USDA launches Regenerative Pilot Program

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture launched a $700 million Regenerative Pilot Program aimed at helping American farmers adopt practices that improve soil health, enhance water quality and boost long-term productivity, all while strengthening America’s food and fiber supply.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, alongside U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz, announced the program, building off the Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy released in September.

HHS is also investing in research on the connection between regenerative agriculture and public health, as well as developing public health messaging explaining this connection.

About Program

Administered by Natural Resources Conservation Service, this new program delivers a streamlined, outcome-based conservation model — empowering producers to plan and implement whole-farm regenerative practices through a single application.

The initiative highlights USDA’s commitment to putting Farmers First and advancing the Make America Healthy Again agenda by building a healthier, more resilient food system.

In fiscal year 2026, the Regenerative Pilot Program will focus on whole-farm planning that addresses every major resource concern — soil, water and natural vitality — under a single conservation framework.

USDA is dedicating $400 million through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and $300 million through the Conservation Stewardship Program to fund this first year of regenerative agriculture projects.

Producers can now bundle multiple regenerative practices into one application, streamlining the process and increasing flexibility for operations.

The program is designed for both beginning and advanced producers, ensuring availability for all farmers ready to take the next step in regenerative agriculture.

Requirements

The Regenerative Pilot Program has three requirements:

1. Whole Farm Assessment: A complete assessment of all resource concerns is required, with the goal of establishing a whole farm plan before the end of the contract period. At a minimum, whole farm plans must meet NRCS planning criteria in the soil and water resource categories. These plans may be developed by NRCS staff, partners, or technical service providers.

• Documenting planning criteria has been met is accomplished through the Conservation Assessment Ranking Tool by meeting or exceeding a resource concern’s threshold, as calculated on the results page.

• Whole farm will be defined based on program policy requirements; CSP policy requires all land that the operator has control of for five years to be a part of the application and thus the whole farm plan. EQIP policy supports a subset of land under control of the operator or customer to be encompassed by the whole farm plan.

2. Primary Practices: A list of primary practices and activities is included in 440 NI-307. At least one primary regenerative management practice must be included in the contract. All practices identified in the conservation plan will be eligible for financial assistance; however, producers may select which practices they want to include in the financial assistance application based on their goals and objectives.

3. Soil Health Testing: Participants must agree to perform soil health testing in the first and last year of the contract, at a minimum, to establish a starting baseline and to record the resulting changes. Financial assistance for soil testing will be available to both producers who have not previously completed soil testing and producers who are already testing their soil. Those already doing soil health testing at the time of the application are also eligible. For the required soil testing, Crop Evaluation and Monitoring Activity-216, or CEMA-216, will be used.

Chief’s Advisory Council

To keep the Regenerative Pilot Program grounded in practical, producer-led solutions, NRCS is establishing the Chief’s Regenerative Agriculture Advisory Council.

The council will meet quarterly, with rotating participants, to advise the chief of NRCS, review implementation progress and help guide data and reporting improvements. Its recommendations will shape future USDA conservation delivery and strengthen coordination between the public and private sectors.

Public-Private Partnerships

There is a growing desire among private companies to fund conservation practices that improve natural resources management.

This announcement unlocks new opportunities for USDA to leverage existing authorities to create public-private partnerships within NRCS conservation programs.

These partnerships will allow USDA to match private funding, in turn stretching taxpayer dollars further and bringing new capacity to producers interested in adopting regenerative practices.

Companies interested in partnering with USDA NRCS in the Regenerative Pilot Program can email regenerative@usda.gov for more information.

How To Apply

Farmers and ranchers interested in regenerative agriculture are encouraged to apply through their local USDA Service Center by their state’s ranking dates for consideration in fiscal year 2026 funding.

Applications for both EQIP and CSP can now be submitted under the new single regenerative application process.

“Protecting and improving the health of our soil is critical not only for the future viability of farmland, but to the future success of American farmers. In order to continue to be the most productive and efficient growers in the world, we must protect our topsoil from unnecessary erosion and improve soil health and land stewardship,” Rollins said.

“This announcement encourages these priorities while supporting farmers who choose to transition to regenerative agriculture. The Regenerative Pilot Program also puts Farmers First and reduces barriers to entry for conservation programs.”

“We value USDA’s acknowledgement that farmers have long practiced regenerative agriculture on their farms, both through federal conservation programs and on their own. Building on these efforts by leveraging existing voluntary and incentive-based programs to advance additional regenerative goals sounds like smart government to me, especially when farmers remain in the driver’s seat,” said American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall.

“The public trusts farmers more than anyone — including government — to lead on regenerative agriculture, based on national polling. We don’t take that trust for granted. Farmers rely on healthy land to grow nutritious crops, raise healthy animals and ensure our farms thrive for future generations. So, we take seriously our responsibility to care for the land.”

Angela Huffman, president and co-founder of Farm Action, a nonpartisan, farmer-led watchdog advocating for accountability from government and large corporations within the ag sector, welcomed the program.

“Regenerative agriculture is not only better for the land and public health, but it also creates a path to rebuilding farmer profitability and reducing dependency on costly chemicals and other inputs controlled by a few giant companies,” Huffman said.

“Done right, this investment will help farmers lower their input costs, break free from the export-driven commodity overproduction treadmill and move toward healthier, more resilient and more profitable farming systems. This initiative reflects the priorities Farm Action has long championed and repeatedly urged the government to adopt.

“If the Trump administration wants this initiative to succeed, USDA must make sure the NRCS — after significant funding cuts — has enough staff to get these dollars out quickly and fairly, reaching farmers across America, not just the largest operations by default.”