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Nutrient Management Program The basic concept of nutrient management is to balance the nutrient application to crop fields
(typically nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium), whether from spreading manure or chemical fertilizers, with the amount necessary for
optimum crop growth and production. If this balance is achieved, there is a two-fold benefit:
The goal of the Program is to encourage farmers to develop Nutrient Management Plans for their operations, and
provide assistance to those who wish to participate. In some cases across the state, farms are considered Concentrated Animal
Operations (CAO’s) or those operations that have an animal density that exceeds two animal equivalency units (AEU) per spreadable
acre (i.e. cropland, hayland, pasture). An AEU is 1000 pounds of live weight of any animal. CAO’s are required by law to develop
and maintain a nutrient management plan. Most farms are considered volunteer operations that
wish to balance nutrient applications.
$$ GRANTS AVAILABLE $$
The Conservation District coordinates two grant programs to help agriculture producers participate in the nutrient
management program. The Plan Development Incentives Program (PDIP) is an opportunity for cost-share funding to aid a farmer in
developing a nutrient management plan. The second is the Nutrient Management Plan Implementation Grant Program (NMPIGP), which is
an opportunity for cost-share funding to aid a farmer in completing on-the-ground practices
recommended in their nutrient management plan.
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This site was last updated 02/27/08