If you're an Iowa farmer or landowner and looking for financial assistance with cover crops, the Center for Rural affairs has a publication for you.
Its fact sheet, "Guide to Cover Crop Crop Cost-Share," looks at available state, federal and industry-based programs in Iowa.
Cover crops are drawing increased attention from farmers, particularly as a way to boost soil health. But the cost can deter some ag producers
“We know implementing cover crops can be a significant cost in your operations, especially with commodity prices where they are currently,” Kayla Bergman, policy associate for the Center for Rural Affairs, said in a written statement. “That’s why cost-share programs that offset these costs are crucial.”
The programs, offered by agencies such as the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, provide technical and financial assistance to implement cover crops. Grain companies with supply chains also fund industry-financed initiatives in Iowa, according to the Center for Rural Affairs.
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Another potential option: a program offered by the Iowa ag department and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Risk Management Agency offers a discount on crop insurance programs to producers who plant cover crops, but aren't enrolled in a government -funded cost-share program on those acres.
“The fact sheet outlines the requirements for each program in Iowa, as well as cost-share payment rates for 2020, and which programs you can overlap for your cover crop acres,” Bergman said.
The “Guide to Cover Crop Cost-Share in Iowa” can be found at cfra.org/publications .
The Center for Rural Affairs is based in Lyons, Neb., and has an Iowa presence as well. It describes itself as "a private, non-profit organization working to strengthen small businesses, family farms and ranches, and rural communities through action oriented programs addressing social, economic and environmental issues."
