Colorado Soil Health Program
What is the Colorado Soil Health Program (CSHP)?
The CSH works in partnership with Colorado’s Conservation Districts and Eligible Entities to provide financial and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers across the state. Participants gain expertise with new practices and an increased understanding of the environmental and economic outcomes associated with them.
In 2024, there are 32 Conservation Districts and 10 non-CD eligible participating entities. These CDs and EEs received capacity support to provide producers with technical assistance, guidance in filling out STAR field assessment forms, and assistance collecting a soil sample for a free soil health test. CDs and EEs will promote, implement and administer the program to their producers including distributing incentive payments to participating producers for implementing soil health practices on a field of their choice; matched with an equal investment from the producer themselves.
STAR Plus is open to all conservation districts in “good standing”. STAR Plus facilitates capacity building by providing matching state funds towards the cost of these projects and activities within each district. The program leverages the dollars provided by the producer to increase the capacity of soil health practices on the farm/ranch. Colorado Department of Agriculture hopes to offer this programming to more conservation districts as funding becomes available. Interested districts should submit an interest form.
What is new?
Each grant has their own specific grant guidelines. Find your specific grant guideline in the documents below
Participants need to follow CSU Extension Custom Rates for Producer Incentive payments
Conservation Districts are responsible for collecting the Producer Match Form, and Year 2 Check in form
Conservation Districts (participating through the Federal CIG grant) are responsible for facilitating conversations between CSU and landowners in regards to the soil moisture installation process
Conservation Districts (participating through the Federal CIG grant) are responsible for answering the Soil Moisture Monitoring questionnaire available below
STAR Plus Documents
Videos:
Please visit CDA's Soil Health You Tube Channel for all of our recorded webinars
Please Note: WE ARE CURRENTLY NOT EXCEPTING STAR FIELD FORMS. We are developing a webapp to create a better user experience. It will be available in the spring of 2024.
If you are a producer interested in filling out a STAR field evaluation form (without participating in the Colorado Soil Health Program). click the button to the left. You may fill out a STAR Field Form through Google forms on that page. STAR is currently available for 11 types of production systems in Colorado. Please expect three months for Field Forms to be scored and returned with your field’s 1-5 STAR Rating and Field Sign.