Federal Cost-Share for Your Farm, Guided by a Certified TSP
USDA NRCS programs pay eligible landowners to put conservation practices on the ground. Todd Guerdat is a certified NRCS Technical Service Provider (TSP-26-51412), certified for 38 conservation practices across New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont, and he spent five years inside the agency as a USDA NRCS civil engineer. He helps landowners find the funding, get the practices designed to the federal standard, and pass checkout so the payment clears.
Cost-Share, Explained Plainly
USDA NRCS cost-share is real money, but it only pays out when the paperwork, the design, and the installation all line up with the federal practice standard. That is exactly the gap a Technical Service Provider exists to close.
The Programs
EQIP, AMA, and CSP reimburse eligible landowners at federal payment-schedule rates after a practice is installed and passes inspection. High tunnels, cover crops, irrigation, wetland work, and farm energy upgrades are all commonly funded.
The TSP Role
A certified Technical Service Provider does the design, layout, installation inspection, and checkout that NRCS would otherwise have to schedule itself. Landowners choose a TSP from the national Find a TSP registry, and the technical work is paid through the program at federal rates.
Why It Matters Who Designs It
The payment only comes through when the practice meets the federal standard. Todd wrote and reviewed this kind of work during five years as a USDA NRCS civil engineer, so the design is built to pass the first time.
The 38 Practices Todd Is Certified For
TSP certification is granted practice by practice and state by state. The states where each practice is certified are listed after its name, and each practice carries its USDA NRCS conservation practice standard (CPS) code. Certification list current as of September 2026.
Where Todd Is Certified
- New Hampshire (24 practices)
- Massachusetts (21 practices)
- Maine (20 practices)
- Rhode Island (16 practices)
- Vermont (7 practices)
- Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania (High Tunnel System)
Certified in a state means Todd can be hired through that state’s USDA NRCS office as the Technical Service Provider for the practice. Across all five states that is 38 distinct practices.
Soil Health & Cropland
- 340 Cover Crop (NH)
- 329 Residue & Tillage Management, No-Till (NH)
- 345 Residue & Tillage Management, Reduced Till (NH)
- 328 Conservation Crop Rotation (NH)
- 327 Conservation Cover (NH)
- 336 Soil Carbon Amendment (NH)
- 342 Critical Area Planting (NH)
- 393 Filter Strip (NH)
- 601 Vegetative Barrier (NH)
- 484 Mulching (ME, MA, NH, RI)
High Tunnels & Irrigation
- 325 High Tunnel System (all eight Northeast states: CT, ME, MA, NH, NY, PA, RI, VT)
- 449 Irrigation Water Management (ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
- 163 Irrigation Water Management Design (ME, MA, RI, VT)
- 441 Irrigation System, Microirrigation (ME, MA, RI)
- 443 Irrigation System, Surface & Subsurface (ME, MA, RI)
- 430 Irrigation Pipeline (ME, MA, RI)
- 436 Irrigation Reservoir (ME, MA, RI)
- 533 Pumping Plant (ME, MA, RI)
High tunnels are the flagship. Todd is certified for CPS 325 in every Northeast state, and GSS also builds high tunnels and greenhouses directly.
Barnyard, Livestock & Farm Infrastructure
- 313 Waste Storage Facility (ME, MA)
- 317 Composting Facility (ME, MA)
- 558 Roof Runoff Structure (ME, MA, RI)
- 516 Livestock Pipeline (ME, MA, RI)
- 614 Watering Facility (ME, MA, RI)
- 561 Heavy Use Area Protection (ME, MA)
- 560 Access Road (ME, MA)
- 655 Forest Trails and Landings (MA)
Manure storage, compost pads, barnyard runoff, livestock water, and farm access are the practices most Northeast dairies and diversified farms fund first. Where the practice is earthwork or a structure, GSS can also build it.
Wetlands, Habitat & Aquaculture
- 657 Wetland Restoration (NH)
- 658 Wetland Creation (NH)
- 659 Wetland Enhancement (NH)
- 314 Brush Management (NH)
- 472 Access Control (NH)
- 382 Fence (NH)
- 398 Fish Raceway or Tank (NH)
- 400 Bivalve Aquaculture Gear (NH)
Farm Energy
- 120 Agricultural Energy Design (ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
- 374 Energy Efficient Agricultural Operation (ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
- 670 Energy Efficient Lighting System (ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
- 672 Energy Efficient Building Envelope (ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
Energy audits and upgrades are one of the most overlooked cost-share categories for greenhouses, barns, and processing spaces, and Todd is certified for all four energy practices in five states.
The Fastest Way to Find Out Is to Ask
Whether you already hold an NRCS contract or you are simply wondering if your land could qualify for one, Todd will tell you plainly what is fundable, what is not, and what the application would take. He works with USDA NRCS staff in New Hampshire regularly and is listed in the national USDA NRCS Technical Service Provider registry.
From First Conversation to Cost-Share Payment
1. Walk the Land
Todd visits your property, listens to what you want the land to do, and identifies which practices fit and which programs could pay for them.
2. Apply & Contract
The application goes through your local USDA NRCS office. Todd helps you assemble it, and once a contract is in place you can select him as your TSP from the national registry.
3. Design, Build, Checkout
Todd designs the practice to the federal standard, supports installation, and completes the checkout documentation NRCS needs to release payment. Where the practice is earthwork or a structure, GSS can also build it.
Questions Farmers Ask About Working With a TSP
What is a USDA NRCS Technical Service Provider?
A Technical Service Provider (TSP) is an individual or business certified by USDA NRCS to do conservation planning, practice design, layout, and checkout on the agency’s behalf. Certification is granted practice by practice and state by state, and every certified TSP is listed in the national USDA NRCS registry.
Does hiring a TSP cost the farm extra?
When a practice is funded through a USDA NRCS contract, the technical assistance has its own line at the federal payment rate and the participant chooses a TSP from the registry. Todd explains the payment mechanics for your specific contract before any work starts, so there are no surprises.
Which states can Todd work in as a TSP?
New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont, with the practice list above showing which practices are certified in each. High Tunnel System (CPS 325) is certified in all eight Northeast states, including Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania.
How do I confirm the certification?
Ask your local USDA NRCS office to look up TSP-26-51412, or search for Guerdat in the national registry linked from the USDA NRCS Technical Service Provider page. The certification agreement is current through July 2029.
Ready to Put Cost-Share to Work?
Free site visit within an hour of Newfields, NH. TSP and consulting work available across New Hampshire and the Northeast.