AEM Planning Resources

To start or continue with AEM, farmers connect with their local Soil and Water Conservation District to progress through the confidential, AEM Conservation Tiers, below.

• Tier 1 – Inventory current activities, interests, and potential environmental concerns of the farmer. 
• Tier 2 – Document current environmental stewardship and assess and prioritize areas of concern. 
• Tier 3 – Develop conservation plans addressing concerns and opportunities tailored to farm goals. 
• Tier 4 – Implement plans using available educational, technical, and financial assistance. 
• Tier 5 – Evaluate practices and plans for conservation and farm viability. 

AEM Tiers 1 and 2 are guided by farm-tested, science-based worksheets, based on conversations between farmers and conservation planners, and take a whole farm view.  They are designed to identify priorities for more focused work based on the farmers’ interests and environmental opportunities.  The interests and opportunities identified in Tier 1 and 2 worksheets then inform conservation planning in Tier 3, implementation of practices developed from the plan in Tier 4, and evaluation and updating of plans and practices in Tier 5.  Farms that have completed AEM Tiers 1-3 are eligible for NYS Soil and Water Conservation Committee cost share funding through the AEM Base, Climate Resilient Farming, and Agricultural Nonpoint Source programs.

Worksheets for Tiers 1 and 2 are linked from this resource page, below.  Options for work in Tiers 3, 4, and 5 are discussed between farmers and planners and based on farmers’ decisions as they focus efforts to planning, practice implementation, and follow up. Tier 3 conservation plan types are based on the Tier 2 assessment and farmers’ interests to include component plan types such as farmstead, soil health, pasture, nutrient management, pest management, stream corridor, and forest conservation management as well as more comprehensive plan types such as comprehensive nutrient management plans and whole farm plans.  Implementation of practices in Tier 4 is based on the farm-specific Tier 3 plan, the best management practice (BMP) systems outlined in the NYS Soil and Water Conservation Committee’s Agricultural BMP Systems Catalogue, and the farmers’ decisions.  Tier 5 practice evaluations and plan updates are also performed with farmers by trained conservation planners from Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

Take me back to the AEM Homepage.

There are several Tier 2 Worksheets, of which, a set of specific worksheets are selected for each individual farm through completing the Tier 1-2 Connection Worksheet.  Tier 2 Worksheets provide a confidential, science-based, and practical framework for conservation planners and farmers to document current environmental stewardship and assess and prioritize areas of concern. Each Tier 2 Worksheet addresses a specific environmental topic or farm management area with questions and prompts for the planner to complete through conversation with the farmer.