On-Farm Research: Are you a producer who wants to find scientific answers to agronomic questions? Take advantage of our On-Farm Research Program to work with University Extension to design trials and collect data throughout the upcoming growing season. 

The Upper Big Blue NRD will provide technical resources along with financial assistance for volunteer producers to offset the cost of soil, water, and plant tissue analysis. Project results are published for other interested producers to review. Past years’ results are available online. If you are interested in participating in the On-Farm Research Program, speak to your local University of Nebraska Extension Agent or visit our website. Projects must be approved by the NRD before planting to ensure funding.  

Management Practice Incentives: The NRD is offering a new incentive program for producers in portions of the Recharge Lake Watershed, the Beaver Creek Watershed, and some municipal Wellhead Protection Areas. Practices included in this program are cover crops, buffer/filter strips, and land treatment practices. Qualifying producers are eligible for an incentive payment to install these practices. 

Nebraska Soil Carbon Project: The Nebraska Soil Carbon Project is a collaboration with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Upper Big Blue and Central Platte NRDs, The Nature Conservancy, Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC), Cargill, Target, and McDonald’s. Our goal is to team up with 100 producers to install 100,000 acres of new soil health practices on central Nebraska cropland over five years.  Farmers who enroll will be compensated for adopting cover crops, no till, and/or diverse rotations.