Four workshops geared to reestablishing the longleaf pine in Alabama will be held at various locations around the state during August, according to Steve Guy, director of the Alabama Farmers Federation’s Forestry Division. Speakers from the Longleaf Alliance, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Alabama Forestry Commission and Farm Service Agency will present information on the reestablishment of longleaf pine and the Conservation Reserve Program Longleaf Pine Initiative.Workshops are set for Aug. 7 at the Geneva County Farm Center in Geneva, Aug. 9 at Cattlemen’s Park in Troy, Aug. 21 at the USDA Service Center in Monroeville and Aug. 23 at the Blackbelt Regional Research and Extension Center in Marion. All meetings begin at 8:45 a.m., and conclude at 3:45 p.m.Producers in Alabama who are eligible to participate in the new CRP program could receive a $100 per acre signing bonus in addition to cost-sharing expenses and rental payments, according to Guy.Cost sharing for establishing longleaf pine and native warm-season grasses is available at up to 90 percent of the cost.
For more information about the longleaf workshops, contact Guy at (334) 613-4305 or email him at sguy@alfafarmers.org. For more information or to register for the CP36 program, contact your nearest Farm Service Agency office.