ST. PAUL, Minn. - Crop consultants throughout Minnesota may be well-positioned to help clients apply for the new Conservation Security Program (CSP), a program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). CSP rewards farmers who have a history of implementing a high level of conservation.

Six Minnesota watersheds (see map at right) are among the 220 selected nationwide to participate in the 2005 CSP signup, which continues through May 27. The watersheds encompass approximately 3.5 million acres of potentially eligible land in some 10,500 farms. Next year, and each year thereafter, CSP will be offered in a different set of watersheds, until every watershed has had an opportunity to participate. In a one-time exception, the 18 watersheds across the country that participated in the 2004 CSP pilot signup, including the Blue Earth Watershed in Minnesota/Iowa, are eligible in 2005.

Crop consultants can help promote a successful CSP signup by identifying farmer clients who are likely to qualify and helping them complete the application process. To qualify for CSP, the land to be enrolled—whether one or more fields or the entire farm—must meet minimum NRCS soil and water quality standards. To apply, farmers must complete a CSP Self-Assessment Workbook and a set of watershed-specific self-certification worksheets. Information about the soil and water quality standards requirements and other program details can be located at www.mn.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp/csp. Crop consultants may be able to help clients gather and organize the records needed to complete the workbook and worksheets, such as soil and manure test results and information on insect and weed management activities.

Crop consultants interested in helping their clients apply for CSP should keep in mind that the 2005 signup will be more competitive than the 2004 pilot. Applications in the highest enrollment categories, those with the highest cropland soil quality or grazing land condition and the most conservation practices in place relative to other applications, are the most likely to be funded. Enrollment categories are described on pages 11-19 of the 2005 signup announcement at www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp/cspsignupannouncementfinal31805.pdf.