Arizona Climate-Smart Practices Program

 

This five-year grant project was developed by the Arizona Association of Conservation Districts (AACD) in collaboration with 13 organizations, with plans to onboard 40 Arizona producers, to include 20 tribal and underserved partners. It incentivizes climate-smart agricultural practices such as planting diverse cover crops, crop rotation, mulching, low or no tillage, prescribed grazing, improving energy efficiencies, and nutrient management. By adopting these practices, Arizona farmers and ranchers will provide beneficial ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration and improving water cycles. The project also emphasizes cross-cultural knowledge sharing between Native producers and program participants.

If you are an Arizona producer, read more about how you can participate and get paid for implementing contextually-driven conservation and climate-smart practices.

Applications are now open!

 

Program Participation

 

Funding for Producers

What the program entails:

  • Creating, implementing, and verifying a conservation plan with assistance from the Arizona Association of Conservation Districts

  • Five-year grant cycle with cash incentives for producers of $16,000/year for up to three years for implementing and verifying practices through a conservation plan

  • Other resources offered such as as biocontrols, biostimulants, and biofertilizers, to aid in transitioning to climate-smart practices

  • Enrolls both early adopters already using conservation practices as well as producers interested in implementing one or more conservation practices for the first time

  • Apply on the AACD’s website here.

Desired Climate Smart Commodities Practices

  • Conservation Cover

  • Conservation Crop Rotation

  • Residue and Tillage – No-Till

  • Cover Crop Acres

  • Residue and Tillage – Reduced Till

  • Mulching

  • Nutrient Management

  • Energy, Combustion, and Electricity Efficiency

  • Prescribed Grazing

Click here for the full list of CSAF Practices provided by NRCS

 
 
 
 
 
 

Arizona Climate-Smart Practices Explained

Program Partners

 

USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Grant Program

Through the USDA Climate-Smart Commodities Grant, the Arizona Association of Conservation Districts (AACD) and Program Partners were awarded $4.9 million in funds to support their Arizona Climate-Smart Practices Program. USDA is committed to supporting a diverse range of farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners through Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities. This effort will expand markets for America’s climate-smart commodities, leverage the greenhouse gas benefits of climate-smart commodity production, and provide direct, meaningful benefits to production agriculture, including for small and underserved producers. Learn more here.