Have you ever wished you could enjoy the environment-enriching benefits of CRP without taking entire fields out of active production? Then you might be interested in the new CP-43 – Prairie Strip practice.
CP-43 falls under CRP’s CLEAR initiative, which we talked about last week. Like all CLEAR practices, CP-43 places a special emphasis on reducing runoff and protecting local water supply, while also improving soil health and restoring wildlife habitat.
What separates CP-43 from most CRP practices is that rather than taking entire fields out of production, prairie strips are integrated within your farm crops.
These strips act as a buffer for wind and rain, while improving soil health and promoting biodiversity. Research has shown that by converting just 10% of a crop-field to native prairie strips, farmers can expect to see:
- 44% reduction in water runoff
- 95% reduction in soil loss
- 90% reduction in phosphorus runoff
- 84% reduction in nitrate-nitrogen runoff
Under CP-43, you can convert as much as 25% of your farm into native perennial vegetation. Where you place the prairie strips is up to you. They can run around your field, through the field, in terrace channels, next to waterways, or on pivot corners.
Joining and Establishing CP-43
With enrollment open for both General and Continuous CRP, now is the perfect time to enroll in CP-43. With CRP’s cost-share incentives, much of the conversion cost is covered by the program.
In fact, by enrolling in CP-43 through Continuous CRP, nearly 90% of establishment costs can be reimbursed. Of course, that’s only if everything is properly documented and reported. We can help with that.
At FDCE, we offer turn-key CRP solutions that handle everything from CRP seed purchasing and planting to documentation and final report submissions. In other words, we take care of the hard work while you reap the benefits.
Even if you just want to ask a few questions about how CRP works, we’d love to chat. Contact us today!