Get paid to build better soil.
Cover crops, compost, no-till, and erosion control are no longer 'nice ideas' — they're funded practices. Rangeworks helps you find soil programs that fit your ground.
Healthy soil is your real buffer against drought and price swings.
Soil structure, organic matter, and residue cover affect everything — water holding capacity, erosion, nutrient cycling, and ultimately yields or forage quality. Operations that build soil health tend to be more resilient when rain doesn't come or input costs spike.
Many states and USDA programs now specifically fund soil-health practices: cover crops, compost application, reduced tillage, terracing, and more. California's Healthy Soils Program is a well-known example, but similar options exist across the country through NRCS EQIP and state conservation programs. Rangeworks will show you the ones that apply where you are.
Featured Program
California Healthy Soils Program (HSP)
Administered by California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)
The Healthy Soils Program provides incentive payments to California growers and ranchers implementing practices that build soil carbon and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Practices include compost application, cover crops, hedgerows, and reduced tillage.
Example: Compost and cover crops funded through Healthy Soils
Spaletta Farm, a 2020 Healthy Soils Program awardee in California, implemented compost application and multi-species cover crops with annual soil sampling to track changes. The practices were designed to build soil organic matter and sequester carbon over time.
Expected outcomes include improved soil structure, better water infiltration, and measurable greenhouse gas benefits. The Healthy Soils funding covered a significant portion of the implementation costs, making practices financially viable that might otherwise have been deferred.
Also available: EQIP soil-health practices
Beyond state programs like Healthy Soils, NRCS EQIP funds cover crops, nutrient management, residue management, and erosion-control structures in every state. Rangeworks will show you both federal and state options that apply to your operation.
Two ways to approach this
You can tackle the paperwork alone, or let Rangeworks handle the heavy lifting.
Path A: Navigating soil programs alone
- 1Research which soil-health and erosion programs exist in your state (Healthy Soils, EQIP, local conservation districts).
- 2Decode practice codes, payment rates, and eligibility rules.
- 3Assemble maps, soil tests, and field histories.
- 4Draft a project plan tying each field to specific practices and expected outcomes.
- 5Complete online or paper applications for each program.
- 6Manage overlapping deadlines and reporting requirements.
- 7Track implementation, monitoring, and verification on your own spreadsheet.
Path B: Turn your soil plan into a funding plan
- 1In Rangeworks, describe your current tillage, cover crop use, and erosion hotspots.
- 2Rangeworks matches you with soil-health and erosion programs (EQIP plus relevant state programs) based on your location and operation type.
- 3Rangeworks drafts a simple, plain-language project description and practice list you can share with your advisor or NRCS planner.
- 4Rangeworks creates task lists and reminders for sampling, implementation dates, and reporting so you don't miss anything.
Fewer steps. Clearer language. One place for everything.
Take the work off your desk — not out of your hands.
Rangeworks helps you organize programs, prepare stronger drafts, and stay ahead of deadlines — while you stay in control of every decision.
No contracts. Cancel anytime. We never sell your data.