As part of the federal Conservation Reserve Program, the federal government paid Wyoming farmers $5.5 million in 2022 not to farm.
The federal government paid Wyoming farmers $5.5 million in 2022 not to farm certain land plots, a significant leap from the 2021 grant of $3.4 million.
Industry experts credit changing demands for food and skyrocketing fuel and equipment prices in 2022 for Wyoming farmers’ growing interest in the federal Conservation Reserve Program.
The program’s goal is to preserve fragile land plots or other environmentally sensitive areas from the rigor of farming by letting farmers receive federal “rent” payments to leave the land alone for a decade. They also get cost-share payments for conservation startup costs, like ground-cover seeds.
Farmers will sign up for the Conservation Reserve Program if it looks more lucrative than farming. They’ll generally avoid it if they think it will be less lucrative.
Costs Up All Over
Commo...