Program Explanation

How is the CEMSA Planning Process structured to meet the needs of different farms?

The CEMSA process begins with an evaluation and assessment of your farming operations. As illustrated in the table below, we start with the basics and work our way up to higher and higher levels of excellence.

CEMSA Performance Tiers

CEMSA is the system with tools to help you quantify and measure success. CEMSA is organized into four levels, or tiers, of features and benefits tied to your investment of time and resources. The four tiers provide an on-ramp with accelerating requirements for scope, data gathering and other activities necessary to improve farm performance and sustainability.

Table 4: CEMSA Features and Benefits by Performance Tier

Level	Features	Benefits
CEMSA Evaluation Tier 1	Conducted at all levels of planning In-field evaluation and testing NRCS modeling	In field performance Customized to needs Multiple years of data
Base CEMSA Tier 2	Nutrient, soil, pest management plans integrated with NRCS Resource Management System and conservation practice standards CEMSA Evaluation results incorporated into planning	Incentive programs Makes use of evaluation efforts Multiple resource areas in one action plan
Whole Farm CEMSA Tier 3	Prioritize and focus resources Yearly review and update Technical assistance Whole farm system assessment including energy and greenhouse gases	Connection to resources Entire operation Continual improvement Outside review and assessment
Value Added CEMSA Tier 4	EMS fully implemented 3rd party auditing and certification Decision making system	Public & regulatory trust Captures efficiencies Green and/or eco-label marketing potential

CEMSA/ADAPT

Resources

Download Implementation Manual (pdf)

Program Explanation

CEMSA/ADAPT

Resources

See Also...