3111 State Route 98, Bucyrus, OH 44820 (419)-562-8280
Incentive Programs
Livestock Compost Facility
Crawford County Summary of Conservation Programs
- Great Lakes
Protection Fund Soil Testing Grant – Soil test grant for farms in
the Sandusky River watershed and all of it's tributaries. Provides free
stratified soil test - a 2 part soil test that provides separate soils
analysis at 0-2" and 2-8" soil depths - for eligible farms. Applications
must be submitted before soil tests are taken. Stratification
of fertility, in particular Phosphorous fertilizer, can lead to increased
nutrient loads in the Sandusky River. This tool can assist farmers manage
for stratification and make adjustments accordingly.
Great Lakes
Protection Fund Grant Fact Sheet
- Honey Creek
Targeted Watershed Grant – Sister grant to the Great Lakes
Protection grant above, provides incentives for specific Best Management
Practices. Eligible incentives include - planting annual cover crops,
planting wheat in your crop rotation, planting hay or permanent grasses, P
injections >5" deep, controlled inverted tillage, zero P applications, N
application reductions and drainage control structures. All incentives are
available based upon results of stratified soil tests - you must have the
stratified soil test first! These incentives are available to eligible farms
in the Honey Creek watershed.
Honey Creek Watershed Grant Fact Sheet
- Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) – USDA’s land retirement or set aside program. Pays an annual rental payment for taking cropland out of production and establishing grasses or tree cover as well as creating wetlands. Also offers cost share on the practices. Competitive bids placed.
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=copr&topic=crp
- Conservation Reserve Program Buffer’s (Continuous CRP) – USDA’s program aimed at establishing grass filter strips, riparian tree buffers, windbreaks, quail field borders, or creating wetlands. This program pays an annual rental payment and offers cost share. No competition, if the land is eligible. http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=copr&topic=crp
- Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) – USDA & State buffer program similar to the CRP buffer program but offers higher payments to the landowner for priority practices. Currently available in Crawford County for land that drains into the Lake Erie, Little Scioto and Olentangy Watershed. http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/soilandwater/CREP.htm
- Conservation Security Program (CSP) – USDA program that
rewards farmers that have a documented history of good land stewardship.
Offered on the watershed basis. If accepted into the program, it
offers enhancement payments for implementing various conservation practices
such as 100% no-till, variable rate application of fertilizer and more.
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp/
- Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) - The USDA’s incentive program. Can be used for any USDA eligible practice including but not limited to: animal waste storage facility, grid sampling & nutrient management, compost facility, cover crops, etc. http://www.oh.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/
- Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) – USDA program to encourage restoration and enhancement of wetlands. The landowner receives a payment for placing a 30 year or permanent conservation easement on the land and the landowners receives incentive payment for restoring the wetland. http://www.oh.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/
- Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) – USDA program offering landowners’ incentive payment for establishing grassland plantings, riparian tree plantings and wetland restoration to benefit wildlife. http://www.oh.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/