Cover crop cost-share programs available in Iowa

As Iowa farmers and landowners look for ways to continue building soil health and protecting the state’s watersheds, many are using cover crops.

According to the fact sheet “Guide To Cover Crop Cost-Share in Iowa” recently released by the Center for Rural Affairs, state, federal, and industry-based programs are available to assist farmers and landowners.

Offered by agencies such as the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the programs provide technical and financial assistance for implementation. Grain companies with supply chains also fund industry-based initiatives in Iowa.

Additionally, a program through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and U.S. Department of Agriculture Risk Management Agency offers a discount on crop insurance premiums to producers who plant cover crops, but are not enrolled in a government-funded cost-share program on those acres.

The “Guide to Cover Crop Cost-Share in Iowa” can be found at cfra.org/publications.