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Maryland Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA)

Requirements for Conservation Practices and Management Plans

In addition to the minimum requirements contained in each conservation practice standard, additional criteria must be met in order for a practice to be certified for AMA cost-sharing or incentive payments.  Planned practices must address identified resource concerns (associated with soil, water, air, plants, and/or animals) in order to be eligible for payments.

Practices that are solely intended to enhance agricultural production, are only for the convenience of the producer, or have already been implemented by the producer are not eligible for cost-share or flat rate payments.  All practices must be new adoption of the practice, if a producer is already implementing the practice, an enhancement to the current activity must be implemented to be eligible for cost-share.

All items must be in conjunction with Transition to Organic Production.

Composting Facility – This practice is applicable when animal waste is produced on or off the farm and will be treated on the farm.  The composting facility must be utilized in a manner that compost produced will meet the Organic standard for compost.

There is a cost-share cap for this practice of $20,000 (i.e, 75% of eligible costs up to $26,666)

Contour Buffer Strips - Narrow strips of permanent, herbaceous vegetative cover established across the slope and alternated down the slope with parallel, wider cropped strips.

Conservation Cover - A practice which establishes and maintains perennial vegetative cover to protect soil and water resources on agricultural land and to prevent spray drift from conventional farming operations onto organic operations. This area will be a mix of trees, shrubs, grasses and herbaceous material. The planner may wish to schedule this planting in phases to allow herbaceous materials (flowers) to be planted following year after the tree and shrub establishment.

Fence – The primary purpose of fencing in Maryland within the AMA program is to remove animals from surface water and improve the utilization of grazing lands. The operation must contain at least 4 animal units and have significant resource concerns associated with water quality and grazing land management.  In general, boundary fences are ineligible for cost sharing. See CPM (AMA Manual), Section 512.41.h.  Cross fencing is eligible for cost-sharing when it is part of a prescribed grazing system.

For the purposes of AMA, cost sharing is at the 75% level when done in accordance with a Prescribed Grazing in coordination with Transition to Organic (Prescribed Grazing, Code 528). 

Field Border - A strip of herbaceous and/or shrubby perennial vegetation established at the edge of a field.  Purposes related to AMA include reducing soil erosion; protecting field edges that are used as travel lanes and turn rows; and enhancing wildlife habitat or serving as a buffer between conventional production and organic production.

Pasture and Hay Planting (pasture only) -This practice is applicable to planting native or introduced forage species, for the purpose of improving the balance of forage supply and demand throughout the year, improving livestock nutrition, reducing soil erosion, and improving water quality.

Pasture and Hay planting is only available if the pasture has less then 70% desirable species.

For the purposes of AMA, cost sharing is at the 75% level when done in accordance with a Prescribed Grazing Plan (Prescribed Grazing, Code 528). 

Pipeline - Pipe with a diameter of 8 inches or less that is used to convey clean water for livestock.  For AMA purposes, at least four animal units must regularly utilize the area where water is to be provided.  Pipelines are typically connected to a trough, tank, or other watering facility.  Standpipes, spigots, valves, and other pipe fittings, when needed, are considered part of the pipeline.

For the purposes of AMA, cost sharing is at the 75% level when done in accordance with a Prescribed Grazing Plan (Prescribed Grazing, Code 528).

Spring Development - This practice utilizes springs and seeps to provide livestock water.  This practice may be applied as part of a resource management system to improve or increase the quantity and quality of water for livestock in order to achieve erosion control and/or water quality benefits.  For AMA purposes, at least four animal units must regularly utilize the area where water is to be provided.  This practice must be used in conjunction with a Watering Facility (Code 614) and grazing land management.

For the purposes of AMA, cost sharing is at the 75% level when done in accordance with a Prescribed Grazing Plan (Prescribed Grazing, Code 528).

Strip Cropping - Strips of row crops, forages and small grains in a systematic arrangement.  Strips are of equal width, typically alternating an erosion reducing crop adjacent to an erosion producing crop.

For AMA, a flat rate is applied per acre. 

Watering Facility - A trough or tank with needed devices for water control and/or excess water disposal installed to provide drinking water for livestock, in order to improve water quality and/or reduce soil erosion.  For AMA purposes, at least four animal units must regularly utilize the area where water is to be provided. 

For the purposes of AMA, cost sharing is at the 75% level when done in accordance with a Prescribed Grazing Plan (Prescribed Grazing, Code 528).

Water Well - The purpose of the practice is to improve or increase the quantity and quality of water for livestock, in order to achieve erosion control and water quality benefits.  For AMA cost sharing purposes, apply this practice on agricultural land where the underground supply of water is sufficient in quantity and quality for livestock.  In addition, a minimum of eight animal units must regularly use or occupy the area being addressed.  The practice must be used in conjunction with a Watering Facility (Code 614) and/or a hydrant when planning a system for grazing land or stream protection. 

AMA cost-sharing is authorized for:

  • The construction or deepening of wells to provide water for livestock  troughs or tanks;
  • Well pipe casing, and pipelines associated with the installation of the trough or tank;
  • Fence (Code 382) to protect streams and other water bodies from damage by livestock.

There is a cost-share cap for this practice of $10,000 (i.e., 75% of eligible costs up to $13,333).

  • AMA cost-sharing is not authorized for: Pipes installed in wells (other than casing), pumps, pumping equipment, dry wells;
  • Electrical components and solar panels;
  • An installation which is primarily for dry lot feeding, corrals, or barns;.
  • An installation which would make it possible to graze crop residues, field borders, temporary or supplemental pasture crops;
  • An installation on land where the primary use is not for grazing purposes;
  • Providing water for the farm headquarters;
  • pumps and their delivery systems;

Transition to Organic – The purpose of the practice is to utilize agricultural management strategies while transitioning from conventional to organic farming techniques.  The goal of this system is to enhance soil quality thru the use of cover crops, reduced tillage, soil fertility management, nutrient cycling, hay and pasture planting and reduced tillage if possible. 

Participants are eligible for 3 years of transition to organic production.  At the end of the third year of transition, the producer will be required to become certified as Organic for a period not less than two (2) years.

Under the Transition to Organic, ($200) -

For crop production systems / Annual crop harvest rotations

Crop production is allowed in all years of transition, the following cost-sharing is authorized:

  • Cover crop seed and establishment costs (minimum of one(1) cover crop per year)
  • Costs of organic seed above traditional seed costs (assume traditional seed costs at $25/acre.)
  • Tillage practices for pest control, (plowing, discing) custom rates apply
  • Weed control, cultivation, rotary hoe, clipping
  • Lime and Fertilizer according to soil test (organic fertilizer or manure)
  • Spreading costs for fertilizer or manure

For Prescribed Grazing Systems

For grazing systems cost-sharing is authorized for:

  • Lime and Fertilizer according to a soil test
  • Spreading costs for fertilizer or manure
  • Mineral application to improve recognized nutrient shortfalls
  • Over seeding clovers
  • Clipping of pastures (up to 3 per year to prevent undesirable seed set)

Additional cost-sharable practices in AMA not under the “Transition to Organic  practice“ to be considered are:

Fence
Pipeline
Livestock Watering Facility
Well
Hay and Pasture Planting
Spring Development

Under the Transition to Organic, ($350) - Organic matter building rotations

For Soil building and improvement systems

Crop production is allowed in only the last year of transition.  The first two years of transition will be used for intense soil building.  AMA cost sharing is authorized for:

  • Cover crop seed and establishment costs (minimum of two(2) cover crops per year)
  • Costs of organic seed. Tillage practices for pest control, (plowing, discing…) custom rates apply
  • Weed control, cultivation, rotary hoe, clipping
  • Lime and Fertilizer according to soil test (organic fertilizer or manure)
  • Spreading costs for fertilizer or manure

This is a sample of eligible costs, other costs may be eligible on a case by case basis.

Additional cost-sharable practices in AMA not under the “Transition to Organic practice “ to be considered are:

Conservation Cover
Field Border
Contour Buffer Strip
Strip Cropping
Composting Facility

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