A 10,000-acre enrollment area in Indiana will create new economic opportunities for farmers through conservation agriculture.

The Soil and Water Outcomes Fund, an agricultural ecosystem services program, just announced Hoosier farmers are eligible to enroll in its program that provides payment for environmental outcomes resulting from conservation practice implementation.

The USDA-NRCS and JBS, one of the world’s leading food companies, are partnering with the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund in Indiana to catalyze farmer adoption of conservation practices that generate verifiable carbon reductions and water quality improvements.

The fund provides up to $40 an acre to farmers who transition to on-farm conservation practices that yield outcomes like carbon sequestration and water quality improvements. New conservation practices that qualify could include tillage reductions, including strip-till, vertical till and no-till, as well as implementing cover crops, extending crop rotations and fertilizer management.

Farmers in southern Indiana are eligible to apply. A map of eligible areas is shown on the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund website, theoutcomesfund.com. It includes Jackson County.

Besides Indiana, farmers and landowners in 12 other states are now eligible to enroll in the program, including those in Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Virginia and West Virginia. Enrollment has reached capacity in Ohio.

“Working with the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund, I know the team is only a phone call away. They are watching over the farms and fields enrolled in the program,” said Adam Peters, an Ohio farmer enrolled in the program. “They help us jump through all the hoops, handle all the paperwork and ensure we get the most money possible for each enrolled acre.”

Adam Kiel, managing director of the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund, said as the most farmer-friendly ecosystem services program in the industry today, they pride themselves on their ability to deliver practical and flexible conservation agronomy support to farmers to enhance the value of their land for years to come.

“We are thrilled to partner with the USDA-NRCS and JBS to provide new conservation incentives to Indiana farmers and to deliver verified greenhouse gas emission reductions to meet JBS’ corporate net zero target and to improve water quality on farms,” said Dan Yeoman, managing director of the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund.

In 2022, the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund is seeking to enroll 10,000 acres of cropland in Indiana, an important supply shed for JBS pork production.

Conservation agronomist Kevin Schabacker works with farmers and affiliate recruiters on enrollment and helping enrollees succeed throughout the season.

“We’re leading the enrollment effort for the Indiana project, which covers roughly the southern half of Indiana, including Jackson County,” he said. “Primarily what we’re looking for in order for farmers to be eligible is to adding new conservation practices to their farm.”

Schabacker said typically, the practices they look for are strip-till, no-till or just some sort of reduction in the tillage practices they’re already using or adding cover crops.

Local farmers or landowners interested in enrolling should contact Schabacker by emailing [email protected] or calling 779-861-2979.