Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig extended the deadline to apply for the Crop Insurance Discount Program for cover crops to Jan. 27. Farmers who planted fall cover crops in 2022 can apply to receive a $5 per acre discount on their 2023 crop insurance premiums. In its sixth year, the program has helped increase the cover crop acreage across the state and has been replicated in other Midwest states. Iowa has approximately three million acres of cover crops, a conservation practice that improves soil structure, enhances permeability, and holds phosphorus and nitrogen in place. The Crop Insurance Discount Program is jointly administered by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA). Iowa’s program has served as a model and has been replicated by the USDA as well as Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana. To qualify for the Crop Insurance Discount Program, the cover crop acres cannot be enrolled in other state or federal cost share programs. Farmers should visit the local USDA service center to learn about other cost share funding available to support the implementation of conservation practices. You can find a link to sign up for this program with this news story at KCIIradio.com.