Johanna G. Pate, Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 3737 Government Street, Alexandria, LA 71302
Pasture condition scoring is a systematic way to check the health of a pasture and how well the pasture is being managed. By rating key indicators and causative factors common to all pastures, pasture condition can be evaluated and the primary reasons for a low condition score can be identified. Louisiana’s Natural Resource Conservation Service offered a one time incentive payment through the 2007 EQIP program to producers who implemented conservation practices on existing pastures that increased the participant’s benchmark pasture condition score to a targeted score of 36 or higher. A designated conservationist assisted the participant in identifying and planning the conservation practices and management needed to reach the targeted score. The score must be reached by the 3rd year of the contract. The purpose of this presentation is to discuss how pasture condition scoring and the EQIP program can be a good combination and how it is working in Louisiana.
