03/21/07 NRCS signups

The NRCS has a reminder to Idaho producers. Its time to get to a service center and sign up for cost share dollars that will help conservation practices. One of the most popular is EQIP, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. State conservationist Rich Sims says there's no time like the present to sign up. SIMS "That way it will give us plenty of time to go out there and look at the farm with the producers, get some ideas what the farmers and ranchers want to do and then see what we can do as far as providing that one on one person skills that we have to help resolve the issues that the farmers have out there." Signup deadlines have already passed on some of the other easement type programs but NRCS is now taking enrollment applications for the Conservation Innovated Grants. SIMS "First go to our USDA website, id.usda.gov and then you can see the particular components of the grants." Sims says he was pleased when eight people signed up last year to use 450 thousand dollars to start some different types of demonstrations on technology. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott