North Dakota farmers and ranchers now have 10 additional conservation practices to choose from under the USDA’s Regenerative Pilot Program for fiscal 2027, providing localized tools to combat soil salinity and climate volatility. These state-specific options allow producers to tailor federal funding to the unique needs of North Dakota’s soils and production systems, with a critical application deadline of Nov. 13 for those seeking funding in the current fiscal year.
For producers in 39 counties, the buildup of salts in the soil—particularly around the region’s 1.6 million wetland basins—has become a primary threat to crop performance and field efficiency.
Addressing the Salinity Crisis in the Prairie Pothole Region
The USDA recently backed this effort with a $30 million investment specifically targeted at the Prairie Pothole Region through an initiative called PRAIRIE. This effort works by expanding the primary practices available under the regenerative program to help farmers manage saline soils that otherwise stifle yields.
The new options tailored for the state include salinity and sodic soil management, grassed waterways, grade stabilization structures, and filter strips.
“Producers told us they needed more flexibility to make whole-farm regenerative management work here in North Dakota, and we listened,” said Dan Hovland, NRCS state conservationist in North Dakota. “By adding state recommended practices to the Regenerative Pilot Program, we’re ensuring that conservation tools match the realities of our soils, climate, and production systems.”
A Billion-Dollar Bet on Regenerative Agriculture
The scale of the program has grown rapidly since it was first announced on Dec. 10, 2025, by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz.
The funding is split between two primary vehicles: $650 million flows through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and $350 million through the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). The demand has already proven to be immense. NRCS Chief Colton Buckley noted that in the last fiscal year, the agency obligated more than 5,100 contracts totaling over $851 million, significantly outpacing the original budget.
| Funding Stream | Initial Year Funding | Fiscal 2027 Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) | $400 Million | $650 Million |
| Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) | $300 Million | $350 Million |
| Total | $700 Million | $1 Billion |
Lowering the Barrier to Entry
Jarvis Keney, NRCS assistant state conservationist for programs in North Dakota, explained that the program now uses an outcome-based model, allowing producers to bundle multiple practices into a single application that covers both EQIP and CSP.
Perhaps the most significant change for experienced producers is the reduction of land-use requirements. In the program’s first year, applicants through the CSP were required to address critical soil and water resource concerns on 100% of their land. For fiscal 2027, that threshold has been lowered to 75%.
However, the program is not a blank check. To qualify, participants must:
- Complete a whole-farm assessment with NRCS staff or technical providers.
- Implement at least one primary regenerative management practice.
- Agree to mandatory soil health testing.
The Economic Tension of Transition
The shift to a 75% land-use requirement for CSP applicants to address identified critical soil and water resource concerns, down from 100% in the program’s first year, is one of the main hurdles the USDA lowered for fiscal 2027.
The program now offers specific monitoring and evaluation options tailored to forestry, grazing lands, and cropland to ensure that the “outcomes” being measured are actually relevant to the specific type of land being farmed. This move toward transparency and improved tracking is intended to make the program more accessible to both beginning and veteran producers.
With the current fiscal year running through Sept. 30, 2027, the window for immediate funding is narrow. Farmers looking to integrate these new North Dakota-specific tools must act by Nov. 13 at their local NRCS Service Center.
