When Are EQIP Applications Due in 2023?

February 19, 2023

Don’t miss out on funding for your farm. Stay up to date on the EQIP deadlines for your agricultural business.

What is EQIP?

EQIP, or the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, is a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) farm funding program that enables producers to adopt conservation practices on the farm. As the USDA prioritizes natural resource concerns, it offers up to $80,000 in financial and technical assistance so farmers, ranchers and producers can adopt conservation activities such as cover crops, fencing, nutrient management, high tunnels, natural pesticides and rotational grazing.

When Is the EQIP Application Deadline for Your State?

While EQIP is a national program, each state has its own deadline, and fiscal year 2023 (FY23) deadlines are well under way. In fact, many of those deadlines passed in 2022. What’s more? There can be up to four deadlines per fiscal year depending on your state!

Notice Massachusetts for example. In the table below, you’ll see that the state has two deadlines, meaning it has one cutoff for two different rounds of funding. These deadlines are constantly changing so be sure to sign up for funding alerts so you don't miss a date. You can also check to see if you're eligible for EQIP funding with our 5-minute Eligibility Quiz.

Keep in mind: although there are EQIP deadlines, you can submit an application year-round. If you need help with your application or understanding when is best to submit, try FarmRaise Premium and we’ll hook you up with a Farm Funding Advisor who will walk you through the entire process.

Check out our chart below to find the 2023 deadline for your state:

State or Territory 2023 EQIP Application Deadline
Alabama March 24
Alaska March 17 & June 16
Arizona March 31
Arkansas March 13
California March 17 & April 3
Colorado March 17
Connecticut March 17
Delaware March 17 & May 19
District of Columbia TBD
Florida March 24
Georgia March 24
Guam, Hawaii, Mariana Islands March 31
Idaho April 7
Illinois April 28
Indiana April 28
Iowa March 17
Kansas May 5
Kentucky March 31
Louisiana March 17
Maine Feb 24 & March 17
Maryland March 24
Massachusetts May 19
Michigan March 10
Minnesota March 24
Mississippi March 17
Missouri August 21
Montana March 17
Nebraska March 31
Nevada April 7
New Hampshire March 17
New Jersey March 31
New Mexico March 24
New York April 3 & Nov 4
North Carolina March 17
North Dakota March 17 & 31
Ohio April 7 & 28
Oklahoma March 17
Oregon Nov 18,2022
Pennsylvania March 1& 20 & May 1
Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands April 21 & 28
Rhode Island April 21
South Carolina March 24
South Dakota March 17
Tennessee March 23
Texas May 20
Utah March 31, April 1, June 2 & 30
Vermont April 21
Virginia March 17
Washington March 31
West Virginia April 14
Wisconsin May 18
Wyoming March 20

For more information about how the program works, read this FarmRaise guide to EQIP.

Those dates are for the EQIP but what about the EQIP Cover Crop Initiative?

2023 EQIP Cover Crop Initiative Deadlines

The USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) sets aside a little less than $40 million to help producers adopt the practice of cover cropping on your farms. There are so many pros to trying out cover cropping like curbing your erosion problem, improving your soils, discouraging pests and saving the environment. That's great for the future of your farm.

Here's the thing though. Even though it’s a part of the 2018 farm bill, it was only piloted in 11 states just last year. Why? Because they were chosen as testing grounds to see if the program would take off. So far, we haven’t gotten word about whether the program will continue or not.

If you live or operate your farm in any of the states below, check out these dates for the 2022 EQIP Cover Crop Initiative. If the program is renewed, it’s likely that your state’s CCI deadline will be within a few weeks of that date. And of course, check back here or sign up for funding alerts for the most timely updates about the program. You can also reach out to your local USDA service center for more details.

State EQIP Cover Crop Initiative Deadline
Arkansas January18
California April 1
Georgia January 24
Louisiana February 2
Maryland April 1
Michigan January 12
Mississippi January 24
Missouri February 25
Montana February 18
Pennsylvania January 28
South Dakota January 14
Wyoming March 4

Finding funding for your farm can be tough, but FarmRaise is here to make the application process easier so you can get back to what matters – your farm!

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