Farmers Can Register Now for Cover Crops

Iowa farmers interested in improving soil health and water quality can now sign up for cost-share incentives through a state-funded conservation program.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced today that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is again offering state cost-share funding for cover crops—a key conservation practice in the state’s ongoing Water Quality Initiative.

The program is open to both first-time and returning users. Farmers planting cover crops for the first time can receive $30 per acre, while returning participants are eligible for $20 per acre, with a cap of 160 acres per participant.

There’s also additional funding for first-time users who adopt other conservation practices—like no-till or strip-till farming, which qualifies for $10 per acre, and $3 per acre for using nitrogen inhibitors with fall fertilizer.

Secretary Naig says the program is helping farmers “cover more acres” and build on the record-breaking conservation progress the state has seen in recent years.

Last year, nearly 3,600 farmers and landowners enrolled 390,000 acres in cover crops, leveraging a total investment of over $23 million.

While funds officially become available in July, farmers can start applying now through their local USDA Service Centers.

For more information, visit CleanWaterIowa.org.