NRCS Offers Additional Practices For Montana Farmers Participating In Regenerative Pilot Program

Bozeman – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Montana has announced additional eligible practices for farmers participating in the Regenerative Pilot Program in fiscal year 2027, providing local agricultural producers with more opportunities to adopt conservation systems that improve soil health, water quality, and long-term farm resilience. Producers can now apply for assistance with regenerative practices.

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is improving the program, by using NRCS’s locally led conservation model to allow State Technical Advisory Committees to recommend additional conservation practices that reflect local resource concerns, production systems, and producer needs.

In Montana, the following practices have been added to complement the program’s core practices available nationwide: conservation harvest management, range planting, pasture and hay planting, brush management, windbreak/shelterbelt establishment and renovation, conservation cover, tree/shrub establishment, woody residue treatment, and riparian forest buffer.

“The Regenerative Pilot Program delivers a streamlined, outcome-based conservation model—empowering producers to plan and implement whole-farm regenerative practices through a single application,” said Gayle Norman Barry, Montana NRCS State Conservationist. “The initiative highlights USDA’s commitment to putting Farmers First in using locally prioritized practices to build a healthier, more resilient food system.”

In fiscal year 2027, USDA increased financial assistance for the Regenerative Pilot Program from $700 million to $1 billion and will continue to focus on whole-farm planning to maximize the ecological potential of working lands — through restoring and enhancing soil health and water management —under a single conservation framework. USDA is dedicating $650 million through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and $350 million through the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) to fund this second year of regenerative agriculture projects.

Producers can bundle multiple regenerative practices into one application, streamlining the process and increasing flexibility for operations. The program is designed for both beginning and advanced producers, ensuring availability for all farmers ready to take the next step in regenerative agriculture.

Other Fiscal Year 2027 Improvements

For fiscal year 2027, the program maintains whole-farm planning while reducing the barrier to entry by lowering the requirement of addressing Montana’s identified critical soil and water resource concern from 100% of the applicant’s land to 75% for the Conservation Stewardship Program. This improves flexibility without sacrificing outcomes. The program preserves the core conservation goals and outcome-based approach of the fiscal 2026 pilot while giving producers and staff greater flexibility in how outcomes are measured and achieved. The program also provides multiple monitoring and evaluation options tailored to cropland, grazing lands, and forestry operations.

How to Apply

Farmers and ranchers interested in regenerative agriculture are encouraged to apply through their local NRCS Service Center. Producers can sign up anytime throughout the year. Applications for both EQIP and CSP can be submitted under the single regenerative application process.

For more than 90 years, NRCS has helped farmers, ranchers and forestland owners make investments in their operations and local communities to improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and wildlife habitat. NRCS uses the latest science and technology to help keep working lands working, boost agricultural economies, and increase the competitiveness of American agriculture. NRCS provides one-on-one technical advice and financial assistance and works with producers to help them reach their goals through voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs. For more information, visit nrcs.usda.gov.

NRCS Offers Additional Practices For Montana Farmers Participating In Regenerative Pilot Program

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