The Mahaska County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) have started taking applications for cost share funds for nutrient reduction practices as part of a statewide effort in support of the Nutrient Reduction Strategy. They will be offering a portion of their FY2017 annual allocation of Iowa Financial Incentive Program funds to help local farmers support the Nutrient Reduction Strategy.
The announcement for nutrient reduction practices signup is to encourage landowners to apply for the programs and give field office staff time to process applications prior to the anticipated release of funding after July 1st, 2016.
Funds are available for Water Quality Initiative (WQI) Program Water Quality Practices.
New Users Only Priority Practices:
. Cover Crops at a cost share rate of $25/ac., acreage cap per applicant is 160 ac. Eligible applicants are producers who have never used this practice.
. Nitrification Inhibitor (Nitrapyrin only, with fall applied anhydrous only) at a cost share rate of $3/ac., acreage cap per applicant is 160 ac. Eligible applicants are producers who have never used this practice.
. No-Till/Strip-Till at a cost share rate of $10/ac., acreage cap per applicant is 160 ac. Eligible applicants are producers who have never used this practice.
Funding approval for WQI will be based on the availability of funds and the practice’s ability to reduce the loss of nitrogen and/or phosphorus.
Past Users Priority Practice:
. Cover Crops at a cost share rate of $15/ac., acreage cap per applicant is 160 ac. Eligible applicants are producers that have participated in prior WQI Statewide funding or are not first time users.
Funding approval for WQI will be based on the availability of funds and the practice’s ability to reduce the loss of nitrogen and/or phosphorus.
Funds are available for Iowa Financial Incentive Program, Water Quality Practice of Cover Crop.
. Cover Crops at a cost share rate of $25/ac., acreage cap per applicant is 80 ac. Eligible applicants are producers with land in Mahaska County. They do NOT have to be first time users.
Funding approval for IFIP will be based on the availability of funds.
The Mahaska SWCD would like to encourage Muchakinock Creek landowners as well as landowners in the remaining watersheds of Mahaska County to take this opportunity to learn the benefits nutrient reduction practices can have on our Water Quality.
For more information on the signup, or how these nutrient reduction practices may fit in with your current farm conservation management system, please contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service and SWCD office @ 641-673-3476, 2503 Todd St., Oskaloosa, Iowa.
