From the 2022 NACD Annual Meeting. In this session, you’ll learn about the Commodity Buffer Program, which utilizes an innovative approach and payment program to compensate producers for the true value of ground put into stream buffers. The program is adaptable to address resource concerns and promote agriculture viability. It has been successful as a dry land agriculture model in Eastern Washington State and can be easily modified to be utilized across the nation.

1. COMMODITY BUFFER PROGRAM MODEL
DRYLAND AGRICULTURE
By Seth Flanders

2. CONSERVATION
“Conservation will ultimately boil down to
rewarding the private landowner who conserves
the public interest. Our conservation must not be
just protection and development, but a creative
conservation of restoration
and innovation.”
Lyndon B. Johnson 1965

3. CREATIVE CONSERVATION
 Improve farm efficiency.
 Increase economic viability.
 Reward for protecting public interest.
 Full value compensation.

4. PROGRAM START IN A NUTSHELL
1. Regional Conservation Partnership Program
RCPP opportunity
2. Models to assess value
3. Compensates as adjacent crop rotation.
4. Designed for dryland agriculture in eastern
Washington.

8. WHY IT MAKES SENSE
Our efforts were to reverse
the thought process from:
“I can’t/won’t do buffers”
To: “Why wouldn’t I
buffer the stream?”

9. COMMODITY BUFFER PROGRAM
1. Develop connection
between local upland
practices, buffer widths,
and stream types.
2. Develop an equation using
variable “real world”
farming factors.
3. Enhance or maintain
economics of production.
4. Compensate producer for
true value of buffer area.

10. WHAT IS A CONSERVATION BUFFER?
Conservation buffers are small
areas or strips of land in
permanent vegetation,
designed to intercept
pollutants and manage other
environmental concerns.

11. FLEXIBLE BUFFERS IN SPOKANE
 Eastern Washington
gets avg 15-30in
precipitation a year.
(Western Regional Climate Center)
 Sediment and
nutrients.
 Ephemeral streams
and gateway riparian
forest buffer.

12. TYPES OF CONSERVATION BUFFER
•Provides distanced buffer between field and environment
Riparian forest
buffers (NRCS 391)
•Filter sediment with designed schematics
Filter strips
(NRCS 393)
•Native grass within waterway to help control flow velocity
and filter sediment
Grassed waterways
(NRCS 412)
•Lowers temperature on perennial streams
•Provides habitat
Field Border
(NRCS 386)

13. COMMODITY BUFFER ENVIRONMENT
1. Filter sediment
2. Customized width
3. Riparian Incentive
4. Haying allowed after July 1st

14. COMMODITY BUFFER PROGRAM
1. Develop connection
between local upland
practices, buffer widths,
and stream types.
2. Develop an equation using
variable “real world”
farming factors.
3. Enhance or maintain
economics of production.
4. Compensate producer for
true value of buffer area.

15. PAYMENT SYSTEM
Width
Length
Area
Width
Length
Area
Area
Area
APH APH
(30%)
APH
(10%)
RMA Price
Adjusted APH RMA Price 35% Variable Cost
NET
GROSS

16. COMMODITY BUFFER
PAYMENT ANALYSIS
•Width of Buffers (Determined by local buffer table requirements)
-Area of 4.25 Acres
•APH yields for the majority adjacent crops (80 Bushels/acre)
-If no yield, use County T-yields that best match area
•Utilize RMA MPCI Crop Prices – Projected price in 2019 was
$6.59/Bushel for winter wheat.
•4.25 Acres in buffers -APH of 80 Bushels/acre -$6.59/Bushel
BUT………… We are also giving a Productivity Boost on this land of
30% to the APH and a 10% Bonus increase to APH for every 10ft of
Riparian Woody Planting!

17. COMMODITY BUFFER
PAYMENT ANALYSIS
•4.25 Acres x (112Bu/acre) x $6.59/bushel = $3,137 Gross Rev
in Year 1
Adjustment for Variable Cost – 35%
- $3,137x 65% = $2,039 Net Income
•Productivity Boost = APH + (30% of 80Bu/acre = 24Bu/acre )=
104Bu/acre APH
$2,039 Net Income / 4.25 Actual Acres = $480/acre
payment for fall wheat
•10ft of Riparian Plants Bonus =10% of 80Bu/acre = 8Bu/ac

18. COMMODITY BUFFER
PAYMENT ANALYSIS
Market price increase:
If the price of wheat is higher than the RMA MPCI projected
price on October 15th, 50% of the increase will be added to
the RMA Price!
Note: RMA prices have been about $1-2 higher than market from 17-20
Guarantee a minimum of $200/acre rental payment
- 4.25ac x $200/ac = $850 minimum payment

19. COMMODITY BUFFER PROGRAM
1. Develop connection
between local upland
practices, buffer widths,
and stream types.
2. Develop an equation using
variable “real world”
farming factors.
3. Enhance or maintain
economics of production.
4. Compensate producer for
true value of buffer area.

20. PROGRAM CHARACTERISTICS
 Variety of Eligible
Grasses
 Stem Density
 Cutting and Grazing
 Existing Buffers
 New Buffers
 Contract Length

21. PROGRAM CHARACTERISTICS
CONT
 Continuous sign-up.
 Implement Commodity Buffer
Program Payments annually
(in spring).
 Combine with other programs
(RCPP, Farmed Smart).

22. PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION
 Meet with producers
 Farm and Tract #s
 Equation or NRCS information
 Majority adj crop, yield, riparian woody addition
 Seed mixture, seeding rate
 Map out buffers
 Verify length on Google maps

23. BUFFER PRICING
 RMA vs market value
 Adjacent crop info
 Verify Buffers
 Generate contracts
through CPDS state
contracting system
 Sign and send payment

24. BUFFER RESPONSIBILITY AND VERIFICATION
 Each landowner is responsible for seeding and
maintaining buffer to specifications agreed
upon with SCD
 Each buffer is field checked for following:
 implementation (width, species)
 confirmed adjacent upland practices
 no cutting or grazing has occurred before July 1st

25. Reed Canary
Grass
Alfalfa grass
mix buffer

26. CONTRACT LENGTH
 Every producer opted
for longer contracts
when given the
opportunity.
 If we had a permanent
source of funding we
could offer longer
contract lengths.

27. COMMODITY BUFFER PROGRAM
1. Develop connection
between local upland
practices, buffer widths,
and stream types.
2. Develop an equation using
variable “real world”
farming factors.
3. Enhance or maintain
economics of production.
4. Compensate producer for
true value of buffer area.

28. YEAR ONE OF PROGRAM
 16 Entities
 29 Miles
 109 Acres
 Total Cost = $33,000

29. YEAR TWO OF PROGRAM
 21 Entities
 42 Miles
 171 Acres
 Total Cost = $45,000

30. YEAR THREE OF PROGRAM
 32 Entities
 105 Miles
 379 Acres
 Total Cost = $106,500

31. YEAR FOUR OF PROGRAM
 36 Entities
 109 Miles
 397 Acres
 Total Cost = $118,000

32. YEAR FIVE OF PROGRAM
 38 Entities
 121 Miles
 453 Acres
 Total Cost = $135,000

33.  Total Program Length = 121 mi
 Total Program Acres = 453 ac
 Implemented Length = 83 mi
 Implemented Acres = 324 ac
 Existing Length = 38 mi
 Existing Acres = 129 ac
IMPLEMENTED VS. EXISTING

34. FINAL NUMBERS
YEAR 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
# of
Entities
16 21 32 36 38
Miles 29 42 105 109 121
Acres 109 171 379 397 453
Cost $33,000 $45,000 $106,500 $118,000 $135,000
%Increase Base Line 57% 122% 5% 14%

35. PROGRAM SUCCESS FINISHING PROGRAM
 38 Entities
 121 miles of Buffer
 453 acres of Buffer
 Over life of the program:
$1,000/mi.
 approx $280/ac.
 All 3 year contracts
extended to 5 years
 90% of enrolled are
interested in more buffers

36. COMMODITY BUFFERS ARE CHOSEN BECAUSE…
+ They Pay: for true value of land
+ They are prescriptive: local buffer
table and grass mixes
+ Flexible to local upland practices: No-
till to conventional
+ Cost effective and economic
management: Producers do the work
+ Address local environmental concern:
Filter sediment, capture nutrients,
water protection, and provides habitat
- Soil Rental Rates
- They are designed: certification,
approval, engineering
- Strict set standards: One size
regardless of local upland practice
- Complicated to put in and manage:
Agency puts in, establishes, and
manages
- May address non relevant
environmental concern: filtration,
capture nutrients, habitat, and shade

37. PRODUCER SUPPORT
 This program makes
sense to producers
 Hay and approved
grazing
 Crop values and upland
practices
 Addresses water quality
 Economic
 Participation rates

38. ECOLOGY SUPPORT
 Meets compliance
 Riparian plantings
 Larger buffer sizes
 Minimum 5 year contracts
 All producers in program
would gladly comply to 5
years
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39. TRIBAL & LOCAL SUPPORT
 RCPP
 State boundaries
 Spokane River Forum
 Spokane Riverkeeper
& other stakeholders

40. COMMODITY BUFFER FUNDING
• Washington State
Conservation
Commission match for
RCPP.
• Washington Department
of Ecology (EPA)
• SCD general budget

41. MAP OF WASHINGTON AG

42. COMMODITY BUFFER PROGRAM
1. Develop connection
between local upland
practices, buffer widths,
and stream types.
2. Develop an equation using
variable “real world”
farming factors.
3. Enhance or maintain
economics of production.
4. Compensate producer for
true value of buffer area.

43. FUTURE OF PROGRAM
 Program Integrity
 CBP has potential to grow into a statewide if not
nationwide program.
 WSCC critical to future. Could make significant
impacts to WQ across state.
 Pilot program to other CDs.

44. MODEL EXPANSION
 Flexibility of program to protect local eco regions and salmonids.
 Provides introduction to buffers and gateway for successful
woody riparian growth.
 Weed management and land already out of production
 Prescriptive to specific land use, adjacent crops and values.
 Companion to CREP and other programs.

45. EFFECTIVE CONSERVATION
 The most effective conservation is the one
that gets on the ground...

46. ` QUESTIONS?