INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The Soil and Water Outcomes Fund, a leading agricultural ecosystem services program, announced Indiana farmers are eligible to enroll in its program that provides payment for environmental outcomes that result from implementing conservation practices. The Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) is in its second year of assisting with this project.

In 2022, the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund provided an average of $34 per acre to farmers who transitioned to on-farm conservation practices that yield outcomes like carbon sequestration and water quality improvements. New conservation practices that qualify could include tillage reductions, implementing cover crops and extending crop rotations. 

“The soybean checkoff program supports many programs like this that encourage good soil and water conservation practices,” said ISA board member Denise Scarborough, a farmer from La Crosse, Ind., and chair of the Sustainability and Value Creation Committee. “As a checkoff, we believe this program is unique because it focuses on the outcomes of soil and water conservation practices. This is a chance for farmers to receive a payment for taking care of their own land.”

A map of cropland areas in Indiana that are eligible for 2023 enrollment is available on the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund website, www.theoutcomesfund.com.