North Carolina Agriculture Cost Share Assistance Program

The NCASCP is a voluntary program administered through the Yancey County Soil & Water Conservation District to fund the installation of various Best Management Practices (BMP's) for water quality improvement. These funds become available after July 1st of each year. The NCASCP pays up to 75% of the cost for installation of the BMP's that improve water quality. Some eligible BPM's include fencing, water tanks, feed and waste storage structures, agristableation roads, and agrichemical handling facilities.

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

The EQIP program is a Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) program that assists farmers technically and financially with the installation of conservation practices on their land. EQIP had another strong year as indicated by interest in the program by Yancey County Farmers. Farmers agree to agree to the provisions in a conservation plan that was designed specifically for their needs. Conservations contracts could contain practices dealing with the following: agrichemical handling facilities (an engineered building designed to safely store and mix agricultural chemicals), various Integrated Pest Management practices, and Heavy Use Area Protection practices which serve to stabilize "heavy use" areas and reduce sediment transport from these areas, and numerous practices to improve pasture utilization and provide reliable water for livestock.