BB
The 40 acres is in one large field on the upper part of the farm separated by pasture from two lower fields that are adjacent to the creek. The other guy will continue to farm the 40 acre field. He will no longer farm the two lower fields having a total of 9.9 acres that will be put in CRP with 5.6 acres in filter strip and 4.3 acres in regular CRP. I can put 10% of the regular CRP in food plot. In order to qualify for CRP, the land must have been cropped in 4 of the last 6 years. The idea is to take the 9.9 acres out of production and, in this case, to provide additional protection for water quality and provide cover and a source of food for wildlife (especially over the winter). The food plot is for the wildlife and cannot be harvested but, generally, must be planted each year. All the rest of the CRP will be planted in warm season grasses that get six or seven feet tall and cannot generally be mowed without approval to control weeds. I believe mowing can be part of the long term plan but only in certain years. One mowing is encouraged the first year to cut weeds that are growing above the started warm season grasses. Wish I could have put some of the old pasture in CRP, but it has not been used for grazing for many years and would not qualify. That's the way I understand it and what I know I learned in the last week. So, if you want to know how you can qualify any of your land for CRP, the best advice I can give you is to call your local FSA office ASAP because the general sign up ends May 30 and may not be available again for several years.
I'm sure not going to get rich doing this and it will be some work. I will be doing something for wildlife that is important to me and will, as already mentioned, make enough to pay the taxes on the farm.
Briarwood
The 40 acres is in one large field on the upper part of the farm separated by pasture from two lower fields that are adjacent to the creek. The other guy will continue to farm the 40 acre field. He will no longer farm the two lower fields having a total of 9.9 acres that will be put in CRP with 5.6 acres in filter strip and 4.3 acres in regular CRP. I can put 10% of the regular CRP in food plot. In order to qualify for CRP, the land must have been cropped in 4 of the last 6 years. The idea is to take the 9.9 acres out of production and, in this case, to provide additional protection for water quality and provide cover and a source of food for wildlife (especially over the winter). The food plot is for the wildlife and cannot be harvested but, generally, must be planted each year. All the rest of the CRP will be planted in warm season grasses that get six or seven feet tall and cannot generally be mowed without approval to control weeds. I believe mowing can be part of the long term plan but only in certain years. One mowing is encouraged the first year to cut weeds that are growing above the started warm season grasses. Wish I could have put some of the old pasture in CRP, but it has not been used for grazing for many years and would not qualify. That's the way I understand it and what I know I learned in the last week. So, if you want to know how you can qualify any of your land for CRP, the best advice I can give you is to call your local FSA office ASAP because the general sign up ends May 30 and may not be available again for several years.
I'm sure not going to get rich doing this and it will be some work. I will be doing something for wildlife that is important to me and will, as already mentioned, make enough to pay the taxes on the farm.
Briarwood
