The government shutdown may be over, but Arkansas' farmers, ranchers, and conservationists are asking "what next?" Already, 2025 has been a challenging year for farmers across the country as commodity prices dropped, operational costs rose, and payments on government contracts paused.

That included a pause on options for producers, like $2 billion in funding for the Conservation Reserve Program payments across the country.

Created in the 1985 Farm Bill, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is one of the oldest farm conservation programs. In Arkansas, CRP alone has enrolled 4,450 contracts on 2,700 farms, covering nearly 19,000 acres, according to Farm Service Agency/U.S. Department of Agriculture total CRP enrollment in states as of July 2024.

On CRP's 40th birthday, we are celebrating the significant benefits the program has for soil, water, and wildlife, but many are also wondering what the future of the program holds. Will payments restart in a timely fashion? Will there be a new Farm Bill to update the program to the challenges of 2026 and beyond?

As the government........

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