Cover Crops for Livestock

Farmland Preservation

The Portage SWCD is actively involved in the Portage County Farmland Preservation efforts. If you are interested in learning more about the options available for preserving your farmland via easements or donation, please contact our office or visit http://www.agri.ohio.gov/farmland/

Perennial Agriculture Project 

The goal of this project is to provide Portage County residents important, up to date information on perennial crops being grown in the county. This is an ongoing project, please come back for more information or contact our office.

Rental Programs

Interested in exploring the benefits of conservation tillage without investing in new equipment? The SWCD owns a Haybuster and a LANDPRIDE 606 No-Till Drill and a with a grass/hay seed attachment. The Haybuster is available for producers to use at a rate of $8.00 per acre and the LANDPRIDE is available for a flat rate fee of $50 and $10.00 per acre. The drills are available on a first come-first served basis. Producers that wish to be invloved in this program must contact Anthony Lerch, x6811.

Applications and Agreements

( Click To View Agreements )
LANDPRIDE 606 Rental Agreement
HAYBUSTER Rental Agreement
Application for Assistance and Cooperative Conservation Agreement

Mail completed rental forms to Portage SWCD ( 6970 OH-88, Ravenna OH 44266 ) or Email them to [email protected]

Conservation Planning & Technical Assistance

Within the following programs, opportunities are available for all types of farmers. Please call and see if we can assist you. Also, see the USDA-NRCS 5 steps to assistance guidelines. 

Engineering Services

Our technicians can provide various engineering design services for projects such as grassed waterways, manure storage facilities, or milkhouse waste wetland systems.

The Portage SWCD has discontinued the pond design program, but the staff is available to meet with you and provide technical advice to assist with your pond project.

Please contact Eric Long, x6812 for more information.

Financial Assistance

-Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQUIP): EQIP provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers in order to address natural resource concerns and deliver environmental benefits such as improved water and air quality, conserved ground and surface water, reduced soil erosion and sedimentation or improved or created wildlife habitat. More on EQIP.
-Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP): The Conservation Stewardship Program helps agricultural producers maintain and improve their existing conservation systems and adopt additional conservation activities to address priority resources concerns. Participants earn CSP payments for conservation performance—the higher the performance, the higher the payment. More on CSP.

Easements

-Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP): The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) provides financial and technical assistance to help conserve agricultural lands and wetlands and their related benefits. Under the Agricultural Land Easements component, NRCS helps Indian tribes, state and local governments and non-governmental organizations protect working agricultural lands and limit non-agricultural uses of the land.  Under the Wetlands Reserve Easements component, NRCS helps to restore, protect and enhance enrolled wetlands. More on ACEP.
-Healthy Forest Reserve Program (HFRP): The Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP) helps landowners restore, enhance and protect forestland resources on private lands through easements and financial assistance. Through HRFP, landowners promote the recovery of endangered or threatened species, improve plant and animal biodiversity and enhance carbon sequestration.  More on HFRP.

Partnerships

-Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP): The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) promotes coordination between NRCS and its partners to deliver conservation assistance to producers and landowners. NRCS provides assistance to producers through partnership agreements and through program contracts or easement agreements.
RCPP combines the authorities of four former conservation programs – the Agricultural Water Enhancement Program, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Program, the Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative and the Great Lakes Basin Program. Assistance is delivered in accordance with the rules of EQIP, CSP, ACEP and HFRP; and in certain areas the Watershed Operations and Flood Prevention Program. More on RCPP.

Others

-Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP)
-Agriculture Conservation Experienced Services Program (ACES)
-Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG)
-Technical Services Providers (TSP)

Forestry

Please contact your regional Ohio DNR Service Forester.