Chad Smith, NAFB News Service

As farmers begin to sign up for the Conservation Stewardship Program across the country, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition released its updated “Farmers’ Guide to the CSP.” As interest grows in farming practices that protect natural resources and reduce the impact of climate change, it’s a good time for producers to explore the CSP. The coalition says this guide is a great resource for farmers who want to learn more about the program, as well as those who are thinking about enrolling in the CSP. The Ag Coalition has been a strong advocate for the program since it first began years ago. The CSP is designed to reward farmers who apply a conservation ethic across their entire operation. It offers five-year payments to producers who take on highly beneficial conservation practices on their farms that build soil health, improve water quality, and benefit wildlife. Some of those practices include cover crops, conservation buffers, rotational grazing, and many others. The guide also helps producers walk through the application and implementation processes for CSP. The guide is a free download at www.sustainableagriculture.net/publications.