With the financial incentives now available for conservation buffers through some US Department of Agriculture programs, farmers, and ranchers can hardly afford to plant and harvest a crop, given current commodity prices. This is particularly so on marginal land in floodplains or highly erodible fields. The financial incentives are so good in some locations that program participation can become a reasonable risk management strategy for certain landowners, depending on the acreage they may have that is suitable for buffers.