CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE & FARMED SMART
We offer technical and financial assistance to assist landowners and producers both large and small.
Our cost-share programs are largely grant funded so we are always open to hearing your project ideas
so that we can potentially match it with an available grant cycle.
Our programs are flexible, and can accommodate varying levels of interest.
Do you have a stream on your property and live along the South Fork Palouse River, North Fork Palouse River and Union Flat Creek that flow into the Snake River? You may be eligible for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).
Looking for a whole farm approach?
Let us help you with your conservation goals. Reach out to our planners today!
Minimal Tillage, Direct Seeding, No-Till
The district has cost-share options available to farmers to help transition from conventional agricultural techniques to more soil conservation activities for erosion control and soil health.
Precision Agriculture
GPS based systems to assist in variable fertilizer applications.
Filter Strips and Riparian Restoration
These systems can help control excess soil and nutrients from running off your land and into the nearby streams. Our buffer programs compensate farmers for planting and maintaining riparian waterways on their property. We have several buffer programs (including CREP) with different levels of intensity, maintenance, and requirements.
Commodity Buffers
Minimum $200 per acre per year payment for a strip of herbaceous vegetation established at the edge of any waterway
Livestock Management
Whether you are looking for technical or financial assistance, we are here to help with your soil and water conservation efforts. From grazing management plans to help with fencing, off-stream watering facilities, heavy use area protection and pasture reseeding, we can develop a plan that works for your operation.
Cover Crops, Crop Rotation, and Nutrient Management:
Interested in what's going on beneath the surface? The district can provide soil testing and nutrient management suggestions that could help optimize your soil to its highest potential with the right plan for you and your operation.
Small Scale Agriculture
We understand not all land managers are large-scale producers and we welcome land managers who manage our natural resources on any scale.
Water Quality Monitoring and Soil Sampling Design
We can help you develop a monitoring protocol for whatever your needs may be.
Check out this video from Pacific Northwest Direct Seed Association on solutions to address our local natural resource challenges
Farmed Smart Certification
Farmed Smart is a “boots on the ground” third party verifier of regenerative agriculture food production systems. Operated by Spokane Conservation District, the Farmed Smart certification process puts highly trained agriculture professionals on the farm to verify the use of sustainable, regenerative production practices and is approved by state environmental regulators.
Farmed Smart certified producers receive regulatory assurance for meeting water quality standards, with the goal of achieving access to value-added markets for sustainably produced commodities.
Farms are certified based on the following criteria
water quality · air quality · soil health · wildlife habitat · energy conservation · economic sustainability
Questions?