EQUIP program

[prairiegirl]

Has anyone participated in this program for starting and maintaining new pastures - seeding, fencing, water source........?

I would appreciate your thoughts or experience with EQIP.

Thanks

prairiegirl

[genebo]

Prairiegirl,

I applied for the program but didn't get accepted. The big farms got the money. However, our state has a program just like it, and I was able to get into it. The difference is that the federal program pays up to 90% of the costs while the state only pays 75%.

I qualified as a new farmer (less than 10 years) and was converting cropland into pasture. They paid me to till, fertilize and seed the land. Later I was paid to install rotational grazing fences and install a frost-free waterer to make rotational grazing work.

I had to develop a plan that they would approve. Actually it was the other way around. They talked with me and walked my land, then offered me a plan. It looked good to me, so I agreed. I got a booklet from them showing exactly how to construct the fences. I gave them soil samples. They had them tested and told me how much fertilizer and seed to apply.

I did it just like they said, then submitted bills for the costs. I saved every bill for everything I bought. I also gave them a bill for $10/hour for the labor and $35/hour for tractor time. They were pretty knowledgeable about what reasonable charges were, and approved them.

It ended up that I got a check from them that almost exactly equaled every cent I'd spent. I now have established pastures with rotational grazing fences and a centrally located frost-free waterer and all it cost me was my labor.

I'm obligated to maintain the grass and fences for 5 years at my expense. It's been 4 years and there have been no further expenses except annually reseeding and fertilizing. Something I would have done anyway.

The cows are enjoying some really good grass. The program paid off for us.

I also have the satisfaction of knowing that I'm helping maintain clean water by using practices that reduce erosion and runoff.

My next door neighbor's operation is much larger than mine. He got into the EQUIP program. I helped him do his work. His experience was very similar to mine, he just got a little bit larger percentage paid back.

Both programs are run out of the same office here. The same people administer them.

Genebo
Paradise Farm

[prairiegirl]

Genebo,

Thanks for the information. I was hoping to hear what experience someone had with this program.

Sounds like you did what we are in the process doing. We planted 2 acres of pasture before we started looking into all of this. They came out and liked what we have planned. Our plan is to gradually add to the pasture, fencing and water until we get it done. It will take us a couple of years. We just celebrated our 1st year anniversary as new farmers.

What did you use for rotational grazing fences?

The local office told us that most of the money goes to the big farmers. Seems the small farmers don't apply often. We aren't sure about all of this and haven't committed ourselves to doing it with their help. We could use the money and they offered some good advice and some ideas we hadn't considered, but we still aren't sold.

Thanks again.

prairiegirl

[agmantoo]

I have not participated in the cost sharing programs due to the insistance that everything be done their way. However, on my own I have converted to management intensive grazing and the system truly does work and works to the benefit of the producer. Currently we are in a drought condition here yet I still have ample forage and I do not anticipate in having to provide hay. Using the MIG method is much more profitable than any other means known to me to produce meat. Go for it! Just do not put animals on the pastures until the grasses have become established, particularly the root system. I do not understand why to above poster has to reseed. Most of my pstures have been in production for 10 years and have not been reseeded.

[TSYORK]

Agman, or anyone else who would care to reply?

If an 8-acre pasture is seeded very heavily in early fall this year, would it be established enough by mid spring next year for two or three steers?

[agmantoo]

TSYORK, You will have very good top cover but the root system will be too shallow to permit grazing particularly if the soil is wet. The animals will pull the plants up extracting the roots along with the plant. Additionally, the plants have very little nutrient stored in the roots at this juncture so if the tops are grazed close the plant may die since it needs the stored nutrient to survive until the top growth reaches enough length for photosynthesis to occur. If you will keep the animals off for a year you will have a much better pasture. You will want to mow the tops off leaving about 6 inch height in the spring and not let the plants go to seed. So doing will cause the plant to "stool out" and be much hardier. I do not like to plant with a drill either because the plants will remain in rows for years. Broadcast seeding will avoid the row effect and create an improved stand. Once you start to graze I suggest you employ a rotational practice and never graze below 3 inches of top growth. Like now with the drought we are having here in western NC it is difficult to to prevent the over grazing but with plenty of root stored nutrients the plants should survive. It is for this reason that you want to keep the plants healthy and seldom stressed.

[okie-guy]

I just finished a 5 year equip program run by the soil conservation office. Genbo is right , you need a plan and they basicly draw it up for you. Your farm is inspected and you get a rating. The worst scores get the money. The first year I applied our county got approx. $100,000.00 a large farm with the worst score got $75,000.00 of it and the money was gone before it got down to me. The second year for some reason nobody applied and my score qualified for the EQUIP program that year. My plan was errostion control and cross fencing. The plan that you all approve before the application is the one you have to follow, but the money can be spent over 5 years. My plan costed out at $20,000.00 and they would pay 90%. I used the money to build "structures" which is a fancy way of building dams but with the creasent reseversed. (this to not hold the water permantly but to stop it and let it flow out and drain at a slow constant speed. ) The man who drew up the plan died and the new guy revised the plan to eliminate some concrete draw downs. we built 6 structure and they turned out great. I wanted to sprig them with bermuda grass and they had to get special permission to do so because they want to reseed with native grasses.
They would pay $1500.00 a half mile for 5 wire fence but would not pay for gates! I wanted to spend the money I saved on concrete and drill a well but last year they changed the rules and any revestons they will only pay 50%. So my five years ran out and only spent $15,000.00. But overall it was good.
If I were you I would find how much money your county is getting this year and then talk about what you would like to do with the agent. Is your land designated highly errodable? That boosts your score up high. After the agent draws up a plan and is scored. Ask him to show you last years recipiants and see how your score lines up with everyone else. It is too bad that some big guy that trashed his land gets a high score and most of the money is used up on his project , but that's the rules.
When they score your land and project ,don't be dishearted. They told me my score was too low and would never qualify, but I applied anyway. Don't feel bad about talking with them about how and what measures you need to take to protect your land , I found them to be most helpful. One last thing ; before you let them on your land to draw up a plan make perfectly clear that they are not going to desingnate any portion wetlands. If they do your screwed and that portion that is designated wetlands fall into a whole nother set of rules you have no contol over. When I asked they knew what I was getting at and assured me that they wouldn't.
I kinda rambled but if you have any questions I'll try and answer.
Paul

[genebo]

Prairiegirl,

Our state water control people gave me a pamphlet with 4 or 5 choices of how to construct interior fencing. Some used electric tapes and plastic step-in posts. The version I chose uses permanent wooden corner posts and steel T-posts, with 3 strands of electric. I treat them as if they are permanent. I use spring handles and woven tape for gates, so that's really the only part of my fence that is truly temporary.

I trenched and ran electric under the gate areas so that all the wires are hot all the time. It saves a lot of fence damage by keeping the cattle off of the fence.

Thanks to Okie-guy for sharing his experience.

Genebo
Paradise Farm

[mamagoose]

We are presently in the EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) administered by the NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service).

We expect to get approximately 75% of everything we do compensated. DH is having the fence work contracted as he doesn't have time to build it. He will do some clearing for the fence and this is our first project.

We didn't get accepted the first year and were frustrated. Since then we got some "insider" info. The key seems to be a willingness to do some of the items on their list that rate high on their point system. I know that a wetland rates high, a composting facility and grapevine and tree of heaven control for woodlots. You can't have a pastured woodlot and get the woodlot maintenance, though. Also, feeding pads and water wells. So, even though you might not necessarily think you need it, you need to have enough different line items down all at once to get anything at all, especially the fencing. Everyone wants fencing.

Then, of course, there's the matter of being able to fund the projects before you get your reimbursement.

The folks who have been in the program for awhile have certainly benefited the most and managed to keep it from the rest of us. It was only in the last 3 years or so when the program was publicized in our county that more people started applying and getting the subsidies. This year they pushed the deadline up and didn't publicize it, but we found out otherwise and did get in.

(A few of the large farmers in our area who we "hear" benefit immensely sit ON the conservation board.)

Good luck to you!

[michiganfarmer]

very interesting

[prairiegirl]

Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts and experiences. It helps to hear from those that have been down that path before.
michiganfarmer, you are right - it's been interesting.
We are still collecting information.
So much to do and so many decisions..........I suppose that's just life.LOL

prairiegirl

[Dragonfly acres]

i have a question?
i bought my property 3 years ago they stated that it that i was in the flood zone, then after i signed and tryed to apply for a permit to put up a pole barn was notified i was also actully located in a floodway.
so after a lot of back and forth i was taken out of the floodway/flood plains
where my home is but the rest of the (28 acres) property is still in the floodway/floodplains.
can i still apply for the eqip program since we are in the floodway/floosplains?we are looking into cattle.
the farm use to have cattle years ago on it.
by the way we were aproved to putting up cattle panels from the state since we have young children and our property is located on a major trucking route.
it took a while since we got our ok since we were told we are not allowed to build or even put a stake in the ground without being fined. since its in the floodway.
thank you

[okie-guy]

I have a friend that is head of our "flood control board" for our county. He has a number of titles and jobs in our county. Obviously this isn't a full time job. I think it is real hard to change the designation of land from a 100 year flood plain to out of the flood plain. Banks won't loan any money on any buildings or homes in that flood plain. Insurance companies won't insure anything in the 100 year flood plain. But I always thought you could put anything up at your own risk. The river you are near must have a history of flooding or changing courses often. Out in this part of the country we don't need approval to run cattle or just about anything else. I guess as you get more populated ; goverment wants to control us more. maybe you can talk with your county flood guy and work out a solution if they have the authority. Good Luck.

[mamagoose]

Wouldn't part of the problem with putting in fencing in a flood plain, be possibly clogging/damming up the water flow when it flooded? Also manure runoff?