One important program for growers is the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). This voluntary program supports the use of conservation and land management practices such as IPM through per acre payments when growers use IPM practices. (Read about farmers' successes with EQIP.)

Cooperative effort to introduce new incentives To assist growers, several groups have joined together to initiate the Putting the Farm Bill to Work Program. The Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board, Cherry Marketing Institute, Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association, and other grower-based organizations are joining with the Michigan State University IPM Program, Project GREEEN, MSU Extension and the Center for Agricultural Partnerships to increase grower awareness about options

for federal conservation program support. At the same time the Putting the Farm Bill to Work Program works with NRCS personnel at local, state and national levels to increase their understanding of growers’ unique conservation and production needs for fruit, vegetables and other crops. View program results as of 2007.

Additional information will also be published in the MSU Crop Advisory Team (CAT) Alert newsletters and the newsletters of the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board and Cherry Marketing Institute.

Funding
The Putting the Farm Bill to Work Program is a collaborative effort of the Michigan State University IPM Program, the Center for Agricultural Partnerships, Project GREEEN and MSU Extension.