Statewide & Federal
NRCS EQIP & Conservation Programs
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program is USDA’s flagship cost-share program for conservation practices on working land - with elevated rates for veteran farmers.
What It Offers
- Cost-share (typically 50-75%, up to 90% for veteran, beginning, and historically underserved farmers) for practices like cover crops, high tunnels, irrigation efficiency, fencing, and livestock waste systems.
- Advance payments - veteran and beginning farmers can receive up to 50% of the contract payment upfront to buy materials, rather than paying out of pocket first.
- Technical planning assistance from your local NRCS conservationist to design a practice plan suited to your land.
Veterans May Qualify for More
- Veterans are included in the 5% of EQIP and CSP funds set aside for beginning and historically underserved farmers, so you compete in a smaller pool.
- Veterans may get higher payment rates and an advance payment of at least 50% of a practice’s cost up front to buy materials.
- Already doing conservation? The Conservation Stewardship Program pays yearly to keep it up.
- You count as a veteran here if you have farmed less than 10 years or became a veteran within the last 10 years. See all USDA veteran benefits.
How to Apply
- Register with your local USDA Service Center and get a farm number through FSA (required before applying).
- Meet with your NRCS field office to identify eligible conservation practices for your land.
- Submit your EQIP application - applications are accepted year-round but ranked at periodic cutoff dates (recent cycles have used mid-January and mid-March cutoffs; confirm current dates with your local office).
- If approved, sign your EQIP contract and request an advance payment if you qualify as a veteran or beginning farmer.
Source: USDA NRCS EQIP program pages and farmers.gov. Application cutoff dates change each fiscal year - confirm current deadlines with your local NRCS office before applying.
