The Hyde Soil and Water Conservation District has received its allocation for the North Carolina Agriculture Cost Share Program for the 2018 program year.

The district received $38,129 in cost share funds and $7,500 through the Agricultural Water Resources Assistance Program.

The signup for applications is now available and will continue through Jan. 31, 2018, or until all funds have been expended. The district offers funding on BMPs, such as nutrient management, water control structures, land smoothing and three-year, continuous no-till crop rotation. The limit for nutrient management acreage is 250 acres, and the applicant must agree to carry out the practice for three years on the same land. The incentive payment for this practice is $6 per acre. The acreage limit on conservation tillage is 100 acres. The incentive payment for this practice is $60 per acre. The district is offering land smoothing at $150 an acre with a 40-acre cap.

The purpose of the cost share program is to reduce the amount of nutrients entering surface and groundwater through best management practices, such as nutrient management.

If you are interested in these programs, please contact the Hyde Soil and Water Conservation District office at 30 Oyster Creek Road, Hyde Government Center, Suite 131, in Swan Quarter. Those interested may also call the office at 252-926-4195 or 252-926-5291. Rodney Chappell, Hyde district resource specialist, will be happy to talk to you about our programs and assist you with the application process.