If you have land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and you are trying to decide what to do with it when the contract comes to a close, consider the benefits of transferring that land to a beginning or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher. As an incentive, a new federal program – the Conservation Reserve Program Transition Option – will provide you two years of additional payments.

On May 14, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the availability of the transition option. With thousands of acres set to come out of the Conservation Reserve Program in the next few years, the option provides an economic incentive to ensure some of those acres help beginners or socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers get a start in agriculture in a conservation-based manner.

Here is what we know so far about how the program works: The program will be administered by the Farm Service Agency.

For the Beginning or Socially Disadvantaged Farmer or Rancher: One year before the contract is set to ex¬pire, the beginning or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher is allowed to make conservation and land improvements and/or begin organic certification. An approved conservation plan for the land must be developed and implemented. The farmer or rancher will have the opportunity to enroll the land in the Conservation Stewardship Program or the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

For the CRP Contract Holder/Landowner: When the CRP contract expires, the landowner/contract holder must sell or provide a long-term lease of the land (with an option to purchase) to the beginning or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher. In return, the landowner/contract holder will receive two additional annual CRP rental payments.

As this article went to print, we were reviewing the rule to understand all the program details. We will post program specifics on our website or you can use our Farm Bill Helpline to learn more. Call Traci Bruckner at 402.687.2100 or email tracib@cfra.org.