Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig is encouraging farmers and landowners who planted cover crops this fall to apply for the crop insurance discount program by January 13, 2023. Qualifying Iowa farmers and landowners can receive a $5 per acre rebate on spring crop insurance premiums for cultivated acres coverage located in Iowa.
“Iowa farmers continue to invest in and implement proven conservation practices, like cover crops, to enrich soil health and improve water quality,” Secretary Naig said. “This successful program was started in Iowa and became a model for other states because it was an effective incentive to plant more cover crops.”
Farmers can enroll now in the Cover Crop Insurance Premium Reduction Program at apply.cleanwateriowa.org. To be eligible, cover crop acres cannot be enrolled in other state or federal cost-sharing programs.
Cover crops help improve soil health, prevent soil erosion and lock in nutrients, especially during extreme weather events. Cover crops are a proven way to reduce the loss of nitrogen and phosphorus from the soil, which helps improve water quality. Cover crops also provide weed control and livestock grazing benefits for farmers and landowners.
Program details
This is the sixth year that the crop insurance rebate program has been jointly administered by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Risk Management Agency (RMA). United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Interest in the program continues to grow with new farmers and fields joining each year. To date, approximately 1,800 farmers have enrolled nearly one million acres of cover crops in the program. The Iowa program has also served as a model for other states, including Illinois and Indiana.
Certain insurance policies may be excluded, such as Whole-Farm Revenue Protection, or those covered by written agreements. Participants must follow all existing farming practices required by their policy and work with their insurance agents to maintain eligibility. Farmers should visit their local USDA Service Center to learn about additional programs and resources that support the implementation of conservation and water quality practices.