Browse Ambrook’s collection of grants, loans, discounts, cost shares, easements, and insurance for contour farming.

Farmers and ranchers interested in regenerative agriculture are encouraged to apply through their local NRCS Service Center by their state’s ranking dates for consideration in FY2026 funding. Applications for both EQIP and CSP can now be submitted under the new single regenerative application process. On December 15, 2025, NRCS announced a January 15 National Batching Deadline for Major NRCS Conservation Programs that includes the Regenerative Pilot Program.


In December 2025, [NRCS launched the NRCS Regenerative Pilot Program](https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/regenerative-pilot-program/news/usda-launches-new-regenerative-pilot-program). NRCS is investing $700 million to specifically support regenerative agriculture, including:


- $400 million through the [Environmental Quality Incentives Program](https://ambrook.com/funding/eqip) (EQIP); and

- $300 million through the [Conservation Stewardship Program](https://ambrook.com/funding/csp) (CSP)


### For Producers, this means: 


- Bundled practices will be integrated into a **_single application_**, making programs easier&#x2004;to access and more impactful;

- Whole-farm holistic conservation planning is the centerpiece of the program, ensuring that all resource concerns (soil, water, and natural vitality) are addressed together, not piecemeal;

- Conservation planning and producer objectives drive the process, ensuring site-specific solutions that work for the producer;

- Outcomes are tracked, measured, and credited back to the farmer; and

- Producers at every stage, from beginners just starting out with cover crops to advanced operations with years of conservation experience, will find a pathway through this pilot program.




In December 2025, NRCS launched the NRCS Regenerative Pilot Program. NRCS is investing $700 million to specifically support regenerative agriculture, including:

- $400 million through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP); and
- $300 million through the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

For Producers, this means: 

- Bundled practices will be integrated into a single application, making programs easier to access and more impactful;
- Whole-farm holistic conservation planning is the centerpiece of the program, ensuring that all resource concerns (soil, water, and natural vitality) are addressed together, not piecemeal;
- Conservation planning and producer objectives drive the process, ensuring site-specific solutions that work for the producer;
- Outcomes are tracked, measured, and credited back to the farmer; and
- Producers at every stage, from beginners just starting out with cover crops to advanced operations with years of conservation experience, will find a pathway through this pilot program.


A payment that requires some percentage of matching contributions by the recipient.

Cost Share

- Press Release: USDA Launches New Regenerative Pilot Program to Lower Farmer Production Costs and Advance MAHA Agenda
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Soil Health
- Water

Certified Grassfed

Cover Crops

Reduced Tillage

Conservation

Regenerative

Soil Health

Carbon Capture

As part of participating in Regenerative Pilot Program, producers must:

- Work with NRCS staff, partners, or technical service providers to conduct a whole-farm assessment;
- Use at least one primary regenerative management practice (see list below); and
- Agree to perform soil health testing in the first and last year of the contract (at a minimum) to establish a starting baseline and to record the resulting changes.
The whole-farm assessment includes all resource concerns, and it must meet NRCS planning criteria in the soil and water resource categories.
Primary practices include:

- Conservation Crop Rotation (328)
- Contour Farming (330)
- Contour Orchard and Other Perennial Crop (331)
- Cover Crop (340)
- Drainage Water Management (554)
- Forage Harvest Management (511)
- Forest Stand Improvement (666)
- Irrigation Water Management (449)
- Mulching (484)
- Nutrient Management (590)
- Pest Management Conservation System (595)
- Grazing Management (528)
- Residue and Tillage Management, No Till (329)
- Residue and Tillage Management, Reduced (345)
- Stripcropping (585)
For example: A farm may implement Conservation Crop Rotation, Cover Crop, and Nutrient Management as their primary management practices, but also identified the need for soil amendments using practice 333 - Amending Soil Properties with Gypsum Products, or 336 - Soil Carbon Amendment, as necessary to implement their conservation plan. These practices would be eligible for inclusion under the Regenerative Pilot Program.
Additional information is available in the Regenerative Pilot Program Frequently Asked Questions.

List of Agricultural Funding for Contour Farming