Mar 21, 2024 Partnering With Tenant Farmers on Erosion Control Partnering With Tenant Farmers on Erosion Control Written by: Matt Cox, LandGuys Illinois Land Broker Partnering for Erosion Control Erosion control has been a major topic essentially since the occurrence of the Dust Bowl era that went on in the Midwest from 1930 to early 1940. It is often referenced as the “Dirty 30’s”. It came amidst the Great Depression and was caused by a massive drought, “lack luster” farming practices (mainly caused by a lack of money) and high sweeping winds that turned into clouds of dirt sweeping across the nation. It sparked a massive government movement and FDR signed the Soil Conservation Act of 1935, with hopes to stop such major erosion events in the future. This act created the Soil Conservation Service (SCS), which we now know today as the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). This is a government agency that is under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and they oversee and help landowners implement better farming and grazing practices throughout the nation. What does all this mean to you? As a landowner, you may find that following some of these conservation efforts allow you to increase the value of your land while protecting the natural resources around it. While the Dust Bowl was an example of wind erosion, we can also see the effects of erosion from water. Some of the more common practices in this area to control erosion are no-till farming, dry-dams, grass waterways, and planting cover crops in the fall. In most cases, farms are given two designations by the Farm Service Agency, Non-Highly Erodible Land (NHEL) and Highly Erodible Land (HEL) land. Once your land is classified HEL land, you as a landowner have the responsibility both ethically and financially to try to mitigate erosion on that property. Well, I own the land, but I don’t farm it, so who’s responsibility, is it? The answer here is quite simple. You, the landowner, are responsible for your land and the overall maintenance and upkeep of the property. Whether you farm the land yourself, do a crop-share with a tenant farmer, or cash rent your land to a tenant farmer, it is up to you to make the right decisions on your farm to make sure you are protecting your asset. It’s crucial that you communicate and work directly with your tenant farmer to understand the issues and challenges they might be running into on your property. They ultimately want to make money farming your property. You ultimately want to make money from your tillable land. Both of you have an incentive to work together to ensure that the land is being protected and is as productive as possible. If you own farmland and you do not know whether it is deemed HEL or NHEL land, it may be time to have a discussion with your tenant farmer. They may have suggestions of areas that could benefit from dry-dams or waterways. It is possible they have not brought it to your attention previously due to the cost of setting up. The tenant may have the ability to put those structures in place, but they will want some protection or assurance that they can keep farming your property, or even financial compensation for the work performed on your property. Why is this important now? This is a great time of year to start planning out your erosion control projects. Now is a great time to find a contractor to give estimates and quotes to do the work, and you will want to have all your ducks in a row when fall harvest gets underway. There is usually a short window between fall harvest and winter to get the necessary dirt work done and waterways seeded. There is also a potential for government cost share payments, so you may want to get in touch with your local NRCS office to see what kind of programs you maybe eligible for. They have knowledgeable employees in place that can give you great guidance and assistance through these types of improvements. They will also be able to determine if you could qualify for the cost share programs such as (EQIP) Environmental Quality Incentives Program. At the end of the day, erosion can be detrimental to your property both in value and aesthetics. It can decrease yields and cause environmental issues with our water sheds, creeks, streams, and rivers. As a landowner, I hope you take these matters seriously as it can increase your overall property value, while improving aesthetics and benefiting the wildlife and environment at the same time. To learn more about partnering for erosion control and additional efforts, get in touch with your local NRCS office you can visit the NRCS website at nrcs.usda.gov. Stay connected. Be sure to follow Matt on Facebook.