Agrium Advanced Technologies is commending the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture for creating the new Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and is encouraging farmers nationwide to participate.
The first enrollment period is open now and runs to the end of September. To begin the process, growers can complete a check-list available on the NRCS website. NRCS will determine the payment rate at the end of the initial sign-up but it is estimated to be between $12 and $22 per acre of cropland. More information on the program can be found at smartnitrogen.com/nrcs or AgriumAT.com/us.
CSP, a voluntary program, was created by the 2008 Farm Bill and replaces the old Conservation Security Program familiar to many farmers and landowners. CSP is offering a continuous enrollment, with an annual acreage cap of 12,769,000 acres nationwide, and the deadline for the first round of applications is September 30, 2009.