EQIP Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility requirements vary from program to program. Please call your local NRCS office to discuss your specific situation.

Requirements for participants:

To participate in EQIP, you need to:

• be an individual, entity or joint operation.
• produce or sell an annual minimum of $1,000 of agricultural products. People applying for EQIP forest land assistance are exempt from this requirement.
• have control of the land for the term of the proposed contract. Renting and leasing land is fine, as long as you can document that you have control of the land for the duration of your contract.
• be in compliance with the highly erodible land and wetland conservation provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985.
• have an average Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $1 million dollars or less.
• have an interest in the farming operation associated with the land being enrolled.
• be in good standing with the terms of all other active USDA contracts.

Requirements for land:

Land enrolled in EQIP needs to:

• be used in agricultural, livestock or forest production, or be capable of growing trees.
• be privately owned. Publicly owned lands are eligible only if the land is leased or rented to an eligible agricultural producer.
• not receive other USDA program payments for the same conservation practice.

Last modified: 06/08/2009