Source: USDA, 12/10/21

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is awarding $15 million to conservation partners across the country for 19 new projects under the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program. These projects focus on helping agricultural producers mitigate the effects of climate change and increase the resilience of their operations. Many of the projects within this announcement will focus on providing conservation benefits for historically undeserved producers.

CIG is a competitive program that supports the development of new tools, approaches, practices and technologies to further natural resource conservation on private lands. Through creative problem solving and innovation, CIG harnesses the expertise, resources, and capacity of partner organizations nationwide to help us boost natural resource conservation on private lands and support climate smart agriculture.”

“Innovation is key to addressing the climate crisis and conserving the natural resources we all depend on,” said NRCS Chief Terry Cosby. “CIG partners are using the latest science and research to come up with solutions that work for farmers, ranchers and foresters and help ensure the longevity of American agriculture.”

Funding priorities for this year included: climate-smart strategies for water resources; soil health (focused on climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience); nutrient management; grazing lands conservation; and strategies to increase conservation adoption.

This year’s awarded projects:

Promoting Innovations in Animal Waste Management Phase II (North Carolina)
NC Foundation for Soil and Water Conservation will develop a low-cost passive solar waste drying system to help farmers handle bulky wet manures and facilitate manure transfers from areas with heavy nutrient buildup.

Hemp4Soil: Growing Hemp Improves Soil Health and Helps Stabilize the Climate (Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia)
Heartland Corporate Holdings will introduce hemp as a cover crop in nine states and quantify its benefits.

On-Farm Water Capture and Reuse: Performance Demonstration, Economic Feasibility, and Design Tool Development (North Carolina)
Through this demonstration project, North Carolina State University will evaluate the performance and economic feasibility of on-farm water capture, reuse of surface water and drainage for supplemental irrigation. The awardee will assess the ability of these on-farm ponds to increase crop drought resilience, protect water quality and mitigate flooding.

For full project descriptions, visit the NRCS website.