Federal cost-share for landowners
Can Federal Cost-Share Help Fund a Composting Facility on My Land?
For Harris and Fort Bend County landowners weighing whether their land could support composting infrastructure, here is what NRCS actually funds, who qualifies as the applicant, and where OnFarmCompost's partner-farm model fits alongside it.
OnFarmCompost's constraint right now is not customers, it is capacity: farm partners with land, control of that land, and a reason to build composting infrastructure. Nobody local is making this argument to landowners directly, so here it is. NRCS, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, part of USDA, runs the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, EQIP, which provides both technical and financial assistance to implement NRCS Conservation Practice Standards. One of those standards covers exactly this kind of project.
The practice
What CPS 317, Composting Facility, actually is
Conservation Practice Standard 317 is NRCS's definition of a composting facility: a structure or device to contain and facilitate an aerobic microbial ecosystem for decomposition of manure, other organic material, or both, into a product stable enough for storage, on-farm use, and land application as a soil amendment. Texas has its own state version of the CPS 317 standard, and it appears on the FY25 EQIP Animal Feeding Operations practice list.
Several related practices commonly pair with 317, depending on the site: 313, Waste Storage Facility; 367, Roofs and Covers; and 634, Waste Transfer. Which of these apply to a given parcel is something your conservation planner determines during the site visit, not something to assume from a webpage.
The key section
Who applies, and who qualifies
This is the point most landowners miss: the landowner or producer is the applicant, not a contractor or service provider. OnFarmCompost cannot file this application for you and would not claim to. NRCS deals directly with the person or operation that controls the land.
Eligibility requires two things at once. First, control of the land for the term of the contract, which can mean ownership, a written lease, or another legal agreement. Second, being engaged in agricultural production, including forestry, or having an interest in the agricultural operation associated with the land. If a Harris or Fort Bend County property meets both, it is worth a call to the local NRCS field office to find out what else applies.
Step by step
How the EQIP process runs, start to finish
Applications are accepted year-round, but funding decisions happen in ranking periods. None of these steps skip the landowner.
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Contact the local NRCS field office | Find your county office through the USDA Service Center Locator at farmers.gov and ask for the District Conservationist. A conservation planner schedules a visit and walks the land with you. This technical assistance is free. |
| 2. File AD-1026 with FSA | The Highly Erodible Land Conservation and Wetland Conservation Certification is filed with the Farm Service Agency, typically at the same USDA Service Center. You will also need an FSA farm number if you do not already have one. |
| 3. Develop a conservation plan | The planner works with you to build a plan that addresses the resource concerns on your land, which is what a composting facility under CPS 317 is meant to solve. |
| 4. Submit the application, CPA-1200 | The NRCS Conservation Program Application is submitted for the practice, or practices, your plan calls for. |
| 5. Wait for the ranking period | Applications are accepted continuously but are considered for funding in ranking periods. Ask the District Conservationist about the current deadline. NRCS ranks applications against local priorities and projected environmental benefit, so selection is competitive. |
| 6. Sign, build, and get verified | If selected, you sign the contract, implement the practice, and NRCS verifies the completed work before payment. |
Honest framing
What each side actually brings
A composting facility with no steady feedstock is an expensive slab. NRCS funds the structure; it does not supply what goes into it or the operating knowledge to run it well. That is the gap a working partnership fills.
| The landowner brings | OnFarmCompost brings |
|---|---|
| Land and control of it | Consistent feedstock |
| The application itself, filed as landowner or producer | Day-to-day operating knowledge of composting |
| Agricultural production tied to the land | A reason for the infrastructure to exist past the first year |
This is a partnership, not a handoff. Whether a specific parcel makes sense still runs through the same site-review questions covered on the for-farmers page: legal operator, feedstock, drainage, access, and regulatory fit, separate from anything NRCS asks.
Honest limits
What this does not promise
- Funding is competitive, not guaranteed. NRCS ranks applications against local priorities and projected environmental benefit, and not every application in a ranking period is selected.
- Ranking periods mean timing matters. Applications are accepted continuously, but your place in line depends on the current period's deadline, which the District Conservationist sets, not a fixed date published everywhere.
- You have to qualify on land control and agricultural production. Neither NRCS nor OnFarmCompost can waive that requirement for a parcel that does not meet it.
- A facility creates ongoing operation and maintenance obligations after it is built. Funding the structure is the beginning of the commitment, not the end of it.
- Regulatory requirements are separate from, and additional to, NRCS practice standards. Meeting CPS 317 is not a substitute for whatever TCEQ authorization applies to your operation. Confirm that separately with TCEQ.
Where to start
The real contacts, not a form on this site
OnFarmCompost is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of NRCS or USDA, and this page is not a substitute for talking to them directly. Find your county office through the USDA Service Center Locator at farmers.gov and ask for the District Conservationist by title, since that is the role that administers EQIP locally.
Texas NRCS state office
Temple, TX
254-742-9800
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Fort Bend County
1402 Band Rd Suite 100, Rosenberg, TX
281-342-3034
A useful order: call the state office or your county's USDA Service Center first to get routed to the District Conservationist, then loop in AgriLife Extension as a second, local resource. Bring the parcel address, current land use, and whatever you already know about feedstock to that first conversation.
EQIP and composting facility funding FAQ
Is EQIP a grant or a reimbursement?
EQIP is technical and financial assistance for building the practice, administered as a contract with NRCS. It is not a lump-sum grant paid upfront. Payment follows NRCS verifying the completed practice. Ask your local office how payment is structured for your specific contract.
Do I have to own the land to apply?
No. Eligibility requires control of the land for the term of the contract, which can be ownership, a written lease, or another legal agreement, plus being engaged in agricultural production or having an interest in the agricultural operation on that land.
What if I lease my land instead of owning it?
A written lease can satisfy the land-control requirement. Bring the lease to your first conversation with the District Conservationist so they can confirm it meets the term-of-contract standard for your situation.
Do I need an FSA farm number?
Yes. An FSA farm number is part of the process and is obtained from the Farm Service Agency, usually co-located with NRCS at the same USDA Service Center.
How long does the EQIP process take?
It runs from an initial field visit through a conservation plan, application, a ranking period, and, if selected, a contract and build-out. Timing depends on your local ranking period deadlines. Ask the District Conservationist for the current schedule.
Is funding guaranteed once I apply?
No. EQIP is competitive. NRCS ranks applications against local priorities and projected environmental benefit within each ranking period. Submitting CPA-1200 starts the process; it does not secure the funding.
How much of the cost does EQIP cover?
That figure is not published as a flat rate and varies by practice and situation. We are not going to guess a number here. Ask NRCS directly what applies to your plan.
Can OnFarmCompost apply for EQIP on my behalf?
No. The landowner or producer is the applicant, not a service provider. OnFarmCompost is not affiliated with or acting on behalf of NRCS or USDA. We can talk through the feedstock and operating side of a partnership; the application itself is between you and NRCS.
What if I do not have livestock?
CPS 317, Composting Facility, covers a structure or device for aerobic decomposition of manure, other organic material, or both. Manure is one qualifying input, not the only one. Talk to your District Conservationist about how your specific resource concern and materials fit the standard.
Does EQIP cover equipment as well as the structure?
CPS 317 addresses the composting facility itself. Related practices such as 313 (Waste Storage Facility), 367 (Roofs and Covers), and 634 (Waste Transfer) commonly pair with it and address adjacent infrastructure. Which practices apply to your project is a conversation with your conservation planner, not something to assume in advance.
What ongoing obligations come with a composting facility?
A composting facility built under EQIP has to be operated and maintained after it is built, not just constructed. That means a steady feedstock, labor, monitoring, and upkeep, on top of whatever the NRCS contract itself requires. A facility with no steady feedstock is an expensive slab, not an asset.
Do I still need TCEQ authorization if NRCS funds the facility?
Yes. NRCS practice standards and Texas regulatory requirements are separate systems. Meeting CPS 317 does not substitute for whatever TCEQ authorization applies to your operation. Confirm your regulatory tier with TCEQ independently of the EQIP process.
What happens if I stop composting after the facility is built?
EQIP contracts carry a term and expected use of the practice. Discontinuing the practice within that term can affect your contract and payment. Ask your District Conservationist what applies before you sign, so the obligation is clear going in.
Land in Harris or Fort Bend County that might fit?
Start with the site-review questions on the for-farmers page, then talk to NRCS about the funding side directly. OnFarmCompost can talk through feedstock and the operating partnership once both sides of that picture are on the table.