Temporarily restricting access or rotating cattle through grazing areas allows the ground to recover so it’s ready for future grazing. MoDNR photo by Adam Knaebel
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources Soil and Water Conservation Program continues its efforts toward helping farmers save soil while improving the state’s water quality.
During the 2024 fiscal year, the program provided $49.5 million to Missouri farmers and landowners through the cost-share program. Following that substantial total, the final tally for fiscal year 2025 was nearly as large, with $46 million distributed to cooperators across the state.
“We didn’t set a new record, but we were close,” said Jim Plassmeyer, program director for the Missouri Soil and Water Conservation Program. “The cost-share practices funded by the Parks, Soil and Water Sales Tax are a huge investment for the state, bringing better soil health and water quality to everyone while also boosting our rural economies.”
Missouri’s 114 soil and water conservation districts offer over 50 conservation practices that address seven different resource concern areas. These practices allow farmers to make focused improvements on their land to reduce soil erosion and improve the state’s water quality through a voluntary partial reimbursement cost-share program. Each year’s completed conservation practices range from pond constructions and new rotational grazing systems to terrace installation for erosion control in crop fields.
“Missouri is unique in having a dedicated tax to help farmers and landowners get conservation practices on the ground,” Plassmeyer said.
Making all of these efforts possible is funding from Missouri’s one-tenth-of-one-percent Parks, Soil and Water Sales Tax. The statewide tax was first approved by voters in 1984 and has been reauthorized four times. It will expire in 2028 unless again approved by voters in 2026.
“We are very fortunate to have a variety of cost-share practices available for landowners to choose from,” Plassmeyer said. “Agriculturally, Missouri is a diverse state, with the production of traditional row crops, rice, cotton, peanuts and livestock.”
Fiscal Year 2025 Final Cost–Share Payments by County
$45,945,863.39
6,291 contracts
1,065,405 tons of soil saved over practice life span
Among Missouri’s cost-share practices, the cover crop practice is a popular choice for landowners and farmers of all kinds to implement. Funding for no-till planting of cover crops provides improved soil health and erosion control, and assists in improving water infiltration and retention. During fiscal year 2025, the practice accounted for 2,796 contracts executed by the Soil and Water Conservation Program and represented 44.4% of the annual cost-share contracts.
Learn more about soil and water conservation practices on the department’s Soil and Water Conservation Program webpage.
