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Adair County EQIP

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary conservation program of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) that promotes agricultural production and environmental quality. This program is available to farmers and offers financial and technical assistance to install or implement structural and management practices on eligible agricultural land.

The following are Adair County Resource Concerns to be addressed by EQIP:

2009 Resource Concerns Master List

Air Quality

  • Excessive Greenhouse Gas-CO2

  • Objectionable Odors

  • Particulate Matter less than 10 micrometers in diameter (PM 10)

  • Undesirable Air Movement

Domestic Animals

  • Inadequate Quantities and Quality of Feed and Forage

  • Inadequate Stock Water 

Fish and Wildlife

  • Inadequate Cover/Shelter/Food/Space/Water

  • T&E Species: Declining Species, Species of Concern

Plant Condition

  • Forage Quality and Palatability

  • Noxious and Invasive Plants

  • Productivity, Health and Vigor

Soil Condition

  • Organic Matter Depletion

Soil Erosion

  • Classic and/or Ephemeral Gully 

  • Sheet and Rill

  • Stream bank

Water Quality

  • Excessive Nutrients and Organics in Surface water

  • Excessive Suspended Sediment and Turbidity in Surface Water

  • Harmful levels of Pathogens in Surface water

These resource concerns address the following National EQIP priorities:

  • Reduction of non-point source pollution, such as nutrients, sediment, pesticide, or excess salinity in impaired watersheds consistent with Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), where available, as well as the reduction of groundwater contamination and the conservation of ground and surface water resources.

  • Reduction in soil erosion and sedimentation from unacceptable high levels on agricultural land.

The goal of the locally led group was to recommend a ranking system that rewarded and gave priority to those producers that help most to address the above resource concerns. Three sub pots will be used, they are: 1) water quality, 2) sheet & rill erosion, and 3) plant condition & productivity. 

The ranking will be completed for the specific practices to be applied through the EQIP contract.  Sign-up is continuous at the NRCS field office. The ranking of the applications will be done periodically as funding allocations become available. County funding will be announced through the NRCS State Office, and will be publicized by all levels of NRCS. The NRCS may establish local, minimum ranking cut-off levels for funding selections.

The local work group also recommended a list of conservation practices that are the most cost-effective, longest duration, and help most to address these priority resource concerns in the District.

For more information on EQIP and other NRCS administrated programs, contact the Adair County USDA Service Center located at 705 NE 6th Street, Greenfield, IA 50849-9549. Phone (641) 743-6124, ext 3. Fax (641) 743-2017.

The following files require Acrobat Reader.

EQIP Practice List - 2009   
EQIP Application Ranking - 2009   

EQIP Practice List - 2008    For Archival Purposes Only
EQIP Application Ranking - 2008    For Archival Purposes Only

 EQIP Practice List - 2007     For Archival Purposes Only
EQIP Application Ranking - 2007     For Archival Purposes Only

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