Iowa farmers are encouraged to take advantage of the cover crop cost-share program from Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI). The program, which is open for sign-up, is for individuals intending to seed cover crops this fall.

Through the program, participants can get payment rates of $10 per acre on an unlimited number of acres. It is available to farmers who have planted cover crops in the past, or are thinking of doing it for the first time. Last year, PFI paid more than 1,100 farmers over $3.1 million to seed cover crops in over 360,000 acres across the Midwest.

Field Crops Viability Coordinator for PFI, Morgan Jennings, tells KCII how seeding cover crops can be advantageous for farmers, “They can help control erosion from wind and water, you can seed them if you want to see benefits from weed suppression, they certainly add diversity to your system, and can help with water quality just to name a few benefits.”

The deadline to sign up for the cover crop cost-share program is December 1. With questions, to check eligibility, or to sign up, click here.