The Natural Resources Conservation Service will hold an informational meeting from 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 15 at the Butler farm service center office.

The meeting will cover various Farm Bill programs, but primarily concentrate on the new Conservation Stewardship Program.

The CSP is available to nearly all producers. Those who soil test, plant hay, no-till, have a crop rotation, apply manure or fertilizer or plant pest resistant or other genetically modified crops and have generally implemented a good level of conservation will fit well into this program.

The program offers 5-year contracts on any owned and operated farm ground and will pay about $20 to $30 per acre, per year.

For those who might need to improve their level of conservation to increase the likelihood of funding under CSP, the Environmental Quality Incentive Program can be of help.

Eligible practices under EQIP include transitioning to no-till, cover crops, nutrient management record keeping, manure storages and winter feeding pads, grazing systems and other small project items such as paddock fence and watering systems can also be funded.

Producers are encouraged to attend this meeting to learn more about the latest farm bill’s conservation programs and learn how these programs can improve the economic viability of their operation.

Registration is required for the evening meeting and may be done so by calling the farm service office up to Dec. 15.

Those who cannot attend the meeting but would like to enroll can contact the office at 724-482-4800, Ext. 108.

Sign-up is continuous and the cutoff for this round of money will be Jan. 7.

Andy Gaver is a conservationist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Butler County.