Frequently Asked Questions

On April 14, 2025, the USDA cancelled the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities initiative, citing relatively high administrative costs and a lower proportion of funding paid directly to producers. USDA allowed certain projects to continue if at least 65% of the total award amount was directed to producers. At that time, the IAMP project did not meet this threshold, as approximately 56% of the total award amount was allocated as direct producer payments.

Many projects, including IAMP, were given the opportunity to revise and resubmit their budgets to meet the new requirement. The University of Idaho subsequently restructured the project budget so that more than 66% of the total funding would be provided directly to producers through incentive payments for implementing conservation practices and strengthening commodity markets.

The review and approval process for the revised project took nearly a full year before USDA authorized the project to restart. The project has now officially resumed under the USDA Advancing Markets for Producers (AMP) initiative, and the University of Idaho is working to re-engage producers and restart project activities.

The core mission of the project—encouraging adoption of conservation practices while strengthening commodity markets—has remained largely unchanged.

USDA transitioned the Climate-Smart Commodities initiative into the Advancing Markets for Producers (AMP) initiative. Under the revised AMP framework, the frequency and scope of required reporting have been reduced, and many greenhouse gas reporting requirements were removed, although limited greenhouse gas monitoring remains at Research and Extension centers with IAMP research plots.

One notable addition is the required environmental evaluation (CPA-52), which must be completed before a producer contract can be finalized. This evaluation is commonly used in USDA-NRCS conservation programs such as EQIP and had previously been waived in Idaho during the first two years of the project. The IAMP team will help producers complete this requirement.

To comply with the updated AMP requirements and increase the proportion of project funds paid directly to producers, the University of Idaho reallocated funding from certain research and monitoring activities to producer incentive payments. As a result, the scope of project-funded research documenting the impacts and benefits of conservation practice adoption across Idaho was reduced.

Specifically, funding for evaluations of conservation practice effects on weeds, diseases, beneficial insects, arthropods, and other pests was scaled back. University-led soil and crop sampling efforts, as well as field-specific monitoring activities conducted on participating farms, were also reduced.

AMP program rules require that funds counted toward the 65% direct producer payment threshold be distributed by the primary grant recipient. Because the University of Idaho is the primary grant recipient for IAMP, all producer contracts and incentive payments will be issued through the University of Idaho. Project partners will remain actively involved by assisting with enrollment, providing technical support, and verifying practice implementation.

Under the revised program, there is a greater emphasis on marketing activities. In addition to conservation practice incentives, producers may be eligible for an optional marketing incentive payment. These funds can be used to offset the costs of soil, crop, and nutrient analyses or to support other activities that enhance the value and marketability of their commodities.

Examples of eligible uses include collecting data that can support product differentiation, developing and promoting a farm or product brand, preserving the identity of commodities produced using IAMP-supported practices, and participating in marketing-related conferences, training programs, and educational events. IAMP will provide participants with a detailed list of approved marketing incentive uses.

All participating producers, regardless of previous contract status, will need to work with the IAMP team to sign a new contract. The IAMP team will first prioritize producers who held contracts or were in the advanced stage of contracting (Phase 2 enrollment) during the first two years of the project. Aside from the addition of the CPA-52 environmental evaluation, the contracting process is expected to be more streamlined than before.

The project team will next reach out to producers who previously expressed interest through the Phase 1 online application process. Anyone who completed a Phase 1 application should have already received an email announcing the restart of the project. If you previously completed a Phase 1 or Phase 2 application but did not receive this communication, please contact the project team at iamp@uidaho.edu.

We plan to reenroll producers throughout the summer of 2026, with new conservation practice implementation beginning in fall 2026.

Producers who are newly interested in participating should also contact the project team at iamp@uidaho.edu. Interested producers will be added to the mailing list and notified if another enrollment period opens. We will not know until May 2027 if we are able to open the project to new producers, due to the time constraints of the grant.

Farmers and ranchers of Idaho’s major commodities located anywhere in the state are eligible to apply. Major commodities include barley, beef, chickpeas, hops, potatoes, sugar beets, and wheat.

The program aims to enroll 200 farmers and ranchers. Producers are contracted directly by the University of Idaho but work with a funded partner to complete enrollment and verification. Current funded partners include the Coeur d’Alene and Nez Perce Tribes, The Nature Conservancy, Desert Mountain Grass-Fed Beef, and the Latah and Nez Perce Soil and Water Conservation Districts. The University of Idaho is also reaching out to additional soil conservation districts and agricultural organizations interested in providing support to meet project and producer goals and objectives.

Average program payments are estimated at $60 an acre, dependent on the crop and practice involved — with the exception of biochar, which is paid on a tiered scale from $205 to $1,435 an acre based on the application rate. Some combinations of crops and practices will pay more, and some will pay less.

Covered practices include conservation crop rotation (including interseeding), reduced or no-till, biochar amendment, cover cropping, prescribed grazing, and precision fertilizer application (including compost/manure amendment). Growers pick which practices they’d like to try from the approved list.

Yes — however, producers already receiving funding for the same practice on the same acreage through another program will not be eligible for duplicate practices. Early adopters are encouraged to implement new conservation practices that may become a staple in their operation.

Funded partners provide technical expertise and site visits for participating producers. University of Idaho Extension will produce educational materials (some available in both English and Spanish). An online dashboard will share research findings through text, video, audio, and interactive resources.