Texas Conservation and Sustainability Initiative (TCSI)

Notice: On April 14, 2025, USDA canceled the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities (PCSC). This project has continued as the Texas Conservation and Sustainability Initiative (TCSI), led by Texas A&M AgriLife Research, which is currently accepting producer participants. Visit tcsi.tamu.edu to apply (an FSA number is required).

This project, the Texas Climate-Smart Initiative (CSI), is a five-year multi-commodity pilot project to transition Texas' large agricultural sector to climate-smart agriculture and forestry (CSAF) practices and develop new markets for climate-smart commodities. This project plans to provide financial incentives for a wide array of climate-smart practices including cover crops, forestry practices, grazing and pasture management practices and nutrient management.

Planned marketing efforts include brand creation and cost-benefit analysis tools for producer use.

Open to individual Texas producers — you apply for yourself, not through a partner. From TCSI's own FAQ: "TCSI is designed for Texas commodity producers with crops, livestock, forestry products, or other agricultural goods for sale. Eligible operations include row crops, orchards, grazing lands, hay production, vegetable operations, and forests."

The three binding tests, verbatim: "The key requirement is the land must be in Texas and must be part of a working agricultural operation. Land must also have a Farm Service Agency number, and the same practice cannot already be receiving federal funding on your land during the same period."

So, in order:

• Land in Texas, in a working agricultural operation producing something for sale. Forestry counts: "Yes, forestry qualifies. Commodity production means the land is producing something with the goal of sales."

• An FSA farm number. If you don't have one, get it from your local Farm Service Agency office first — TCSI's apply page states plainly, "If you are interested in participating, you must have an FSA number."

• No double-dipping on the same practice with another federal program in the same period. Past EQIP applicants are fine: "TCSI may still be an option for past applicants of EQIP, even if you did not receive funding."

Acreage. There is no hard floor for most practices, but there is a practical one: "Generally, the acreage requirements depend on the specific operation and the practice. Some practices don't require large acreage, but in most cases, the goal is 3 to 5 acres minimum." Forestry is the exception and does have a hard minimum: "At least 10 acres must be enrolled to apply for the forestry program." For CAFOs, "the land footprint may be small, but the operation scale could be significant because it's based on livestock numbers not acres."

One timing trap. If you already planted this year's cover crop, you may be too late for that cycle: "In most cases, no. Due to the nature of the program's monitoring and reporting, the team will need a baseline soil sample collected before the practice begins." Existing conservation users are still welcome to apply for future cycles — "TCSI does not require first-time implementation of conservation practices."

No income limit, years-of-experience requirement, ownership-versus-lease test, or beginning/veteran/socially-disadvantaged restriction or priority is published. Enrollment is rolling but finite: "The program ends May 2028. If you enroll now, you should have time to complete a contract. Rolling applications are open now, and funding is limited depending on demand."

Practice-based incentive payments under a conservation contract, plus free planning help — no match and no cost-share percentage.

• Cap: "Financial incentives can reach up to $100,000 per participant, depending on acreage and practices selected."

• Payment timing: "Payments may be one-time or multi-year period depending on the practice," and "Once the practice is verified by TCSI personnel, you will be paid according to the contract."

• Contract length: "Most contracts are planned for two years or less, depending on the practice."

• Enrollment window is closing: "The program ends May 2028. If you enroll now, you should have time to complete a contract. Rolling applications are open now, and funding is limited depending on demand."

• Minimum scale: "Some practices don't require large acreage, but in most cases, the goal is 3 to 5 acres minimum. Forestry is an exception." For CAFOs, scale is judged on livestock numbers rather than acres.

• No double-dipping: "the same practice cannot already be receiving federal funding on your land during the same period." You also need a Farm Service Agency number.

• Not eligible standalone: "TCSI does not directly list cross-fencing or livestock water development as standalone, eligible practices" — they can ride along only if they support an eligible practice.

• Funding behind it: "a $65 million USDA NRCS initiative called Advancing Markets for Producers."

You apply online, yourself, through TCSI's own database — no partner, lender, or agency intermediary. The Apply button on https://tcsi.tamu.edu/apply/ goes to https://tcsi-data.tamu.edu/ ("Texas Conservation & Sustainability Initiative Database").

Get your FSA farm number first. TCSI is blunt about it: "If you are interested in participating, you must have an FSA number." If you don't have one, the apply page links USDA's 4-Steps-to-Assistance guide and the USDA Service Center locator at https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app — the farm number comes from your local Farm Service Agency office, not from TCSI.

Rolling intake, no deadline round: "Rolling applications are open now, and funding is limited depending on demand." The window is finite, though — "The program ends May 2028. If you enroll now, you should have time to complete a contract."

What happens after you submit, in TCSI's own words: "Once an application is submitted, a TCSI ambassador will contact you within two weeks to schedule an initial call. Following the call, you will submit Farm Service Agency documents. This includes FSA maps and a subsidiary land report. Once those documents are received, a TCSI planner will contact you within two weeks, depending on volume, to begin developing your management plan."

So the two documents to have ready are your FSA maps and your subsidiary land report — both from your FSA office. Nothing else appears in TCSI's application guidance: no budget, no business plan, no letters of support, and no SAM.gov or UEI registration. This is an AgriLife-administered conservation contract, not a federal grant competition.

The full sequence, quoted: "To participate in TCSI, you will apply, go through the selection process, meet with an implementation planner/ambassador, complete a contract, participate in an environmental assessment evaluation (for select practices), implement the practices, and meet with an ambassador for continued measurement and assessment."

Two things to plan around. Baseline soil sampling is mandatory and happens at the start: "At the initiation of the contract, mandatory soil sampling will be taken to one foot in depth." That is why an already-planted cover crop can push you to the next cycle — "the team will need a baseline soil sample collected before the practice begins." And payment comes only after verification: "Once the practice is verified by TCSI personnel, you will be paid according to the contract."

Questions, or a sanity check before you apply: tcsi@ag.tamu.edu or 979-314-8095. "If a producer is unsure about qualifying, TCSI Ambassadors are available across the state to help you explore options and determine if the program is a good fit." Returning or in-progress applicants don't restart — "If you're a returning applicant or an applicant already in-progress, your TCSI planner should reconnect with you and guide you through any program without starting over."

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