The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is accepting applications for climate-friendly agricultural practices (CFAP) incentive payments. CFAP provides payments at a flat rate up to $10,000 for producers to implement a selection of sustainable agricultural practices with known, quantifiable greenhouse gas emission reductions. Approved practices include:
- Conservation cover
- Pasture and hay planting
- Conservation crop rotation
- Tree and shrub establishment
Payments are available on a first-come basis, with about $1.2 million allocated for this year. Payments are being offered through the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP), which certifies producers across the state for implementing conservation practices that are proven to improve and protect water. Applicants are not required to be certified in this program to apply. However, certified applicants receive a higher payment rate than non-certified applicants.
Applicants who are certified, assessed, or working toward certification through the MAWQCP will receive a flat-rate payment of 75% of the assumed scenario cost, as established by the Natural Resource Conservation Service. All other applicants will receive a payment of 60% of the assumed scenario cost.
Applicants interested in becoming certified should reach out to their local area certification specialist (ACS). Your ACS’s contact information is available on the MAWQCP's Certify Your Farm webpage.
Farmers, producers, agricultural LLCs, and agricultural landowners operating on land within Minnesota are eligible to apply. Applicants are eligible to reapply if not awarded their first try. Those who have received funding are eligible to apply for additional resources so long as the request involves new practices or different acres.
For more information and to apply, please visit the CFAP website or contact Megan Moland (Megan.Moland@state.mn.us).
This opportunity is part of Minnesota's $200 million climate-smart food systems (CSFS) initiative. CSFS empowers growers, processors, nonprofits, and local communities to build a food system that reduces waste and climate pollution while nourishing Minnesotans statewide.
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Media Contact
Cynthia Moothart, MDA Communications
651-420-2637
Cynthia.Moothart@state.mn.us
