Your Stewardship Goals. Our Assistance.
Have you ever looked across your property and thought about some land management goals you would like to take to the next level? Maybe we can help.
No one knows more about your land than you do, and no one knows more about conservation than we do. Together we can develop a plan tailored to your land and your goals to help you increase productivity and protect the value of your land.
Our Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) helps you build on your existing conservation efforts while strengthening your operation. Whether you are looking to improve grazing conditions, increase crop yields, or develop wildlife habitat, we can custom design a CSP plan to help you meet those goals. We can help you schedule timely planting of cover crops, develop a grazing plan that will improve your forage base, implement no-till to reduce erosion or manage forested areas in a way that benefits wildlife habitat. If you are already taking steps to improve the condition of the land, chances are CSP can help you find new ways to meet your goals.
2017 CSP Sign-Up
NRCS accepts applications for CSP on a continuous basis throughout the year. We announce signup cutoff deadlines as funds become available. The next application deadline for funding consideration is February 3, 2017. Contact your local NRCS field office for more information.
CSP Enhancements
Enhancements are management activities that go above and beyond the minimum conservation practice standard requirements helping the producer achieve a higher level of conservation.
Click the image below to view any one of more than 200 enhancements:
Conservation Stewardship Program Application Materials
Iowa Ranking Pools
- Iowa Ag Lands General
- Iowa Ag Lands Beginning Farmer
- Iowa Ag Lands Socially Disadvantaged
- Iowa NIPF General
- Iowa NIPF Beginning Farmer
- Iowa NIPF Socially Disadvantaged
NIPF = Non-Industrial Private Forestland
Targeted Resource Concerns
- Soil Quality Degradation
- Soil Erosion
- Water Quality Degradation
- Fish and Wildlife - Inadequate Habitat
- Livestock Production Limitation
Iowa Resource Conserving Crop Rotations
Resource-conserving crop means a crop that is one of the following:
- A perennial grass;
- A legume grown for use as forage, seed for planting, or green manure;
- A legume-grass mixture;
- A small grain grown in combination with a grass or legume green manure crop whether inter-seeded or planted in rotation.
Organic Crosswalk
The 2008 Farm Bill recognized the growing interest and support of organic agriculture across the country and required the development of a transparent means by which producers may initiate organic certification while participating in a CSP contract. "The Conservation Stewardship Program's Contribution to Organic Transitioning - The Organic Crosswalk", provides an explanation of how CSP enhancements can be used to assist producers in meeting individual National Organic Program (NOP) rules while going through the transitioning period.
Conservation Stewardship Program's Contribution to Organic Transitioning - The Organic Crosswalk (PDF) Coming Soon!
Other Resources
CSP Contact:
Dave Brommel, 515-284-4353
For further information and assistance, contact your local NRCS Service Center
