OWENSVILLE, Ohio (Sept. 24, 2018) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced that Friday, Oct. 19, is the deadline to submit applications for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) in Ohio.

EQIP is a voluntary conservation program that helps to make conservation easier for producers. Together, NRCS and producers invest in solutions that conserve natural resources for the future while also improving agricultural operations.

Lori Lenhart, the NRCS District Conservationist for Brown and Clermont Counties, says, “Through EQIP, we are able to give producers both financial and one-on-one help to plan and implement conservation practices, such as cover crops, nutrient management and others which lead to healthier soils, cleaner water and improved agricultural operations.”

Financial assistance is now available in a variety of agricultural categories such as cropland, forestry, pasture operations, and organic. Several special projects are also available which address water quality (such as fencing livestock out of streams), forestry management (such as removal of honeysuckle and other invasives), improving pollinator populations, applying best management practices and many more.  All available agricultural categories are listed on the Ohio NRCS website under “EQIP Application Deadlines.”

To participate in USDA conservation programs, applicants should be farmers or farm or forest landowners and must meet eligibility criteria. Applications signed and submitted to NRCS by the Oct. 19 deadline will be evaluated for fiscal year 2019 funding.

In Brown and Clermont Counties, agricultural producers interested in applying for EQIP and conservation planning assistance should contact Lenhart prior to Oct. 19 at 513.732.2181, ext. 102 or by email at lori.lenhart@oh.usda.gov.

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