Iowa farmers and landowners planning to seed cover crops this fall can now enroll in the state’s annual Cover Crop Cost-Share Program.
The program is open to first-time and returning cover crop users in all 99 counties. Cost-share assistance is available on up to 160 acres per participant.
Farmers planting cover crops for the first time are eligible for $30 per acre, while returning users are eligible for $20 per acre.
Additional assistance is available for first-time users. Farmers transitioning acres to no-till or strip-till are eligible for $10 per acre, while farmers using a nitrogen inhibitor when applying fall fertilizer can receive $3 per acre.
Farmers and landowners in the 22-county Greater Des Moines Watershed may also qualify for additional incentives, including $25 per acre on up to 500 acres.
State officials say cover crops help prevent runoff, hold nutrients in place, improve soil health, reduce weed pressure and provide forage for livestock.
Applications are being accepted through county Soil and Water Conservation District offices at USDA Service Centers and at costshare.iowaagriculture.gov.
