Paying farmers for sustainable outcomes.

Empowering growers to adopt regenerative practices that build farm resilience.

Partnership of the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability, the NY Corn and Soybean Growers Association and the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund

Enroll here

How it works

Our partner network of agronomists has enrolled more than 200,000 acres of cropland to support the adoption of regenerative practices. You’ll have access to all of the technical assistance you need from enrollment to final payment. Together, we can improve your soil and your bottom line.

STEP 1

Schedule a virtual consultation for help entering baseline data and future cropping system information in our farmer web portal. Our team will send you an outcomes payment proposal tailored to your operation.

STEP 2

E-sign the agreement to receive a 50% upfront outcomes payment to generate sustainable outcomes.

STEP 3

Implement conservation practices with access to technical assistance provided by our partners and experienced agronomists.

STEP 4

After the crop year is complete and outcomes are verified, you’ll receive the remaining payment. Last year, participating farmers earned $31 per enrolled acre.

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Frequently Asked Questions

To qualify for enrollment, your farm fields must be in an eligible Great Lakes watershed county, you must be ready to adopt at least one new conservation practice, your field must be Highly Erodible Lands (HEL) and Wetlands compliant, and you must enter past and proposed practice information and field boundaries on our enrollment forms.
We offer one-year contracts with the option to re-enroll .
We only enroll acres where there is a guaranteed outcome purchaser. So, as long as farmers are compliant with the requirements, they will be paid.
You will receive 50% of the payment based on estimated outcomes within two weeks from contract signing to help with seed costs, etc., and the remaining 50% is paid after outcomes and practices are verified in the spring.
The environmental outcomes are being purchased by a combination of public and private organizations to achieve their regulatory and voluntary sustainability goals - such as scope 3 emission insets - with reduced risk and increasing cost efficiency. Specific buyer information will be shared with farmers once the final outcomes payment has been made.

Enrollments are on a first-come, first-served basis and will close once our acreage limits are reached.
As many as eligible! Enrollment closes once we reach our acre goal for the year.
You still need to add at least one additional conservation practice. We suggest breaking down your operation field by field and decide if there is a practice you can add. Examples include:
— Adding cover crops before both rotations
— Adding an extended rotation. The added diversity is considered a change
— Converting a field into a perennial crop, like alfalfa
Generally, the more conservation practices you incorporate into your operation, the higher the outcome payment potential. Soil types and baseline practices affect the outcomes, so it’s hard to consistently predict what each practice yields for an outcomes payment. At a minimum, you will likely need to use cover crops and reduce tillage or switch to no-till.
No double-dipping! You can only utilize one or the other. This will be monitored and verified with affiliated government programs. Any acres discovered will automatically be disqualified from the NY Outcomes Fund.

Get Started with the New York Outcomes Fund

The New York Outcomes Fund is a payment for outcomes program designed to provide you with all the technical assistance and financial support you need to scale conservation practices on your farm.

Contact us to learn more or to begin the enrollment process.

Learn more

Start Enrolling

About Us

The NY Outcomes Fund harnesses the power of regenerative agriculture's multifunctional benefits for soil health, carbon capture, water quality, and biodiversity conservation.

The Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability in partnership with the NY Corn and Soybean Growers Association and the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund co-created this program to prioritize the needs of producers that are ready to scale conservation practices on their farm operations.

This pilot program was born out of the Transition Finance for Regenerative Agriculture Systems project funded by the Great Lakes Protection Fund. The project led by Alan Martinez and John Tobin at Cornell University investigates financial solutions for regenerative agriculture together with Cornell researchers, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and a national advisory group.

Paying farmers for sustainable outcomes.

How it works

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I need to qualify?

How long is the contract period?

Is my payment guaranteed?

Once enrolled, when will I be paid?

Who are the purchasers of these outcomes?

When can I enroll?

How many acres can I enroll?

What if I'm already cover cropping and no-tilling?

What conservation practices yield the most payments?

Can I "double-dip" with government cost-share programs?

Get Started with the New York Outcomes Fund

The New York Outcomes Fund is a payment for outcomes program designed to provide you with all the technical assistance and financial support you need to scale conservation practices on your farm.

Contact us to learn more or to begin the enrollment process.

About Us