An important aspect of my work is to emphasize that regardless of getting approved for a contract within NRCS or SWCDs, farmers can still receive technical assistance at no-cost from many of these agencies.

Gilbert Schwartz

Gilbert Schwartz is the Conservation Outreach and Stewardship Coordinator at Renewing the Countryside. He specializes in helping farmers enroll in conservation programs at Natural Resources Conservation Service, county Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program. He is based in Minneapolis. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What is your background?

Gilbert: I was born and raised in Minnesota and spent time outdoors as a kid developing my love for nature. I had an interest in agriculture and local food systems, and in 2012 I completed a yearlong urban agriculture certification course which helped me set up my own farm business in 2015. I spent about 10 years running that business before working with Renewing the Countryside. The farm that my wife and I have been running is a small, diversified family farm near Duluth across the border in Wisconsin. We’ve cultivated over 25 specialty crops with regenerative practices, and I’ve spent a lot of time on all the aspects that go along with agriculture, which prepared me for my current role as the Conservation and Stewardship Outreach Coordinator.  

I started with Renewing the Countryside in January of 2025, and it’s been a great position where I’ve been able to utilize my background in agricultural work, and I love being able to help farmers.

How does Renewing the Countryside directly support farmers?

Gilbert: Renewing the Countryside is a Minnesota non-profit that supports farmers across different areas and my program, Conservation Connections, is basically one spoke in the wheel of our organization. Other spokes include Farmland Access, Agritourism, support with emergency and crop insurance, support for Farm Business Management, local food marketing programs, farm-to-kids programming, and so much more. I’d also like to shoutout our amazing MN Women in Conservation (MNWiC) program, which helps connect women farmers to a peer-to-peer support network and conservation planning assistance.

How does your work help farmers access resources and implement conservation practices?

Gilbert: My position is housed under the program called Conservation Connections, which is designed to help farmers and landowners in Minnesota understand and access conservation resources through Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), county level Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD), Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), and other agencies.  

I help farmers understand the different programs and opportunities that are available to make improvements on their land within these agencies. I work with farmers to demystify the acronyms used at the agencies and the timeline for applying to their programs. We also help farmers understand how to identify natural resource concerns on their land, and suitable practices to address those concerns.

Another important aspect of my work is to emphasize that regardless of getting approved for a contract within NRCS or SWCDs, farmers can still receive technical assistance at no-cost from many of these agencies for the practices identified by NRCS to address resource concerns. A lot of folks are unaware that these agencies offer such support, and cost-share programs can be competitive so it’s important to mention that producers not approved for a contract can still receive that free support.

What are some examples of the programs you help farmers enroll in?

Gilbert: Within NRCS there’s diverse financial assistance programs like Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) that I help farmers learn about and enroll in. In addition, sometimes NRCS has new programs like their recently launched Regenerative Pilot Program that offers 5-year contracts and whole farm conservation planning, which I am currently making producers aware of and helping some apply to.   

Other programs we refer producers to and help them enroll in include cost-share programs offered at county SWCDs, and MDA’s Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP).  

What types of farmers do you commonly work with to help apply for programs?

Gilbert: A lot of the farmers I work with are small or medium-sized and specialty crop producers. Programs at NRCS can be confusing to navigate, and some farmers may have encountered barriers or have misconceptions about their eligibility, especially if they are new to farming or conservation. One common misconception, for example, is that NRCS is only for large commodity and row-crop farms, but NRCS can also provide support for specialty crop, permaculture, urban agriculture operations, and even actively managed private lands.  

When a farmer reaches out to you for support in navigating NRCS, SWCD, or MDA programs, what can they expect?

Gilbert: The way that we typically work with new folks is by scheduling an initial intake phone call or meeting. That first intake meeting is a great opportunity for us to learn more about the farmer or landowner, their background, their goals, and what sorts of resource concerns they’re seeing on their land. We also talk with them about prior experience they may have with these agencies, which helps us to understand what type of recommendations we can make for them. We typically discuss sample conservation practices and share the actual practice standards so they can really get their minds wrapped around that.  

After the initial meeting we discuss next steps and do follow up meetings based on their goals. That could include visiting their farm, or joining them in a visit to their local NRCS or SWCD office. We can help them set up their Farm Service Agency (FSA) number which allows them to become eligible for programs at NRCS. We’ve done hands-on support by actually filling out applications with producers. Overall, our support is wide ranging and it usually starts with a phone call or meeting, then we customize support from there.  

Can you share a success story of your work?

Gilbert: One success that we’re proud of is a large event series that we hosted last year called “Unlocking Conservation Resources for Communities & Farms”, which had over 190 attendees across eight locations. We held those events in eight rural counties ranging from northern Minnesota, down to southern Minnesota and in between. The purpose was for landowners, farmers, and community members to meet their local NRCS and SWCD staff, and in each location we featured a local farmer that spoke about conservation practices they’ve implemented with support from those agencies.  

That event series was positive because it gave people a chance to learn about the opportunities available for conservation and ask questions to the people who run those programs. More importantly, we’ve been able to provide follow up support for folks who attended, and right now I’m helping some of these folks with one-on-one assistance for their conservation goals and connecting them to local agencies.

What opportunities for conservation do you think farmers should be aware of?

Gilbert: Local Work Group (LWG) meetings are co-hosted by NRCS and SWCD in most counties of Minnesota, and farmers should be aware of them. They are a great opportunity for farmers and landowners to discuss and influence local resource concerns for their county, which shapes the funding available for cost-share programs.  

A lot of farmers and community members are unaware of these Local Work Group meetings and that they’re open to the public, so this spring Renewing the Countryside has been promoting them for increased turnout. It’s been great to get folks at their meetings, and we have heard positive feedback from farmers who attended and were able to help shape county priorities.  

Local Work Group meetings only occur once per year in each county, typically in spring and early summer. NRCS has the meeting schedule posted on their LWG website, so that would be the number one place farmers can look for their next county meeting. Not all meetings are posted at once so it’s important to check for your own county, and farmers can also contact local SWCD staff because they typically organize the meetings. We have some helpful guides on the Midwest Agriculture Conservation Network Website for farmers and landowners to understand the structure and purpose, and best prepare for the meetings.

How is Renewing the Countryside involved with the Midwest Agriculture Conservation Network? How does the network help farmers?

Gilbert: Renewing the Countryside is the Minnesota state lead within a greater Midwest Agriculture Conservation Network, which is active in six states; Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, and Kansas. Each state has an organization leading the work to help farmers identify conservation programs that reach their goals, navigate bureaucracies, and connect with additional resources to ensure they can implement conservation successfully. To learn more about the Midwest Agriculture Conservation Network, visit the website: Midwest Agriculture Conservation Network  

What are you looking forward to in the 2026 growing season?

Gilbert: We’re excited for the first round of our new mentorship program to happen this year. We’re fortunate to have stipends for several farmer mentors that have successfully participated in programs like EQIP and CSP, and we’ve been able to match those mentors with mentees based on conservation interest, farm style, and location. The program will provide this cohort of mentees with personalized support including monthly calls, farm visits, and help applying to and navigating conservation programs.  

How can people stay up-to-date with Renewing the Countryside and your conservation support?

Gilbert: We have a really fun monthly newsletter called the RTC Rooster: News Fit to Crow About, which covers program updates, regional events, and opportunities.  

For farmers who want to work with our conservation team, they should check out the Conservation Connections webpage. That is a good one stop shop to learn more about our work, and we’ve curated helpful links on the bottom of the page. We also have an intake form linked on the conservation connections page which is the first step for farmers who want to have an initial meeting for support with conservation programs.   

Interested in working with Gilbert? Connect with him at: gilbert@rtcinfo.org or 612-296-9020

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Conservation advisors work one-on-one with farmers to assess resource concerns and find opportunities for stewardship improvements. These advisors can be found at organizations across the state, from Extension offices to Soil and Water Conservation Districts to wildlife-focused non-profits. MFU regularly features conservation advisors to share how their assistance can support your farm goals. Read more in this series here.