United States

Department of

Agriculture

SUPPORTING AMERICA’S 

WORKING LANDS

NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE

“We didn’t inherit this land. We 

borrowed it from our children. It’s about 

the future and not about the past.”

Joseph McKinney, Alabama producer

Supporting America’s Working Lands

At the Natural Resources Conservation Service, we have a proud history of 

supporting America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. For more than 

80 years, we have helped people make investments in their operations and local 

communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase 

the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, 

water, soil, and habitat. 

As the USDA’s primary private lands conservation agency, we generate, manage, 

and share the data, technology, and standards that enable partners and 

policymakers to make decisions informed by objective, reliable science. 

And through one-on-one, personalized advice, we work voluntarily with producers 

and communities to find the best solutions to meet their unique conservation and 

business goals. By doing so, we help ensure the health of our natural resources 

and the long-term sustainability of American agriculture.
On average, NRCS invests upwards 

of $8 million every day of the year 

into conservation systems that help 

producers stay profitable 

and productive.
“We are a business and have to be 

profitable, so the programs that we 

utilize with NRCS help us incorporate 

conservation practices. It’s important 

to us because we love this land and 

want to leave it to our children better 

than we found it.” 

Alan Herbert, Louisiana producer

America’s Working Lands Support 

Rural Economies

Farmers, ranchers, and foresters are the backbone of America. Shouldering the 

tremendous responsibility of feeding a rapidly growing Nation, their critical 

work also provides economic stability across the country side — supporting rural 

economies and creating jobs in local communities. 

Rural America depends on productive working lands to fund local labor, not 

just agronomists and foresters, but also land improvement contractors, seed 

suppliers, irrigation specialists, and others. Their stewardship and careful 

management of these vital landscapes builds resilient local economies with 

profitable farms and ranches, clean air and water, healthy food, and abundant 

wildlife. 
Organic is the fastest growing segment 

of the U.S. food industry, with demand 

currently outpacing supply. Urban farms, 

rapidly increasing in number, provide 

an entryway for new farmers and build 

appreciation for farming among all 

citizens.
 “We got assistance from the NRCS 

to put in the high tunnel, and it’s 

completely changed the way we farm 

tomatoes... It’s doubled production 

for us. We’re also able to grow things 

during the winter.” 

Stacey Givens, Oregon producer

America’s Working Lands Support 

Consumer Demand

America’s producers are responding to today’s increasing consumer demand for 

organic products and fresh, local food. While rising to meet this new challenge, 

organic and urban farmers are conserving natural resources, diversifying the 

farming sector, and bringing new and non-traditional farmers to the field. 

Organic agriculture and NRCS’ goals are well aligned. Many USDA Organic 

requirements — such as soil health and biodiversity — can be addressed using 

NRCS conservation systems, which reflect these shared goals. Though often 

small, urban farms can make big impacts, beautifying neighborhoods and 

strengthening local communities while growing healthy food. Farmers throughout 

the country are now using high tunnels to meet the demand for fresh, local 

produce beyond the typical growing season.
The healthiest soils are those with 

a diversity and abundance of life. 

Farmers with the healthiest soils 

nurture that life by creating a diversity 

of plant life above the soil surface, with 

year-round ground cover, no tillage, 

and judicious pesticide use.
“I can’t even imagine being 

a conventional farmer and looking to 

the future. I feel like those of us 

that have made the conversion 

have a future.”

Douglas Poole, Washington producer

America’s Working Lands 

Support Healthy Soil

America’s vitality is rooted in the soil. Today, private landowners across the 

country are partnering with NRCS to put soil health practices to work — growing 

profitable farms, vibrant rural economies, and healthy food and fiber to fuel our 

Nation today and into the future. 

As world population and food production demands rise, keeping our soil 

healthy and productive is of paramount importance. By farming using soil health 

principles and systems that include no-till, cover cropping, and diverse rotations, 

more and more producers are increasing their soil’s organic matter, reducing the 

need for expensive inputs, and improving microbial activity — all while harvesting 

better profits and often better yields.
Out West, ranchers have restored more 

than 5 million acres of the sagebrush 

ecosystem, helping the greater sagegrouse rebound while providing topnotch grazing lands for livestock. 
“Sustainable forestry practices 

recommended by NRCS are 

benefiting our personal lives 

as well as wildlife.”

Natalie Love, Pennsylvania producer

America’s Working Lands 

Support Healthy Ecosystems

Agriculture and wildlife both thrive together through landscape-scale 

conservation. Two-thirds of the land in the lower 48 States is privately owned, and 

these productive working farms, ranches, and forests provide critical ecosystems 

for wildlife as well as the food and fiber that sustains us all. 

From the Louisiana black bear to the Oregon chub, and from the sage grouse to 

the New England cottontail, many species have rebounded and recovered largely 

because of the conservation work by producers on private lands. NRCS uses a 

science-based, targeted approach to guide producers on how to best manage 

ecosystems to maximize beneficial outcomes, both for wildlife and agricultural 

operations.
Agriculture is a major user of ground 

and surface water in the United States. 

By implementing efficient irrigation 

systems and other water management 

practices, producers increase the 

supply of both food and water. 
“I’ve always been conservation 

minded, so I’m working on using 

waterways and contour strips on 

the farm to combat erosion and fix 

some of the conservation issues.” 

Tim Servais, Wisconsin producer

America’s Working Lands 

Support Clean Water

Farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners recognize water as our Nation’s most 

precious resource. Every day, new producers are stepping up to work hand-inhand with NRCS to implement systems that conserve water and keep valuable 

nutrients on the field and out of local waterways. 

Many producers have joined their friends and neighbors in landscape-scale 

efforts to minimize agricultural impacts and improve water quality throughout 

watersheds. By improving soil health and adopting a systems approach to 

conservation across the landscape, these targeted efforts have resulted in an ever 

growing list of streams restored in working agricultural land.
Across the country, producers are using 

soil health principles to sequester more 

carbon, increase water infiltration, 

and improve wildlife and pollinator 

habitat — all while harvesting better 

profits and often better crop yields.
“If we take care of 

the land, it will take 

care of us.”

Hugh Hammond Bennett, Father of Soil Conservation

America’s Working Lands 

Support Clean Air

Thanks to the success of voluntary conservation and air quality assessment 

tools, many producers are discovering that the techniques that increase soil and 

crop resiliency are the same techniques that reduce carbon and nitrous oxide 

emissions — creating a win-win for private landowners and their communities.

Many of these conservation-minded producers who are located in strong rural 

and urban land interfaces are also working with NRCS to implement moisturemanagement techniques and windbreaks that help minimize or diffuse dust and 

odors associated with livestock production.
Get Started With NRCS

Do you farm or ranch and want to 

make improvements to the land that 

you own or lease?
NRCS Offices Across the Country

NRCS was born out of troubled times — the Dust Bowl days of the 1930s. Dust storms 

ravaged the Nation’s farmland, stripping away millions of tons of topsoil and carrying it all 

the way to the Atlantic Ocean. What originally began as the USDA Soil Conservation Service 

in 1935 is now known as the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, a name change 

that highlights our broader mission of natural resource conservation. 

Today, through voluntary conservation programs, NRCS helps producers, soil and water 

conservation districts, and other partners protect and conserve natural resources on private 

lands throughout the United States. 

With nearly 3,000 offices in communities nationwide, NRCS employees continue to provide 

the information, tools, and delivery systems necessary for producers — in every State and 

territory — to conserve, maintain, and improve their natural resources. This locally led, 

science-based approach offers producers voluntary conservation solutions that enhance 

their environment and commercial viability. 

Find your local service center:

www.nrcs.usda.gov
Helping People Help the Land

Each day, our 10,000 plus NRCS employees help people help the land by:

• Adhering to sound science principles;

• Using proven technical tools for on-the-ground application;

• Providing personalized advice and financial assistance to landowners and producers;

• Developing locally led conservation solutions with partners;

• Supporting innovation in agriculture, conservation, and economic markets; and

• Investing in people — including beginning, underserved, and veteran farmers.

USDA IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PROVIDER, EMPLOYER, AND LENDER.