in wheat stubble at Young Family Farm.

Secondary roots on organic, no-till corn at six weeks post-emergence at Young Family Farm.

“This is the way we’re intended to farm.”

-Nebraska organic farmer

All three of the farmers spoke about several advantages of organic production, too. One described lying down in a field, observing the increase in bug and bird life following the switch away from pesticides, and thinking, “This is the way we’re intended to farm.” 

Other advantages cited include organic’s market stability, and the regional control and accountability within the market chains. With organic grain production, many farmers are selling niche crops to regional processors who are then selling food back to the community. This creates a market and economy that farmers form long-term relationships with, and it stands in contrast to the volatility and lack of accountability from larger, conventional commodity crop markets where crops are shipped out of state or country for processing. It is “consumer-based as opposed to commodity-based,” Tom points out. 

But ultimately, for Tom and others on the panel, it is about their farms’ future, and that is about the quality of life of the next generation. Today, there are challenges with organic, for sure, but farming has been a difficult profession for generations of Nebraskans. With organic production as at least a part of the farm, Tom feels he is creating something that will be passed on to the next generation and be better than what he inherited. Aside from now being a paid part of the organic operation, Tom notes that “The kids will not be exposed to chemicals like I was,” adding, matter-of-factly, “that’s the biggest reason I do it.”

For Plains farmers interested in learning more about the USDA’s National Organic Program, we encourage you to explore resources and upcoming events hosted by the region’s Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). You may also want to explore OFRF’s step-by-step guides, printable tools, and farmer experiences to help you access USDA programs and funding, such as the NRCS’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the RMA’s Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) program.

By |2026-01-06T16:40:14-05:00December 16th, 2025|Farmer Stories, News|
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Funding On-Farm Innovation: SARE Farmer/Rancher Grants

By Gordon Merrick, Policy Program Director at OFRF

Versión en español a continuación.

At the Organic Farming Research Foundation, we’ve seen firsthand that some of the most meaningful innovation happens on working farms, not just research plots. When farmers take the lead in experimenting and observing what works on their land, they build confidence, share new knowledge, and drive progress across the organic movement. That’s the spirit behind our Farmer-Led Trials Program—and the reason why we’re excited to release a new toolkit to help producers who utilize organic farming systems to access the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Farmer/Rancher Grant Program.

SARE provides direct funding for producers to test ideas and share solutions with their communities. This toolkit is designed to make that process more accessible than ever for organic and transitioning-to-organic producers.

What Is the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program?

A farmer leans down in a field with a clip board, conducting research.The SARE Farmer/Rancher Grant Program is a competitive grant program that provides funding to producers who have designed their own research projects and teams. This program aims to award funding to projects that address real-world, on-farm challenges and include both research and outreach components.

Farmers and ranchers apply as the Principal Investigator and work with Technical Advisors, like Extension agents, university researchers, or nonprofit organizations. Together, they run projects lasting one to three years, testing new practices while sharing their findings with others.

The 2026 Call for Proposals was recently released and offers a funding limit of $15,000-35,000 for projects, depending on your region! 

For farms in the SARE Western Region

(Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming)

  • Up to $35,000 of funding available for 1-3 year projects. 
  • The submission deadline is Noon (12 pm Mountain Time) on November 20, 2025, and projects must start between May and October of 2026. Learn more and apply here.

For farms in the SARE North Central Region

(North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio)

  • Up to $15,000 of funding for individuals, and up to $30,000 for teams, available for 23 month projects. 
  • The submission deadline is 4 pm Central Time on December 4, 2025. Learn more and apply here.

For farms in the SARE Southern Region

(Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands)

  • Up to $20,000 of funding for individuals, and up to $25,000 for teams, available for 2 year projects. 
  • The submission deadline is Noon (12 pm Eastern Time) on December 5, 2025. Learn more and apply here.

Why Does SARE Matter for Organic and Transitioning-To-Organic Producers?

Organic producers have long been at the forefront of innovation, whether experimenting with cover cropping strategies, biological pest and disease controls, diversified rotations, or the interaction of all of these different practices.

Research shows that farmers benefit greatly when they lead on-farm research trials at their farms. Conducting your own research allows you to address your farm-specific questions and has historically supported the adoption and innovation of sustainable agricultural practices worldwide.

Programs like SARE’s Farmer/Rancher Grant Program give farmers the opportunity to test what works under real conditions on their farms and ensure that knowledge benefits others in their communities.

The outreach component required by the program guarantees that the benefits extend beyond a single farm. For operations transitioning to organic certification, this grant offers a valuable chance to research how best to manage that transition, making it easier for others to follow suit.

How To Get Started With a SARE Proposal

Our new toolkit walks you through the process, from project idea to submission, offering resources and general guidance tailored to organic operations. There are five primary steps:

  • Define Your Project Idea. Think about a real challenge on your farm. Use the SARE project database to make sure you’re not repeating a funded study, and ask how the project will improve sustainability for more than just your farm.
  • Build Your Team. In the Western region, a Technical Advisor is required, ideally this is a preexisting relationship with an Extension agent, university researcher, or a non-profit organization. In the North Central and Southern regions, you can apply as an individual farm, or as part of a group of multiple farms.
  • Design the Research and Outreach. Outline your methods, timeline, budget, and outreach plan. Use our free guidebook, Farmers Guide to Conducting On-Farm Research, to support you at every step of this process.
  • Submit Your Application Before Your Region’s Deadline. The best way to avoid any technical difficulties is to submit your application earlier than the deadline, and to make sure you have an active account on their platform!
  • Conduct Your Research and Share What You Learn. If awarded, you’ll conduct the research you’ve outlined and then report results, host outreach activities, and help build the region’s body of applied research and connected producers.

SARE In Action

Across the country, past SARE-funded projects have examined a wide range of topics. In the western region, a few funded projects look at organic pest control in pastured pork production and varroa mite management for beekeepers in Hawaii. These are tangible, farmer-driven projects that answer real questions and create resilient resources others can use—exactly the kind of work this grant aims to support.

Farmer-led research isn’t just a nice idea; it is essential for advancing organic production systems that are resilient, profitable, and rooted in ecological stewardship. With this toolkit and the updated SARE Farmer/Rancher Grant Program, we hope you’ll see a clear path to turning your ideas into action.

When good ideas aren’t kept bottled up, but are spread and shared abundantly within communities, that’s when real change happens.

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

visual of the first page of a SARE flyer made by OFRF
visual of the second page of a SARE flyer made by OFRF

Fondos para proyectos de innovación en la granja: becas de SARE para agricultores / ganaderos

En la Fundación de Investigación de Agricultura Orgánica (Organic Farming Research Foundation), hemos visto de primera mano que algunas de las innovaciones más significativas ocurren en granjas en funcionamiento, no solo en parcelas de investigación. Cuando los agricultores toman la iniciativa de experimentar y observar lo que funciona en sus tierras, generan confianza, comparten nuevos conocimientos e impulsan el progreso en todo el movimiento orgánico. Ese es el espíritu detrás de nuestro Programa de Ensayos Dirigidos por Agricultores, y la razón por la que estamos entusiasmados de lanzar un nuevo conjunto de herramientas para ayudar a los productores que utilizan sistemas de agricultura orgánica a acceder al Programa de becas para agricultores/ganaderos de Investigación y Educación en Agricultura Sostenible (SARE).

SARE proporciona fondos directos para que los productores prueben ideas y compartan soluciones con sus comunidades. Este kit de herramientas está diseñado para hacer que ese proceso sea más accesible que nunca para los productores orgánicos y en transición a orgánicos.

¿Qué es el Programa de Investigación y Educación sobre Agricultura Sostenible?

A farmer leans down in a field with a clip board, conducting research.El Programa de Becas para Agricultores/Ganaderos de SARE es un programa de becas competitivo que proporciona fondos a los productores que han diseñado sus propios proyectos y equipos de investigación. Este programa tiene como objetivo otorgar fondos a proyectos que abordan desafíos del mundo real en la granja e incluyen componentes de investigación y divulgación.

Los agricultores y ganaderos se postulan como Investigador Principal y trabajan con Asesores Técnicos, como agentes de extensión, investigadores universitarios u organizaciones sin fines de lucro. Juntos, ejecutan proyectos que duran de uno a tres años, probando nuevas prácticas mientras comparten sus hallazgos con otros.

¡La Convocatoria de Propuestas 2026 se publicó recientemente y ofrece un límite de financiamiento de $15,000-35,000 por proyecto, dependiendo de la región!

Para granjas en la región occidental de SARE

(Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawái, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Nuevo México, Oregón, Utah, Washington y Wyoming)

  • Hasta $35,000 de financiación para proyectos de 1 a 3 años.
  • La fecha límite de presentación es el mediodía (12 pm hora de la montaña) del 20 de noviembre de 2025, y los proyectos deben comenzar entre mayo y octubre de 2026. Obtenga más información y presente su solicitud aquí.

Para granjas en la región central norte de SARE

(Dakota del Norte, Dakota del Sur, Nebraska, Kansas, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio)

Para granjas en la región sur de SARE

(Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, Carolina del Sur, Carolina del Norte, Virginia, Puerto Rico y las Islas Vírgenes de EE. UU.)

¿Por qué es importante SARE para productores orgánicos y en transición a orgánicos?

Los productores orgánicos han estado durante mucho tiempo a la vanguardia de la innovación, ya sea experimentando con estrategias de cultivos de cobertura, controles biológicos de plagas y enfermedades, rotaciones diversificadas o la interacción de todas estas prácticas diferentes.

La investigación muestra que los agricultores se benefician enormemente cuando lideran ensayos de investigación en sus granjas. Realizando su propia investigación le permite abordar sus preguntas específicas de la granja e históricamente ha apoyado la adopción e innovación de prácticas agrícolas sostenibles en todo el mundo.

Programas como el Programa de Becas para Agricultores/Ganaderos de SARE brindan a los agricultores la oportunidad de probar lo que funciona en condiciones reales en sus granjas y garantizar que el conocimiento beneficie a otros en sus comunidades.

El componente de divulgación requerido por el programa garantiza que los beneficios se extiendan más allá de una sola granja. Para las operaciones que hacen la transición a la certificación orgánica, esta beca ofrece una valiosa oportunidad para investigar la mejor manera de gestionar esa transición, lo que facilita que otros sigan su ejemplo.

Cómo empezar con una propuesta de SARE

Nuestro nuevo kit de herramientas lo guía a través del proceso, desde la idea del proyecto hasta la presentación, ofreciendo recursos y orientación general adaptados a las operaciones orgánicas. Hay cinco pasos principales:

  • Defina su idea de proyecto. Piense en un verdadero desafío en su granja. Utilice la base de datos del proyecto SARE para asegurarse de que no está repitiendo un estudio financiado y pregunte cómo el proyecto mejorará la sostenibilidad para algo más que su granja.
  • Construya su equipo. En la región occidental, se requiere un Asesor Técnico, idealmente se trata de una relación preexistente con un agente de Extensión, investigador universitario o una organización sin fines de lucro.
  • Diseñar la investigación y la divulgación. Describa sus métodos, cronograma, presupuesto y plan de divulgación. Utilice nuestra guía gratuita Guía Para Agricultores: Cómo Realizar Investigación en Su Campo para apoyarle en cada paso de este proceso
  • Envíe su solicitud antes de la fecha límite de su región. La mejor manera de evitar cualquier dificultad técnica es enviar su solicitud antes de la fecha límite y asegurarse de tener una cuenta activa en su plataforma.

Realice su investigación y comparta lo que aprende. Si se le otorga, llevará a cabo la investigación que ha descrito y luego informará los resultados, organizará actividades de divulgación y ayudará a construir el cuerpo de investigación aplicada y productores conectados de la región.

SARE en acción

En todo el país, los proyectos anteriores financiados por SARE han examinado una amplia gama de temas. En la región occidental, algunos proyectos financiados analizan el control orgánico de plagas en la producción de carne de cerdo de pastoreo y el manejo de ácaros varroa para apicultores en Hawái. Estos son proyectos tangibles impulsados por agricultores que responden preguntas reales y crean recursos resilientes que otros pueden usar, exactamente el tipo de trabajo que esta beca pretende apoyar.

Conclusión

La investigación dirigida por agricultores no es solo una buena idea; Es esencial para avanzar en sistemas de producción orgánica que sean resilientes, rentables y arraigados en la administración ecológica. Con este kit de herramientas y el Programa de Becas para Agricultores/Ganaderos de SARE actualizado, esperamos que vea un camino claro para convertir sus ideas en acción.

Cuando las buenas ideas no se mantienen reprimidas, sino que se difunden y comparten abundantemente dentro de las comunidades, es cuando ocurre el cambio real.

Toda esta información se resume en un PDF imprimible y descargable.

first page of a SARE info flyer created by OFRF in Spanish
visual of the second page of a SARE flyer made by OFRF

By |2025-11-11T15:43:28-05:00October 30th, 2025|News, TOPP West|
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