DOVER, Del. — Special funding is now available for Delaware farmers located in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to plant cover crops. This effort focuses on improving water quality and soil health by targeting additional financial assistance in the watershed for Environmental Quality Incentive Program eligible farmers. The additional acres planted will help Delaware meet its Total Maximum Daily Loads and achieve the goals and milestones of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan through the uptake of excess nutrients and improved soil health.
Approximately $800,000 is available over the next two years to help Delaware landowners implement cover crops in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
Farmers interested in planting cover crops in the Chesapeake Bay portion of Delaware are encouraged to visit their local USDA Service Center to sign up for this program. The Natural Resources Conservation Service accepts applications year-round; however, the first application deadline is April 21. All applications received by then will be ranked and considered for funding.
The Delaware and Maryland – Meeting Watershed Implementation Plan Goals in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed is a Regional Conservation Partnership Program project led by the Maryland Association of Conservation Districts who partnered with the Delaware Association of Conservation Districts. The goal of this project is to increase the implementation of cover crops in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
RCPP promotes coordination between the USDA NRCS and its partners to deliver conservation assistance to producers and landowners. The Delaware and Maryland — Meeting WIP Goals in the Chesapeake Bay is a 2017 RCPP project that bring additional resources to Delaware.
For more information, contact your local USDA Service Center at:
- Sussex County – 302-856-3990, ext. 3
- Kent County – 302-741-2600, ext. 3
- New Castle County – 302-832-3100, ext. 3
Or visit www.de.nrcs.usda.gov. Delaware NRCS works with the Delaware Conservation Districts to address resource concerns on privately-owned agricultural and forest lands.
— Sussex Conservation District