COLUMBIA, Mo. – Enrollment for incentive payments for regenerative grazing and climate-smart fieldscapes begins Nov. 1, says Rob Myers, director of the University of Missouri’s Center for Regenerative Agriculture.

The program is part of a $25 million USDA grant to the University of Missouri.

This is the second year of a five-year project that will provide $17.5 million in incentive funds to farmers and ranchers in Missouri. To date, about 900 farmers have participated in the Missouri Climate-Resilient Crop and Livestock (CRCL) Project, says Myers.

The regenerative grazing program offers payments of $50 per acre for Missouri farmers who develop management plans for prescribed grazing on eligible pastures. Support is available for designing grazing plans that can improve pasture productivity and soil health.

Another enrollment option focuses on small and underserved farmers who implement three or more climate-smart practices appropriate to their farms; the participants also need to be willing for their farms to serve as demonstration sites for those practices. The three stacked climate-smart practices are intended to help maximize soil carbon while enhancing productivity.

Participants in the climate-smart fieldscapes portion of the program can receive up to $10,000 over three years.

Applicants must have operating control of the relevant field or pasture and have a Farm Service Agency farm number. Applications will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis for those that meet eligibility requirements for most of the CRCL programs, including the regenerative grazing program. For those interested in the climate-smart fieldscapes program, an application and review process is used to select participants, says Kelly Wilson, associate director of the MU Center for Regenerative Agriculture.

After available funds are fully allocated for this season, remaining qualified applicants will be placed on a waiting list for future consideration.

In addition to financial assistance with climate-smart practices, the Center for Regenerative Agriculture offers workshops, field days, pasture walks and webinars during the project.

Details will be shared with farmers and ranchers who apply for project funding and are also available at https://cra.missouri.edu/mo-crcl or from Wilson at kellyrwilson@missouri.edu.