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Text Box: FSA ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FIELD BORDERS The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is once again accepting applications for Field Borders in the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). There are a limited number of acres available in Kentucky for this program. If you are interested in installing a field border on your crop ground, please stop by the FSA office to apply or contact us at NRCS for further information. USDA-NRCS ANNOUNCES SECOND FUNDING CYCLE FOR NEW CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced today that a second sign-up period for the new Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). The program was authorized by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill.) CSP is a voluntary program that encourages agricultural and forestry producers to maintain existing conservation activities and adopt additional ones on their operations. Interested land users may submit an application beginning October 1, 2009, at their local USDA Service Center. Although applications will be accepted on a continuous basis, a ranking cut-off has been scheduled for January 30, 2010. To apply for the new program, potential participants will be encouraged to use a self-screening checklist first to determine whether the new program is suitable for them or their operation. It will be available on NRCS website and at NRCS field offices. After self-screening, the producer's current and proposed conservation practices are entered in the conservation measurement tool (CMT). This tool estimates the level of environmental performance to be achieved by a producer implementing and maintaining conservation activity. The conservation performance estimated by the CMT will be used to rank applications. NRCS field staff also will conduct on-site field verifications of applicants' information obtained from the CMT. Once the potential participant has been field verified and approved for funding, he or she must develop a conservation stewardship plan. For information about CSP, including eligibility requirements, producers can visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/new_csp or visit their local NRCS field office located at 253C Hopkinsville Road, Russellville. For more information regarding this release, please contact Craig Givens at 270-726-2618, ext. 3. ARLIN BARTON IS RECONIZED DURING VOLUNTEER WEEK Since 1987 Arlin Barton began volunteering for the Natural Resources Conservation Service & the Conservation Districts. Arlin retired from the Soil Conservation Service and began his other career as a volunteer. Arlin has over 11,850 hours of volunteer service. If you get a chance take a walk at the Baker Natural Area and you will go by the Arlin Barton Soils Study Area.

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Arlin Barton receives a certificate for his many hours of dedicated service as a volunteer from Craig Givens, NRCS.