When a pond goes dry, you know how many days you’ve been hauling water. When a draw washes out, you know where the topsoil went. Whether you’re dealing with drought, erosion, runoff or another resource concern, the relationship you build with your district conservationist at the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) — and the details you share — can help shape which conservation projects receive funding in your area.
That conversation matters this winter. From January through March 2027, NRCS district conservationists will work with Missouri’s soil and water conservation districts to host Local Working Group meetings. These meetings have long given farmers an opportunity to raise concerns. Under Missouri’s Local Conservation Delivery approach, district conservationists will use the priorities farmers identify to propose local projects for a portion of Missouri’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funding. Missouri farmers know which problems return season after season. Now they’ll have a stronger voice in deciding where conservation dollars go.
Take drought, for example. Tell your district conservationist where your operation needs another water source and how weather has left resources underused. Explain which ponds went dry, how long pastures held out, whether interseeding warm-season grasses could improve forage production and why you had to pull cattle from a pasture that still had forage. Together, you can discuss where dependable water sources would help you keep grazing. If neighboring farms face similar challenges, those concerns are worth raising together at the winter meeting.
The same goes for runoff. One farmer sees a gully cutting into a field. A neighbor downstream sees a culvert fill with silt after every hard rain. Your district conservationist can put those observations on the same map and help the group decide which watersheds and areas deserve priority attention. Together, you can identify practices that fit those farms and determine what progress should look like after the next heavy rain.
Keep the conversation going after the meeting. Ask your district conservationist which concerns came through most clearly and how they’re defining the priority. If a proposed area misses the head of the gully, speak up while there’s still time to adjust the map. If a neighbor has tried the proposed practice, offer to make an introduction.
District conservationists plan to submit local proposals from April through June. A panel of field, area and state staff will review them and recommend projects for funding. NRCS plans to open fiscal year 2028 signups for approved projects in October 2027, alongside statewide opportunities. By signup time, much of the work to define local priorities will already be complete.
Invite your district conservationist to your next county Farm Bureau board meeting. Ask when the Local Working Group will meet, and bring a neighbor who’s been hauling water or watching the same ditch grow. If your board supports a proposal, put members’ observations in a letter.
Remember: The people who show up are the voices who shape the decisions.
For more information about NRCS, EQIP and Local Working Groups, visit nrcs.usda.gov/nrcs/Missouri.
