Seeding and Filter Strip (SFS) Program (SFS)

The Seeding and Filter Strip (SFS) grant program provides technical and financial assistance to support the long-term installation of perennial vegetation. The goal is to help reduce soil erosion & agricultural runoff, preventing this runoff from reaching waterbodies. The program funds the establishment of filter strips, pasture/hay plantings, grassed waterways, and associated infrastructure (e.g. erosion or grade control structures). All practices implemented under the SFS program can be harvested for hay.

• Applicant must be a Vermont farm required to comply with the Required Agricultural Practices (RAPs).

• Applicant must control the enrolled land either through ownership or a lease that covers the maintenance agreement period of 10 years.

• Land must be in active use, as defined in 32 V.S.A. § 3752(15), and within 300 ft of surface water or a ditch.

• Land must be currently maintained as 1) annual cropland, 2) pasture or hayland with a prior history in annual crops within the past five years, or 3) a buffer zone as required by the Required Agricultural Practices (RAPs).

• Project must meaningfully address on-site natural resource concerns.

Practice payment rates (per acre):

• Filter Strip (30–40 ft): $350/acre

• Wide Filter Strip (40 ft+): $1,000/acre

• Pasture/Hayland Plantings – High Risk: $1,000/acre

• Pasture/Hayland Plantings – Moderate Risk: $500/acre

• Pasture/Hayland Plantings – Low Risk: $350/acre

• Grassed Waterway Seeding: $1,000/acre

Associated construction-related practices necessary to the success of filter strips, pasture/hayland plantings, or grassed waterways may be eligible for up to 90% cost share (e.g. lined waterways, stable outlets, erosion control structures, re-grading work, clean water diversion structures).

Program details:

• Total grant award/payment will not exceed $50,000 per project.

• A project plan, including a map and proposed seeding species and rates, must be approved by VAAFM prior to grant award and installation.

• Practice payment occurs after successful installation and certification, based on the final mapped acreage.

• All enrolled land must be maintained as harvestable perennial vegetation for the length of the maintenance agreement (10 years), with ongoing review for adherence to the grant maintenance requirements and the RAPs.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis but are due at least 60 days prior to the planting date. Optimal planting windows for perennial seedings in Vermont vary across the state but are typically early spring (April 15–May 30 for plant hardiness zone 4b) and late summer (August 7–September 15 for plant hardiness zone 4b).

Apply online using the program's Online Application. If you would prefer a printed application or require another accommodation, contact the SFS Program Coordinator.