Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
What is it?
EQIP provides financial and technical assistance to farmers to deliver environmental benefits such as improved water and air quality, conserved energy, reduced soil erosion and improved or created wildlife habitat. Since you and NRCS have similar goals, we recommend that you ask the USDA’s NRCS office if they would fund an on-farm energy assessment and plan known as “Conservation Activity Plan 228”. The “CAP 228” can help you know your return on investment for energy-saving equipment. If equipment is recommended when our Technical Service Provider Bruce Everly completes the assessment and written plan, NRCS may have funding to help you install the new equipment (such as light bulbs, insulation, irrigation upgrades and in some states grain dryer upgrades).
This program helps farmers and ranchers make voluntary improvements that can boost energy efficiency on the farm. Financial assistance is available to inventory and analyze farm systems that use energy and identify opportunities to improve efficiency through the development of an Agricultural Energy Management Plan (AgEMP). EIM’s general manager Bruce Everly is one of the few individuals able to do the AgEMP in the multiple states as a Technical Service Provider for this program. As such, EIM can help you benefit from the millions of dollars awarded under the 374 practice of the EQIP program.
Other EQIP plans are available to help with soil conservation, land leveling or building ponds. Check it out on the USDA website or call us at 317-228-0134 during regular business hours.