Other Ag News: Stewarding Success: How Did CSP Perform in My State?

EDITOR’S NOTE: On October 3, 2024, NSAC released Stewarding Success: CSP Under the 2018 Farm Bill, a comprehensive analysis of the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) over the course of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill). The report offers an in-depth analysis of CSP’s enrollment trends, conservation practices supported, and funding impacts, including the effects of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022. This post is the fifth and final of a series of five blogs highlighting the key findings of the report and offers a detailed look at how each state’s CSP program fared during the 2018 Farm Bill cycle.

Generally, CSP fared well during the 2018 Farm Bill despite enduring significant budget cuts and a difficult transition to competitive contract renewals. NRCS staff continued to serve American farmers and ranchers, enrolling 49 million new acres into CSP between fiscal years (FY) 2019 to 2023. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) injected an additional $3.25 billion into CSP and increased both contracts and acres enrolled by nearly a quarter during FY2023. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) met and exceeded the set-asides for both beginning farmers and ranchers and socially disadvantaged producers and, despite a rocky start, renewed 12,479 CSP contracts to support long-term conservation. 

However, each state had its own experience with CSP during the 2018 Farm Bill. This variation reflects the diversity of agriculture across states and the different resource concerns and priorities in each state. It also shows that many states have significant room for improvement in recruiting and retaining farmers in this important conservation program.

Using the map below, find out more about each state. Click on a state to see:

• The total number of new CSP contracts signed, FY19-23
• The total number of new CSP acres enrolled, FY19-23
• The percentage of CSP contracts renewed, FY19-23
• The percentage of a state’s farmland enrolled in CSP in FY2023
• The amount of IRA funding used for CSP contracts in FY2023
• The top CSP conservation practice, by acres, FY19-23
• The percentage of CSP acres enrolled by Beginning Farmers and Ranchers (BFR), FY19-23
• The percentage of CSP acres enrolled by Socially Disadvantaged Producers (SDA), FY19-23

Click on a state to find out more about how CSP worked for farmers!

If a state has an * next to its SDA percentage, that number is an underestimate because SDA data has been suppressed by the NRCS for this state for at least one year. States labeled ‘supp.’ have data suppressed completely.

This is the final post in a blog series that sheds  light on CSP’s achievements and challenges during the 2018 This is the final post in a blog series that sheds light on CSP’s achievements and challenges during the 2018 Farm Bill period: 

• from its foundational goals and 
• the transformative boost from the Inflation Reduction Act, 
• to the program’s crucial support for underserved farmers, 
• the impacts of changing contract renewal policies, and 
• finally, the state-specific data that reveals both successes and opportunities for improvement. 

Find the full report analyzing the Conservation Stewardship Program during the 2018 Farm Bill here.

NSAC’s recommendations—restoring funding, incorporating permanent climate targeting, reinstating automatic renewals, increasing support for underserved farmers, and enhancing outreach—present a vision for a strengthened CSP in future farm bills, ensuring its continued impact on conservation, climate resilience, and equitable access for farmers across the nation.

The post Stewarding Success: How Did CSP Perform in My State? appeared first on National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.