The IL Corn Growers Association, Illinois Soybean Association, Illinois Farm Bureau and American Farmland Trust are seeking expanded state investment into a popular program designed to promote cover crop adoption throughout the state. The Fall Covers for Spring Savings Program provides a $5 per acre crop insurance premium discount for farmers who plant non-cash crops in the fall to promote soil health and keep nutrients in the field.
Cover crops are one of the most effective in-field conservation practices that Illinois farmers can adopt; they protect soil from erosion, reduce compaction, and absorb excess nutrients. Additionally, by capturing C02 from the atmosphere during growth and returning it to the soil during decomposition, they are a key climate-smart agricultural practice.
The Fall Covers for Spring Savings program started with a modest 50,000-acre target in 2019. These acres were allocated in 12 days. In the 2023 crop year, 160,000 acres were made available through a combination of state and Hypoxia Task Force funds. These acres were spoken for in a matter of hours. Advocates say now it is time to expand the program to 500,000 acres.
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