During the past six months, I have been working on a project with the Council of Producers and Distributors of Agrotechnology (CPDA) in Washington D.C., to find out how many growers and/or their retail salespeople know about potential opportunities for federal funding via the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)/Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) or the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). This was driven by new regulations coming on pesticide labels with new language around the Endangered Species Act and compliance with these new labels.   

My findings reveal that there is currently not enough information or education available in the countryside for these programs to be well known. A part of this project is to also let the CPDA network know that their certified crop advisers (CCAs) can become technical service providers (TSPs) through the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) and USDA to help with conservation planning activities. In short, once a contract is funded and your local office has all its needs, all the follow-up and paperwork can happen through your CCA/TSP, who will steward the contract through the next five years.  

I grew up in ag retail and have many friends and industry colleagues who work, or have worked, in ag retail or consulting while calling on farmers. They wear many hats, including seed sales, fertilizer sales and chemical sales.  The common thread is that they know their customers’ operations well.   

What is often forgotten, especially in the tougher economic times farmers face today, is that there are ways to help growers access federal funding for practices they already use on the farm or would like to add to their operation. Farmers are the protectors of our land and have practiced sustainability for many generations. My goal is to help spread the word that funding is available through five-year farm bills, extensions of farm bills or through reconciliation, as we saw in the recent Big, Beautiful Bill. 

So, what is available, you ask, and how does this process work? 

A farmer in a cover crop field. Provided by Illinois Soybean Association

In my area of Illinois, in corn and soybean production, we have conservation tillage through practices called NRCS 329 and 345.  Conservation tillage, via reduced-till (345) or no-till (329), conserves soil and water and has been a staple practice in our area for controlling soil loss and improving soil quality and health.  

We also have producers who have cover cropped or have considered cover cropping, which is NRCS 340. Cover crops not only provide soil conservation benefits, but they also produced some of the cleanest (non-weedy) fields I saw this summer while driving around.  This is a big deal when my biggest enemy, WATERHEMP, is on a rampage.  Cover crops helped control this weed significantly.  

Have you been grid sampling your fields for nutrient values?  I know many farmers are!  If so, you are already fulfilling part of the requirement of NRCS 590 (nutrient management).  Many of these fields have variable rate phosphorus and potassium applied, allowing us to maintain or skip application in areas with high values, while applying maintenance and build-up rates in areas with lower values.  

Now for my favorite practice, pest management (NRCS 595). I have been watching technology grow in this area since my graduate school days at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Pest management acres capped out at over 1 million acres in 2007 and have since dropped to around 82,000 acres in 2025. The objective is to use today’s new technology to get these acres back up once again.   

When I talk about new technology, I look to the best drift-control adjuvants, which continue to improve every year. These products help keep pesticides in place whether applied by ground or air.  Combine these great adjuvants with new sprayer technology, like the AIM Command system or the Exact Apply system, and we have a winner!  See and Spray technology is also reducing pesticide usage by applying to the target only.  

My point is that there is no better time to apply for additional funding for this type of practice. For farmers already enrolled in a CSP or EQIP program, this can be a great add-on or enhancement to a current contract, or even a way to qualify for a new one.  

So, what are the steps?  

You already visit the FSA office for several tasks. For those who go there many times a year, the staff likely know you – it’s still a small community.  While there, seek out the NRCS in that same building and have a conversation with your NRCS conservationist. The Illinois Soybean Association created this guide of what to know before you walk into your local office.  You are eligible if you can answer yes to four questions: 

1. Do you own or rent and actively manage the acres you want to enroll?
2. Is your land in compliance with wetland and highly erodible land requirements?
3. Is your adjusted gross income (AGI) less than $900,000?
4. Are your records with the FSA up to date? 

A staff member in your local office will review your entire farm and identify resource concerns.  Additional concerns specific to your area may also be eligible for funding. An NRCS-CPA-1200 application form will be filled out, which you can complete before your visit if you prefer.   

Expect additional conversations with the NRCS staff or your TSP to create a plan that suits your operation. Do what makes sense to you. Please keep in mind that only a certain amount of financial assistance applications will be funded, and it can be a competitive process.  Priority for funding typically goes to plans that address the greatest number of resource concerns. Applications are accepted year-round, but NRCS deadlines vary by geography, so be sure to check locally.  

If your conservation plan is selected, it will move into an implantation phase, where you can either hand off your plan to your local TSP or continue working with the local NRCS office.  Follow the guidelines provided. You will pay expenses up front but will receive the financial assistance payments after completion each year. Payment rates vary by state for each practice.   

Payments can be as high as $40,000 per year or up to $200,000 over a five-year contract, depending on the size of the operation and the practices selected. NRCS has identified 17 primary resource concerns, and by law each state must focus on at least five of these each year. As I mentioned earlier in this blog for western Illinois, you must address two concerns on your farm and agree to add one more.  The more you address, the better your chances for a successful application. 

The Illinois Soybean Association created a guide to NRCS financial assistance programs – view by clicking here.  

As always, if you have any questions, please reach out to the great Illinois Soybean Association staff, and thanks for reading. 

Byron Hendrix – 2025 Soy Envoy