4R Voucher & Implementation Program: Winter Enrollment Opens August 18
📣 Winter enrollment opens August 18, 2026
Trusted advisors can reserve $1,000 planning vouchers for the 2026–2027 winter small grain season. Each agribusiness may reserve up to five. Enrollment forms are due by November 15, 2026.
Understanding the Voucher Program
Farmers and trusted advisors across the Chesapeake Bay watershed have access to funding that supports advanced nutrient management planning and implementation through the 4R Voucher & Implementation Program.
Funded through the 2024 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Grant and the Keith Campbell Foundation, this program helps farmers evaluate and implement nutrient management changes that improve efficiency while supporting water quality goals. Partner match is provided by Growmark FS, Mosaic, The Mill, Nutrien Ag Solutions, and The Nature Conservancy.
What the Program Offers
The program allows trusted advisors and farmer pairs to move the needle in 4R planning no matter where you are on the spectrum of advanced nutrient management. Voucher funds go directly to the trusted advisor for $1,000 of planning activities with no cost to the farmer. Following the voucher, we offer a per-acre cost-share to carry out the planned practice.
Available Funding
Planning Voucher
- $1,000 voucher for eligible participants
- $1,250 voucher where the farmer is historically underserved (beginning, veteran, and/or limited resource)
Voucher payments are made to the agribusiness — not the farmer — after submission of required reporting documentation.
Implementation Cost-Share
Eligible farmers may receive: $35 per acre implementation cost-share payment
Eligible trusted advisors may receive: $500 technical assistance payment
Eligible Practices
To qualify for implementation funding, the project must include at least one of the following:
- A change in nitrogen application timing
- A change in nitrogen placement
- A reduction in total nitrogen applied
These changes support the principles of 4R Nutrient Stewardship by improving nutrient use efficiency and reducing environmental losses.
Eligibility Requirements
Participating farms must:
- Be located within the Chesapeake Bay watershed
- Have a current nutrient management plan in Maryland, Delaware, Eastern Shore of Virginia, or meet NRCS Core Nutrient Management requirements in Pennsylvania, with documentation attached at enrollment
- Provide the reports and maps generated through the project, along with field GPS coordinates
- Participate in a program interview in summer 2027
- Use the program on winter small grains or summer crops
Data is used by MA4R for project reporting and presentations in aggregate only. No individual farmer data is shared.
Who can serve as a trusted advisor?
Trusted advisors may include:
- Agronomists
- Agribusiness representatives
- Certified Crop Advisers (CCAs)
- Independent crop consultants
- Seed or equipment sales representatives
- Extension agents
- Other professionals working with farmers on nutrient management decisions
Winter 2026-2027 Enrollment
Notice: 2027 summer crop vouchers will be opening later this fall.
Program Forms
4R Voucher Program Enrollment Form (FIllable PDF)
Complete one per farm and return with a nutrient management plan and agribusiness W-9
Download Form
4R Program Reporting Form (Fillable PDF)
Due March 1st, 2027
Download Form
Planning Implementation Form (Fillable PDF)
Due March 1, 2027. Submit alongside the reporting form if the farmer plans to receive cost-share funds.
Download Form
Planning Implementation Form (Excel)
Due August 1, 2027, for farms that implemented a practice. Records field data, nutrient applications, and yields achieved.
Download Form
Get Started
To enroll, complete the enrollment form and email it to Jenell McHenry along with your nutrient management plan documentation and agribusiness W-9.
Email: MidAtlantic4R@gmail.com Phone: 443-262-6969
Funding for this program is provided through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Grant with partner match and the Keith Campbell Foundation, with support from NRCS, EPA, and project partners throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.