Farmers for Soil Health empowers farmers to lead the charge in sustainability—putting real money directly into their hands to drive change where it matters most: at the farm level. With enrollment now open, the program offers an opportunity for farmers to make a meaningful impact on soil health while benefiting financially. In its first year alone, 238 farmers enrolled, covering more than 78,000 acres, pushing the initiative closer to its goal of doubling cover crop adoption to 30 million acres across the U.S. by 2030.
This innovative initiative, which is backed by corn, pork, and soy commodity groups, in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, provides both financial incentives and technical support to corn and soybean farmers planting cover crops. The process is designed to be simple, featuring hassle-free enrollment and satellite-based remote monitoring and verification.
“As farmers, protecting the land is personal, and it’s about preserving our family’s legacy,” said Neal Bredehoeft, a soy checkoff farmer-leader from Alma, Missouri. “Our farm has been in the family for over a century, and we’ve always prioritized soil and water conservation. My brothers and I have practiced no-till for 30 years and have been using cover crops for nearly a decade. These conservation practices help keep our soil and nutrients where they belong, and Farmers for Soil Health provides even more tools to ensure sustainable farming practices for future generations.”
Participating farmers who plant cover crops will receive payments to help transition totaling $50 (spanning three years) per new acre of cover crops planted. Or a one-time payment of $2 per acre for farmers with existing cover crops. Eligible farmers will participate in measurement, reporting and verification to highlight progress toward the goal of expanding adoption of cover crops.
“Farmers for Soil Health is unique in that it provides a couple of key factors that we know will enhance the adoption of cover crops,” said Ben West, Farmers for Soil Health executive director. “Technical assistance provides farmers valuable benefits, and knowing what the science says and how to better implement it on their farms is key. Secondly, putting real money on the table helps farmers mitigate their risks and sustain the willpower and effort to continually adopt these practices in the future.”
Across 20 states, farmers in Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin are eligible for enrollment in the cost-share programs through Farmers for Soil Health.
“With the support of programs like Farmers for Soil Health, which was built by farmers, for farmers, we can continue improving soil health. This initiative is unique because it not only helps cover the costs of adopting cover crops but also offers technical support and connects us with supply chain partners. It’s great to see flexibility built into the program whether you’re planting cover crops now or after harvest, FSH meets you where you are,” Bredehoeft shares.
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