π° Farm News & Orchard Updates
π° Big Announcement: Nuts About Dee's Berries Awarded USDA EQIP Funding
What a USDA EQIP Award Means for Our Farmβand Why It Matters
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For months, I’ve been teasing a big announcement. While we still have another exciting project in the works, I couldn’t wait any longer to share this milestone.
I’m excited to announce that Nuts About Dee’s Berries has been selected to participate in the USDA Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
When people hear the words “grant” or “funding,” it’s easy to picture the government simply writing a check.
That isn’t how EQIP works.
EQIP is a conservation cost-share program administered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Farmers agree to install approved conservation practices that meet USDA standards, invest significant time and money into completing the work, and receive reimbursement only after those practices have been completed and verified.
In other wordsβ¦
The funding isn’t the accomplishment.
The accomplishment is being selected to implement a conservation project that the USDA believes will improve our land, protect natural resources, and create lasting environmental benefits.
What Is Included in Our USDA EQIP Project?
Our approved conservation project will help establish approximately 25 acres of perennial plantings and conservation practices across our farm.
Orchard & Agroforestry Plantings
The project includes establishment of many of the perennial species that will become the foundation of our farm, including:
- Chestnuts
- Pawpaws
- Persimmons
- Aronia
- Black Currants
Windbreak Plantings
The project also establishes multi-row windbreaks using species such as:
- White Cedar
- White Spruce
- Sugar Maple
- Silver Maple
- Hybrid Poplar
- Elderberry
- Hazelnut
These windbreaks will help reduce wind erosion, protect future crops, improve wildlife habitat, and create a healthier growing environment across the farm.
What Isn't Covered?
One thing many people don’t realize is that EQIP doesn’t fund every aspect of our farm.
Many of the species we’re excited to grow are not included in the conservation contract and will still be purchased and planted entirely at our expense.
These include species such as:
- Red Currants
- White Currants
- Honeyberries
- Goumi
- Seaberries
- Jujubes
- Quince
- Magnolia
- Lilacs
- And many other specialty crops planned for the future.
The USDA project supports an important portion of our conservation visionβbut it certainly doesn’t cover all of it.
What Are We Required to Do?
Receiving an EQIP contract comes with significant responsibilities.
Over the next several years we’ll be responsible for completing the work according to USDA conservation standards, including:
- Preparing each planting site before installation.
- Purchasing and planting thousands of trees and shrubs.
- Installing tree shelters to protect young trees from deer and rabbits where required.
- Using approved weed management practices during establishment, including vegetation control around young plantings.
- Maintaining the plantings for multiple years after installation.
- Replacing trees or shrubs that don’t survive when necessary to meet USDA establishment standards.
- Following approved implementation schedules.
- Allowing USDA inspections before reimbursement is made.
- Maintaining the conservation practices for the required contract period.
While weed control is definitely required by the contract, I intentionally didn’t state “weed barrier fabric” because your contract primarily specifies vegetation control and notes that if weed fabric is used it should be maintained. It also allows herbicide, mowing, hand weeding, spot spraying, and mulch depending on the practice. Since you’re planning extensive weed fabric, you could add a sentence such as:
“We’ll also be installing thousands of feet of weed barrier fabric to improve establishment and reduce competition around many of our plantings.”
That would accurately describe your implementation, even if it’s not explicitly required everywhere in the contract.
Spring 2027 Will Be a Major Milestone
Although our EQIP contract is now in place, our primary farm planting is planned for Spring 2027.
Over the coming months we’ll continue preparing the property, completing infrastructure, and getting everything ready for what will be one of the largest planting events in our farm’s history.
Watching former cropland transform into one of Wisconsin’s most diverse agroforestry farms is something we’ve dreamed about for years, and we’re excited to share every step of that journey with you.
Why This Matters
Our goal has never been to simply grow fruit and nuts.
We’re working to build a farm that demonstrates how agriculture and conservation can work together.
By planting thousands of perennial trees and shrubs, establishing wildlife habitat, protecting water quality, improving soil health, reducing erosion, and increasing biodiversity, we hope to create a farm that benefits both people and the environment for generations to come.
The USDA EQIP program is helping us take another major step toward making that vision a reality.
Thank you to everyone who has encouraged us, followed our journey, shared our posts, and believed in what we’re building.
We’re just getting started.
Every tree we plant today is an investment in healthier land, healthier communities, and future generations. We can’t wait to welcome you to the farm and show you what’s growing.
More to Savor from the Orchard
π Visit Nuts About Deeβs Berries
https://nutsaboutdeesberries.com
N3591 Highway 104, Brodhead, Wisconsin
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