News Release

SC NRCS Announces On Farm Energy Sign Up for Regional Conservation Partnership Program

Contact:
Chris Workman
803-609-8354

Conservation Practices Contribute to Energy Efficiency and Fuel Savings

COLUMBIA, S.C., Feb. 12, 2016—South Carolina farmers and landowners who may be eligible to receive financial and technical assistance through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) to address On Farm Energy resource concerns in Lexington and Aiken counties must sign up between Feb. 15 and March 15.

RCPP is a voluntary conservation program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Clemson University and Duke Power that offers financial and technical assistance for eligible farmers and landowners to install or implement energy saving measures on their farms.

“This is a great opportunity for Lexington and Aiken county producers to improve efficiencies while having a positive impact on energy conservation,” said Ann English, USDA South Carolina State Conservationist. “Farmers and ranchers can cut input costs while implementing beneficial conservation practices.”

Conservation practices supported through RCPP can aid in on farm repair and upgrades, as well as help reduce on farm energy expenditures in the future.  Practices such as fan installation, heat and lighting upgrades and insulation are examples of practices that may be implemented to address resource concerns due to increased on farm energy demands.

South Carolina has two counties that are focused on within the RCPP program. The counties are Aiken and Lexington. Farmers are encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possible because funding is limited.

In South Carolina, RCPP will pay 75 percent of the costs to implement eligible conservation practices for producers. In addition, the 2014 Farm Bill strengthened benefits for historically underserved farmers, beginning and limited resource farmers, American Indian tribes and veterans by increasing payment rates up to 90 percent for financial assistance, as well as providing advance payment of up to 50 percent to purchase materials and services needed to implement conservation practices included in their Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) contract.

For more information about this special EQIP sign up, visit your local NRCS office. USDA service center locations are listed at http://offices.usda.gov. To learn about financial and technical assistance available to help South Carolina farmers and other landowners improve and protect their land, visit NRCS in South Carolina’s website at www.sc.nrcs.usda.gov.