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NASDA, EDF report highlights state-led efforts to finance conservation

The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture and the Environmental Defense Fund released a new report today on innovative approaches to conservation financing.

NASDA CEO Barb Glenn says the report highlights state-led efforts to finance agricultural conservation.

“They are innovative and outside the box to better serve farmers and ranchers and help them adopt more conservation practices,” she says.

Maggie Monast with the Environmental Defense Fund says there’s never been a more important time to address conservation funding as farmers continue to face a down farm economy.

“There’s never enough money for conservation,” she says. “We need to find new and innovative approaches to get more conservation on the ground in a way that supports farmers financially.”

Several states are implementing programs that use nontraditional financing like crop insurance discounts, transferable tax credits, and incentive conservation adoption.

Michigan’s Agriculture Environmental Assurance program was included in the report. Gary McDowell, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture, says “It’s where we work and encourage our producers to do voluntary sustainable and best practices for conservation.

Other state programs include Iowa’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund program and Cover Crop-Crop Insurance Demonstration project; Minnesota’s Agricultural Best Management Practices Loan program; Nebraska’s Buffer Strip program; and South Dakota’s Conservation Revolving Loan and Conservation Tillage Loan programs.

The goal of the report is to fuel a conversation among states about lessons learned and effective conservation program.

Click here for more information on the report.