In 1996, Pat Osborne was ready to give up her Alabama farm. Taxes, soil erosion, and other concerns even drove her to a realtor. When the realtor advised Pat to see her local FSA office about the sale of peanut quota, another FSA program caught Pat's attention.

After learning how CRP could reduce erosion, provide some income, and enhance wildlife habitat, Pat was sold. She enrolled in the program and planted loblolly pine with wildlife openings and annual food plots. Pat's farm is now teeming with whitetail deer, bobwhite quail, turkeys, and songbirds.

"If it hadn't been for CRP, I wouldn't have been able to put my grandfather's land to such good use," explained Pat.

Pat Osbourne was nearly forced to sell her grandfather's farm before she learned about CRP.

Pat Osbourne standing in wildlife opening among pine tree planting on her CRP contract acreage