FELDA, Fla. — The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has a cost-sharing program helping farmers be more sustainable by paying for eco-friendly upgrades.
As FOX 4’s Hendry County Community Correspondent, I work in this area every day, so I went to Circle C Farm in Felda to learn how the program helped their farm, and how it could benefit others like it.
Watch my report here...
Circle C Farm is a 200-acre multi-livestock farm that’s been running since 2012.
“We offer our amazing meats, eggs, and honey’s that we produce here and we offer that directly to the consumer,” said Nicole Cruz, Owner of Circle C Farm.
But, Cruz said running a farm takes a lot of hard work- and money. So, she said she turned to the NRCS cost-sharing program early on to help.
“They facilitates us to put up additional fencing on the property - and that’s a cost-sharing program - and then we were also able to put solar panels on our wells,” said Cruz.
Cruz said the solar panels save money and keep water flowing even when power goes out during hurricanes. Florida NRCS State Conservationist, Juan Hernandez, said the program helps farmers like Nicole adopt green tech without breaking the bank.
“That is the real intent, to marry conservation and production as a common goal - that is one of our key components we offer assistance with,” Hernandez explained.
Hernandez said the program helps with a range of projects - grassland management and invasive control, to watering facilities - making farms more efficient and sustainable.
“You can do it because it’s the right thing to do, and you can do it because it’s financially sound. The reality is, by managing your land in a conservation fashion, it will be more productive and it will be more sustainable,” said Hernandez.
This year, Hernandez said the NRCS has invested $45 million into farms nationwide, expecting to reach $100 million by 2026.
He said the money comes from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Farm Bill - and with the Farm Bill up for renewal, even more farmers will have a chance to go green.
“It’s really important if we want to make sure our focus is on being able to feed our own communities, and remain sustainable long-term for feeding our own communities,” said Cruz.
To learn more, Hernandez said farmers should contact their local NRCS office to find out what programs are available.
