Enrollment in STAR for grain and legume growers opens December 2024.
STAR: Saving Tomorrow's Agriculture Resources
Illuminating the pathway to sustained conservation
STAR is a national organization established to develop and expand conservation practice evaluation, implementation, and valuation.
Enrollment
This free and voluntary program allows participants to answer simple, production-specific questions about their rotation, tillage, nutrient applications, and conservation practices. Answers are converted to a score of 1 to 5 STARs. STAR scoring relies on the expertise of local science committees made up of university researchers, conservation professionals, and farmers.
STAR Program Highlights
VOLUNTARY PROGRAM
Access the STAR WebTool, a simple, fast, free, and voluntary tool to evaluate field level conservation progress for addressing local natural resource concerns.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Connect with your local STAR Navigator to receive individual technical assistance and guidance on your conservation innovation plan.
NATIONAL RECOGNITION
STAR bridges the gap between producers’ perceptions of sustainability and outcomes-based supply chain sustainability programs
ACCESS TO RESOURCES
Access other resource programs such as equipment access or in-field testing, and potential opportunities for product branding.
Creating market-based valuation for farmers
WSDA asked the legislature for STAR funding in direct response to lessons learned in the Washington Soil Health Roadmap. Washington producers overwhelmingly reported interest in using conservation practices and improving soil health. However, many growers cited economic barriers to experimenting with new techniques. Incentive programs like Sustainable Farms and Fields and NRCS EQIP are essential to assist growers with startup and transition costs. However, growers also asked WaSHI to develop market-based valuation, to sustain soil health practices after a grant cycle is complete.
The STAR Tool: Simplify and Streamline Conservation Assistance and Financial Incentives
The STAR tool takes a multifaceted approach to identify opportunities for both conservation and funding in a producer’s farm plan. STAR Program Manager Lauren Quackenbush covers how the tool amplifies the work of conservation districts, can be integrated into existing conservation district programs, and how to get involved.
Find more information and presentation materials on the Center for Technical Development website.
Learn more about the origins of STAR
Saving Tomorrow’s Agriculture Resources (STAR) was created by Illinois farmers in 2017. It is now used in four states, with an additional seven receiving STAR funding through the USDA Climate Smart Commodities Program.
The Saving Tomorrow's Agriculture Resources program is supported with funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act. The CCA supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. Information about the CCA is available at www.climate.wa.gov.