“These are farmers and landowners who want to do conservation on their farm. They want to do something we all seem to support — which is conserving natural resources,” said Jonathan Coppess, an associate professor and director of the Gardner Agriculture Policy Program at the University of Illinois.
Many farmers worry the practice will hurt their bottom line — and a study last year indicates they could be right.
Crop yields will likely take a hit, although impacts will be variable field to field.
Practical Farmers has a few billboards in Iowa, but most are white and have a simple message about the organization. But the Land Stewardship Project, based in Minneapolis, wanted to use Practical Farmers’ “Don’t Farm Naked” slogan on billboards in southern Minnesota.
A recent report highlights low EQIP and CSP acceptance rates across the country, although Iowa officials say the state is in better shape than depicted.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture spent $7.4 billion in payments to farmers between 2017 and 2020 through two of its biggest conservation programs, but very little of that money went to practices that help fight climate change, according to a report from the Environmental Working Group.
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