Secure your land's future with NRCS agricultural easements

Nov 29, 2024
By Farms.com

Applications open for fiscal year 2025 funding

The USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications for the Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) program.

This program is a great opportunity for landowners who want to ensure their land remains in agriculture for future generations. The deadline to apply for 2025 funding is December 31st, 2024.

Funding is available to eligible partners like Indian tribes, state and local governments, and non-governmental organizations with farmland or grassland protection programs.

These partners can use the funds to purchase conservation easements on private croplands, rangelands, grasslands, pastures, and even non-industrial private forests.

"This valuable program helps maintain the agricultural viability of the land for future generations," said NRCS Ohio State Conservationist, John Wilson. "Preserving our nation's farmlands is vital for our identity and economy."

The NRCS prioritizes applications that safeguard agricultural uses and related conservation values. They also favor projects that protect large areas of contiguous agricultural land.

Interested landowners can discuss project eligibility with their local NRCS field office. You can also find more information on ranking criteria and program details on the NRCS website.

For further inquiries, contact Abby McClain at Abigail.Mcclain@usda.gov.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.