Introduction - Why the Farmland Stewardship Program is Important

Why The Farmland Stewardship Program is Important

The Farmland Stewardship Program concept has evolved from the ground up over a 10-year period. It was designed by agricultural landowners to be of benefit to agricultural landowners.

It provides producers with a means of reducing expenses and generating new, ongoing, stable sources of income ... while conservation practices are expanded.

Many of the concepts embodied in the Farmland Stewardship Program can be carried out using existing authorities at the federal, state and local levels of government. A critical provision in the farm bill approved by the U.S. Congress (Sec. 2003, "Partnerships and Cooperation") also encompasses a key concept underlying the program -- the ability to "adjust" existing programs to accommodate these programs to unique local conditions.

This provision, combined with the other Farmland Stewardship Program concepts, is now creating the ultimate “green payment” incentive program. It requires NO NEW MONEY. Instead, it provides a practical, field-tested means of coordinating existing U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs with existing conservation programs from state and local agencies to enhance delivery of conservation dollars and technical assistance to producers.

All of its concepts and approaches have been FIELD TESTED. There is no guesswork. This program already has shown that it can eliminate redundancy and improve conservation delivery to the ground.

The Farmland Stewardship Program takes a streamlined approach to the administration of all existing conservation programs. It coordinates many different programs through a one-stop-shopping approach, with one application, one conservation farm plan, one set of paperwork, one all-encompassing agreement and a single payment system.

As a result, needless expense, paperwork and delay are eliminated, so that limited tax dollars can be used, not for administration, but for putting conservation on the ground. Also, limited technical assistance dollars can used, not for implementing just one program at a time, but for implementing MULTIPLE programs.

Moreover, no new money is needed to implement the Farmland Stewardship Program. This is because it draws on existing program funds for the assembly of stewardship agreements, and delivers these program dollars to producers in a much more effective, efficient way.

The program will compliment all the conservation programs in the Conservation Title of the farm bill.

It also will allow existing programs to be used more effectively in local situations, since it provides a means of adjusting these programs to meet local needs, without changing the overall intent, purpose or criteria associated with these programs.