A state department offers incentives to past cover crops users.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship plans to reward farmers and landowners who fall-planted cover crops this past fall with a $5/acre premium reduction on their 2018 crop insurance. The incentives, part of a new, three-year demonstration project designed to expand cover crop usage in Iowa, will be awarded to farmers who followed fall-planted cover crops with spring-planted cash crops.
Cover crop acres already enrolled in state and/or federal programs are not eligible for this program. Some policies, such as whole-farm revenue protection or those covered through written agreement, may be excluded. Participating farmers need to follow all existing good farming practices required by their policy and work with their insurance agent to maintain eligibility.
Farmers and landowners interested in certifying eligible land must do so by January 15, 2018. To sign-up, visit https://www.cleanwateriowa.org/covercropdemo-main/.
