Iowa NRCS Sets Oct. 10 Cutoff for Conservation Program Applications

Sep 12, 2025

The first application cutoff for Iowa farmers and other private landowners to apply for conservation practices in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 through USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs is Oct. 10.

NRCS accepts conservation program applications on a continuous basis but sets application cutoff dates as funding allows. Iowa agricultural producers and private landowners can apply for NRCS program funding by visiting their local NRCS office. Iowa has 100 NRCS field offices located at USDA Service Centers in every county.

The Oct. 10 application cutoff includes the following NRCS Farm Bill programs:

Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)

Last year, NRCS obligated about $61 million to Iowans through CSP, EQIP and RCPP. Iowa NRCS State Conservationist Jon Hubbert says the demand for conservation assistance in Iowa remains high.

Source : usda.gov

Video: Cheapest States to Buy Farmland in America

The United States has more than 895 million acres of farmland, which includes all rural land tied to farming operations, from highly fertile Midwest cornfields to vast grazing ranges in the West, as well as the undeveloped rural land, which is often sold as ranches, homesteads, or uncultivated lots. Nowadays investing in rural land is very lucrative even billionaires like Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Warren Buffett have bought up thousands of acres of farmland across America. In contrast to investors, agricultural companies, and business moguls, some buy farmland for their own requisites, like starting a small farmstead, creating a cottage, and becoming self-resilient. In this video we have ranked the top cheapest states to buy farmland according to the per-acre land value, which is accumulated from the United States Department of Agriculture. The USDA’s per-acre land values come from an annual survey, which is cross-checked with actual sales data, appraisals, and market trends to ensure accuracy. So here are The top Cheapest States to Buy Farmland.