Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced this week that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) will again offer its Crop Insurance Discount Program for cover crop users. Farmers and landowners who plant fall cover crops can apply for a $5 per acre discount on spring crop insurance premiums. The program’s sign-up period runs from Dec. 2, 2024 through Jan. 24, 2025. Participants can enroll by visiting CleanWaterIowa.org or contacting their crop insurance agent. Naig says, “Our cost-share programs for cover crops have seen a surge in demand already this summer and fall, so we are expecting similarly strong interest from farmers in our Crop Insurance Discount Program when the application window opens in December. The Crop Insurance Discount Program has proven to be successful at encouraging cover crop usage while also helping farmers save money on their crop insurance premiums.” Now in its eighth year, the program has enrolled over 1.2 million acres and has inspired similar initiatives in other states. To qualify, cover crop acres must not be enrolled in other state or federal cost-share programs. The program is jointly administered by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and the USDA Risk Management Agency. Learn more using the links included below.
______
