The Oklahoma Conservation Commission (OCC) has launched the next round of the Soil Health Implementation Program (SHIP), an ongoing initiative to improve soil health across Oklahoma’s agricultural landscapes. SHIP aims to provide comprehensive soil conservation solutions in both rural and urban areas.

Now in its second program year, OCC’s Soil Health Team is focusing on conservation practices that build land and operation resilience by improving ecosystem health. The program combines technical assistance and financial incentives to encourage agricultural producers to adopt soil health practices. SHIP offers up to $40,000 in reimbursement for implementing practices in accordance with an approved SHIP conservation plan. In addition to providing direct support to landowners, SHIP will collect data to improve the state’s soil health database and conduct educational outreach to foster a network of producer mentorship. These efforts target critical environmental challenges, such as soil and water quality degradation.

The program’s application window opens on January 1, 2026 and closes on March 1, 2026. Applicants must be district cooperators with approved agreements and are expected to implement and maintain the conservation practices in accordance with their SHIP conservation plan.

While reflecting on his time in the program so far, PY2024 SHIP producer, Wyatt Lohman said, “We’re beyond grateful for the opportunity and SHIP is going to be a game changer for our land, our operation, and our future. The best part about SHIP, is the people (like Meg), who have years of experience in soil health regeneration. Being able to ask anyone on the team for their expert opinion gives us peace of mind with making important decisions. Anyone would be crazy not to sign up for SHIP.”

The OCC Soil Health Team will review, score, and rank applications with the goal of representing the five conservation district areas across the state. This initiative represents a significant step in Oklahoma’s conservation partnership’s ongoing work toward a sustainable agricultural future.

For more information, interested individuals are encouraged to contact their local conservation district office, visit conservation. ok.gov or contact Greg Kloxin at greg.kloxin@conservation. ok.gov. Seminole County has two Conservation District offices. The Konawa office is located at 102 E. 1st Street, (one block east of the post office). The phone number is (580) 925-3117. The Wewoka office is located at 1400 Indian Road. That phone number is (405) 2575578.