UAPB begins farm conservation project

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Small Farm Program is implementing its Conservation Program Awareness Project.

The three-year $495,000, outreach project, funded by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, targets women, veterans, socially disadvantaged producers and limited resource producers, according to a news release.

Program objectives are as follows:

■ Increase the awareness of the targeted groups to the Natural Resources Conservation Service conservation practices in the Environmental Quality Incentive Program.

■ Make on-site farm visits to members of targeted groups and assist them in selecting conservation practices suitable for their operations.

■ Assist targeted group members in completing and submitting conservation applications for participation in selected Natural Resources Conservation Service programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentive Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program.

MEETINGS, SITE VISITS

UAPB and the Natural Resources Conservation Service staff will conduct both virtual and direct on-site informational meetings to create awareness of conservation programs and practices available.

Before a site visit is conducted, participants will be asked to complete a short survey about their operations to help determine whether a UAPB or Natural Resources Conservation Service specialist should be on the team that makes the site visit to their operation.

“NRCS has hundreds of conservation practices with favorable partial funding,” said Henry English, director of the UAPB Small Farm Program. “And many producers are not aware of these practices.”

Program participants will receive a Conservation Practice Identification Tool form that identifies conservation practices suitable for their operation after each site visit. This form may be submitted with the Environmental Quality Incentive Program conservation application to the local Natural Resources Conservation Service office.

For details or to sign up, interested participants should call (870) 575-7225 or email leek@uapb.edu.