Author: rjones@iaagwater.org
-
Urgent: Jan 15 Deadline for NRCS Conservation Funding
Posted on
Farmers interested in USDA-NRCS conservation funding for the 2026 planting season need to get their paperwork in order ASAP to meet the upcoming deadline. The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has officially announced a national batching deadline of January 15, 2026, for the first round of funding for several key programs. While the NRCS…
-
What the government shutdown means for USDA
Federally Funded Conservation Halted by Shutdown A national government shutdown in October 2025 brings nearly all federal agricultural conservation assistance to a hault, furloughing the vast majority of staff at the USDA’s key conservation agency and stopping payments to farmers. Why it matters: Farmers and ranchers rely on the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for…
-
Iowa NRCS Sets Oct. 10 Cutoff for Conservation Program Applications
Posted on
Iowa NRCS Sets Oct. 10 Cutoff for Conservation Program Applications Photo Credit: Iowa NRCS DES MOINES, IOWA, Sept. 10, 2025 – The first application cutoff for Iowa farmers and other private landowners to apply for conservation practices in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 through USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs is Oct. 10. NRCS accepts conservation program…
-
How Iowa Farmers Can Lead on Water Quality
Posted on
The Drop: September 2025 By Joe McClure Cover crops can be a great conservation tool, but they need to be balanced with the needs of the cash crop—and the waterways that stretch across the great state of Iowa. As chief officer at Iowa Soybean Association’s (ISA’s) Research Center for Farming Innovation (RCFI), I spend a…