EOCD Grants

$25,000 from Colorado State Conservation Board

$15,000 from Stimulus Money

$40,000 for producers to match

• 7 landowners
• 423.44 acres
• 2640' irrigation pipe
• 1380' gated pipe
• $12,865 overspent
• $92,865 spend in EOCD 

$25,000 from Colorado State Conservation Board

$15,000 from EOCD general fund

$40,000 for producers to match

9 producers have the following projects in progress:

• headgates
• gated pipe
• underground pipe
• flume and syphon
• lift pump
• pond for sprinkler

The District Conservation Technician (DCT) program is a federal, state, and local partnership designed to deliver assistance to conservation districts and producers. The partnership is as follows:

5% from CDA Colorado State Conservation Board

75% from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services

20% from Local Boards (In the Rocky Ford office that is shared equally between the three conservation districts.)

50% - Farm Bill Practice Implementation: surveying and designing with supervision

5% - Farm Bill Practice Planning: assisting soil conservationists

10% - CTA Practice Implementation to NRCS Standards: technical assistance

15% - NRCS 9-Step Planning non-Farm Bill: assisting soil conservationists

20% - On-the-Ground Technical Assistance to District Programs: helping monitor the matching grant program and the S.T.A.R. program

What is the Colorado STAR Program? 

The Colorado Saving Tomorrow's Agricultural Resources (STAR) Program is a free and voluntary tool to educate producers, give bragging rights, and structure conversations around soil health. STAR is a practice-based rating system that assigns points for cropping, tillage, nutrient application and other best management practices. As a result, the farmer or rancher receives a STAR rating from 1-5 stars that helps them understand how well they are doing in promoting soil health.

STAR PLUS

Conservation districts and eligible entities my participate in STAR+. These districts receive capacity support to provide 5-10 producers with technical assistance, guidance filling out a Field Form, and assistance collecting a soil sample for a free soil health test.  Districts will distribute incentive payments of up to $10,000 to each participating producer for implementing soil health practices on a field of their choice, matched with an equal investment from the producer themselves. 

In 2022 West Otero Timpas Conservation District had five producers participate in STAR+.

• 5 participants
• 392.34 total acres enrolled
• $24,102.50 Incentive payments to producers
• 5 free soil tests processed for the producers
• 5 fields star rated 

2024 STAR+

WOTCD has slots for five more producers starting in October of 2024.