Everything I read last few years talks about the importance of having structure (shrubs, trees, regen, etc...) mixed in regardless of whether it is crp or switch as the difference between ok and really really good as you describe Skip so I definitely believe in that aspect of it. I kinda have close to what you describe now (a little light on the structure admittedly) but I question whether it’s better than converting it to switch simply bc most of the natives and forbs provide very little cover by mid to late December. And definitely don’t seem to hold any deer or provide the deer anything from Jan to spring green up. So is switch ultimately better as long as you don’t plant it “too thick” and keep some pockets in it of various shrubs and trees? Just seems like it would be better cover during the months where cover is most needed and in lesser supply.
So just pulled out all my documents regarding this and it appears as though the particular field I’m contemplating converting to switch is currently in CP22? I’m in IL so maybe they use different terms? I will look it up and see what I come up with but it’s mostly big blue, Indian, some switch in it but not much etc.... and even though I burned it a couple years back there seems to be plenty of weeds in it too. It’s good pheasant cover but doesn’t seem to be tall enough to hold deer for most part. Most importantly though like I say, in December through spring green up it just isn’t great cover for deer and that’s what has me wondering if I’d be better off with switch.
The terms will be the same. But the species in mixtures and rates can be very different in each state. Cp22 is riparian forested buffer. It could have a strip of native grass included. Cp2 is native grass.
Yep, was just looking it up and you are spot on with the riparian buffer. This particular strip or field is in native grasses although I can’t find anything that describes the mix they used. And yes, it was enrolled in crep. Fortunately it’s not the permanent crep like many adjacent farms to me so I’ll have options/decisions to make when it comes out. This particular field isn’t but most of the rest of my farm is river bottom land, highly erodible etc...
Seems I’ve read you and others talk about how much you like red cedars clumped up in small groupings. What kind of shrub plantings have you done/like Skip?
This doesn't sound right at all to me. I'd making call to local USDA office and verify previous landowner isn't just getting the payments and telling you a story. The only programs I know of that pay up front are conservation easements, WRP, etc.
I don’t claim to be an expert on all the different terminology but when you mention conservation easement I believe the “crep” programs that are very common in my immediate area are what these are. My program was a 30 year deal that the original owner signed it up for and received all the money for. That owner sold it to the person I bought the farm from. Now there’s something like 8 years left on it. Both the 200 and some acre farm to my adjacent west and 480 ac farm adjacent to my north are both in permanent crep, meaning that the original owners of those farms that enrolled them got the payment(s) and those farms can NEVER be put back in to production, split, built upon etc
Was definitely made known. There was never any income from the crp or crep (or maybe that’s the actual difference?) implied and my realtor made sure that I understood that.
OK, we had two different scenarios then, never mind.
