EQIP is one of the best programs out there for small farmers – if you’d like to do something the US government considers a conservation practice, chances are you can get reimbursed for some or even most of the expense.

 

The catch? Well, it moves at the speed of government. I’m typing this from my farm, where I’m swapping my overhead irrigation every 90 minutes because my EQIP project proposal to increase water pressure and install drip irrigation didn’t get funded this past cycle. I’ll be meeting with my NRCS agent tomorrow to renew the application for this next cycle. And with any luck I’ll get funding, along with a LOT of other farmers, because the Inflation Reduction Act massively increased the funding for conservation practices!

 

How do you get some of this funding for yourself? Reach out to your NRCS agent ASAP! This program runs through NRCS agents, and building a relationship with yours will pay off. Your NRCS agent visits your farm, talks to you about your long term plans and develops your conservation plan for the property. Then you fill out 4 forms that certify your income, your farmer status, whether your farm includes wetlands, and member information if you have a separate legal entity for your farm.

 

Different states have different deadlines for consideration in an EQIP cycle, and some states have specific areas of conservation that they focus on. We haven’t found anywhere that pulls all of that info together, so we called some NRCS offices and did the job ourselves. For 2023, the EQIP cycle deadlines are below:

 

StateFunding AreasDeadline
Alabama  
Alaska  
Arizona  
Arkansas  
California  
Coloradoagricultural impropvements and private property1-Dec
Connecticutall practices31-Oct
Delawarecrop land, wood land, pasture, farmstead17-Nov
DoCconservation related work, infrastructure release actunknown
Florida  
Georgiaall practices15-Nov
Hawaii  
Idahoall practices“come and gone”
Illinoisall practices12-Jan
Indiana  
Iowaall practices31-Oct
Kansasall practices17-Nov
Kentuckyall practices3-Nov
Louisiana  
MaineActively taking applications for management plans25-Aug
Maryland  
Massachusettsall practices5-Jan
Michiganall practices17-Nov
Minnesotaall practices6-Oct
Mississippiall practices27-Oct
Missouriall practices3-Oct
Montana  
Nebraskaall practices17-Nov
Nevadaall practices17-Nov
New Hampshire  
New Jerseyall practices20-Oct
New Mexicoall practices3-Nov
New Yorkall practices3-Nov
North Carolinaall practices3-Nov
North Dakotaall practices17-Nov
Ohioall practicescontinuous sign up
Oklahomaall practices3-Nov
Oregonall practices17-Nov
Pennsylvaniaall practices1-Nov
Rhode Islandall practices15-Dec
South Carolina  
South Dakotaall practices3-Nov
Tenessee  
Texasall practices8-Nov
Utahall practices4-Nov
Vermontall practices21-Oct
Virginia  
Washingtonall practices20-Oct
West Virginiaall practices20-Oct
Wisconsin  
Wyoming  

Now, you’ll notice some blanks in this table – we did our best, but we can’t spend all day chasing down government officials without a client to serve. If you’re in one of the states we’re missing and you know the dates, let us know!

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