JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The North Dakota Farmers Union (NDFU) has announced the return of its Alliance to Advance Climate-Smart Agriculture, a pilot program incentivizing sustainable farming and ranching practices. Entering its second year, the initiative provides $100 per acre or animal unit to producers adopting high-value conservation methods such as no-till, minimum-till, prescribed grazing, cover crops, and other strategies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
In 2024, the program distributed nearly $8 million to more than 300 North Dakota producers. For 2025, the Alliance will allocate approximately $6 million in payments to producers from seven participating soil conservation districts: Cass, Foster, McKenzie, Mercer, Rolette, Stark/Billings, and Ward counties.
“Farmers and ranchers are the best stewards of our natural resources. This pilot project rewards them for taking their stewardship to the next level,” said NDFU President Mark Watne. “We learned a lot of lessons from our first enrollment cycle and are eager to provide an improved, more producer-friendly experience for farmers and ranchers.”
Producers can enroll up to 320 acres or animal units per year, with a maximum payout of $32,000 annually. Participants from the 2024 program are eligible to reapply but cannot enroll the same acres for the same practices.
The three-year project is part of the USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, a $3.1 billion initiative supporting 141 projects nationwide. Funded through a USDA grant, the program aims to disburse $57 million to 4,000 producers across North Dakota, Minnesota, Arkansas, and Virginia in 2024 and 2025.
Virginia Tech leads the national program, while the North Dakota Conservation District Employees Association and local soil conservation districts provide technical assistance. The North Dakota Grain Growers Association is also supporting producer outreach in the state.
Enrollment for the program opens January 6 and runs for 30 days. Producers can learn more and apply by visiting allianceforcsa.org or contacting their local soil conservation district.