Michigan Conservation Stewardship for Farmers Project (MCSFP)

Notice: On April 14, 2025, USDA canceled the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities (PCSC). The Michigan Association of Conservation Districts (MACD) has relaunched its grower-focused funding under USDA's Advancing Markets for Producers (AMP) program as the Michigan Conservation Stewardship for Farmers Project (MCSFP). Enrollment is open now — apply at macd.org/mcsfp.

The Michigan Conservation Stewardship for Farmers Project (MCSFP) is a relaunched cost-share program led by the Michigan Association of Conservation Districts (MACD) and local partners. Formerly known as the Michigan Climate Smart Farms Project, MCSFP has been redesigned to put more resources directly into farmers' hands. The relaunch shifts funding away from impact tracking, verification programs, and administrative overhead and toward direct payments for on-farm investments that improve farm viability and resilience.

MCSFP is designed to support farms of all scales and scopes. Priority will be given to those seeking practical improvements that reduce risk, improve efficiency, or strengthen long-term farm viability; however, any farm in good standing with the FSA can apply and will be considered. Funding regions and local partners span Lenawee, Monroe, Washtenaw, and Hillsdale counties and Detroit/urban areas.

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number NR233A750004G081.

Individual farmers apply directly, and the published test is deliberately wide: "MCSFP is designed to support farms of all scales and scopes. Priority will be given to those seeking practical improvements that reduce risk, improve efficiency, or strengthen long-term farm viability, however any farm in good standing with the FSA can apply and will be considered."

Where: every funding region and local point of contact MACD lists is in Lenawee, Monroe, Washtenaw or Hillsdale county, plus Detroit/urban through Keep Growing Detroit. MACD does not publish a sentence excluding farms outside that footprint, so if you farm elsewhere in Michigan, ask before applying — Alex Cacciari, Farmer Programs Specialist, alex.cacciari@macd.org, (734) 604-2820.

The USDA paperwork is the real gate. Producer Agreement §2.6: "In order to be eligible for an incentive payment as a part of the Advancing Markets for Producers, a producer must comply with USDA NRCS requirements: Establish Farm Records with the Farm Service Agency (FSA) (have farm, tract, and field numbers in place); Complete an AD-2047 (Customer Data Worksheet to facilitate the collection of customer data for Business Partner Record) and the CCC-902 Farm Operating Plan; Certify highly erodible land conservation (HEL) and wetland conservation (WC) compliance via Form AD-1026."

The application-and-enrollment sheet adds four FSA documents you must gather, and "ALL forms must be dated 2026": "Producer Farm Data Report," "Producer Subsidiary Print Report," "Farm and Tract Map (PDF)" and "Farm Map Shapefiles (geoJSON)." "All 4 FSA forms listed above must be uploaded in the enrollment form to complete the application." Then "Conservation District staff determines applicant eligibility for the program and confirms with the applicant," you "request a ProTracts report from their county NRCS office showing a history of any EQIP or CSP contracts," and "State NRCS staff reviews Environmental Evaluation (CPA-52) for approval" before a Producer Agreement is drafted.

What is NOT an eligibility test: the Tier 1-4 bands in the practice menu (farm size, beginning-farmer status, gross cash farm income) set your payment rate, not whether you qualify. A farm under one acre and a farm over 100 acres are both eligible; they are simply paid at different rates.

Cost-share paid on verified implementation, with a hard lifetime cap per producer: "The Producer acknowledges that the maximum award for the MCSFP project is $40,000. If the Producer wishes to apply to the program again, they will only be eligible for a total dollar amount of $40,000 during the life of the program."

Three flat payments require no practice installation at all — the practice menu lists each as per farm and "NO CPA-52 REQUIRED," issued "within 14 days of complete documentation":

• "$500 upon completion of enrollment form, submission of all 4 required FSA documents, submission of W9, and CD staff verification of producer eligibility"

• "$1,000 upon completion of baseline data collection survey"

• "$1,000 upon completion of verification data collection survey after practice implementation"

Practice money arrives in two installments: "25% of producer incentive" on Cost-Share Committee approval of your selected practices, and "75% of producer incentive" on verification that they were implemented.

Practice rates are tiered by farm size and income — Tier 1 (farms <1 acre, beginning farmers, or GCFI <$150,000), Tier 2 (1-10 acres or GCFI <$350,000), Tier 3 (10-100 acres or GCFI $350,000-$900,000), Tier 4 (>100 acres or AGI >$900,000). Examples from the FY2026 menu, Tier 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 and max per farm:

• Cover Crop, new adoption or expansion (NRCS 340): $1,000 / $5,000 / $20,000 / $40,000, max $40,000

• No-Till / Reduced Tillage, new transition (329/345): $1,000 / $5,000 / $20,000 / $40,000, max $40,000

• Crop Rotation Planning & Implementation (328): $250 / $500 / $1,000 / $2,000, max $2,000

• Mulching (484): $500 / $2,000 / $5,000 / $8,000, max $8,000

The menu is explicit that "Rates are maximums — actual payment based on verified implementation."

No match requirement is stated. Participation is voluntary and "the Producer may withdraw at any time without penalty."

Two terms that can cost you real money:

• "No expenses incurred before the signature date on this contract will be eligible for verification and reimbursement" — do not buy anything before your Producer Agreement is signed.

• "A Producer is required to maintain all relevant receipts for purchases related to the practice on file for a minimum of 7 years."

Also note payment timing is not fully in MACD's hands: practices with an NRCS EQIP code need a CPA-52 environmental evaluation approved by Michigan NRCS first, and "MACD shall not be responsible for delays caused by third-party agencies."

Funded under USDA Advancing Markets for Producers agreement NR233A750004G081. Enrollment is open; regional partners cover Lenawee, Monroe, Washtenaw and Hillsdale counties plus Detroit/urban.

FY2026 payments: enrollment incentive $500 per farm (no CPA-52 required) + $1,000 baseline data + $1,000 verification data; practice payments tiered by farm size/GCFI (Tier 1 under 1 acre or beginning farmer … Tier 4 over 100 acres or AGI over $900,000); up to $40,000 per farm per practice (cover crop, no-till, soil carbon amendment, IPM and others per the Practice Menu). Requires a 2026-dated FSA Producer Farm Data Report, Subsidiary Print and farm/tract maps.

Apply for enrollment now at macd.org/mcsfp. Local conservation district staff provide outreach, application support, and technical assistance throughout the process. For general questions, contact Alex Cacciari, Farmer Programs Specialist, alex.cacciari@macd.org, (734) 604-2820.