The slope categories listed in the table on the report are provided with a brief description of their suitability for crop production and for receiving manure applications.  Soil with over 10% slope is unsuitable for manure application according to current environmental regulations.

Several opportunities exist to manage steep land to reduce the likelihood of soil erosion or chemical runoff.  The University of Missouri Extension has educational materials on installing terraces, planting buffers and other management activities to stabilize land.  Various state and federal agencies offer technical and financial assistance to farmers wishing to make improvements to land.

Educational Resources
The following University of Missouri Extension Publications provide information on livestock operation site selection and various conservation practices.

• Choosing Terrace Systems
• Maintaining Grassed Waterways
• Types of Stabilization Structures
• Conservation Tillage and Residue Management to Reduce Soil Erosion
• Ridge-Till Tips
• Vegetative Barriers for Erosion Control
• Reduce Environmental Problems with Proper Land Applications of Animal Manure
• Land Application Considerations for Animal Manure
• Selecting a Site for livestock and Poultry Operations
• Separation Distances for Livestock Manure Management System

Technical and Financial Assistance Programs
The Missouri Department of Conservation Soil and Water Conservation Program provides cost share for land improvements.

Individuals wishing to take part in the Soil and Water Conservation Program need to first contact their local Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) usually found in the same office building as the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service.  The landowner explains the situation that they wish to address with the help of the SWCD. The landowner may or may not know how they would like to improve the property, but the SWCD can make suggestions for projects. Example projects include adding terraces and installing filter strips. The projects have typically been designed to address problems with erosion. Then the SWCD representatives make a visit to the site of the proposed improvements when they will decide if it is feasible to make the proposed improvements. The SWCD will then design a solution to the problem for the landowner.

Once all parties approve the design, the landowner can go forward with implementing the changes. When the project is completed to design specifications, up to seventy-five percent of the cost to the landowner is then reimbursed by the State.

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) also provides cost share dollars for land improvements.  They have different rules and objectives.  It is possible for a landowner to get the SWCD to provide cost share on one project and the NRCS to provide cost share on another project or projects on the same land.  Contact the local office of the NRCS for information on technical and financial assistance that they offer.

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