Landowners have until Sept. 30 to enroll in the “continuous sign-up” provision of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).
CRP payments can be very lucrative and comparable to cash rent in many cases, says Gary Hachfeld, regional educator with the University of Minnesota Extension Service.
“Annual CRP payments for Class A land come to about $150 an acre,” he adds.
Environmentally desirable land put into certain conservation practices is eligible. Contracts run 10 to 15 years.
To be eligible, the land must be cropland planted to an agricultural commodity four of the previous six years, or certain marginal pastureland enrolled in the Water Bank Program or suitable for use as a riparian buffer.
For details, access the Web site, www.extension.umn.edu/ or phone Hachfeld at 507-931-6800 or e-mail him at hachf002@umn.edu .