Cover Crop Cost-Share

2025 Cover Crop Cost-Share

Seeding fall cover crops? Our cost-share program can help you reach your goals!  

Due to funding changes, enrollment for our 2025 program is limited. If you are a past program participant, we’ll reach out to you soon with information on how to re-enroll.   

If additional funding becomes available, we will open enrollment to the public on August 1, 2025. Sign up to be notified via email if the program opens. 

Contact our cover crops cost-share team by emailing covercrops(at)practicalfarmers(dot)org or by calling the office at (515) 232-5661. 

Sign up for our monthly email newsletter the Practical Cover Cropper to receive the latest information on cover crop cost-share, upcoming events throughout Iowa and the Midwest, the latest cover crop research and more! 

Program Highlights

  • Payment rates are $10 OR $12 per acre, depending on documentation provided by the participant 
  • Enroll up to 240 acres. Participants with a multi-year contract from 2023 or 2024 can cost-share unlimited acres 
  • The program is stackable with any publicly funded cost-share programs 
  • Participants must farm in Iowa or in eligible counties in Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Illinois, or Wisconsin. Please call or email us for more information (see contact information above) 

Program Steps

1. Have fields eligible for the program in 2025 

See program eligibility guidelines to ensure your practices fit the program requirements. 

2. Enroll in the program by October 1, 2025 or, if you have a multi-year contract, complete the intake form 

*Note: Enroll ASAP to reserve acres. The program may close early depending on funding. 

You do not need to enroll again if you have an active multi-year contract with PFI for cover crop cost-share; you will need to complete the intake form emailed in June. 

3. Sign an agreement and if applicable, release of information, for your FSA office

Agreement and release of information must be signed within 30 days of PFI emailing it to you. This is a non-binding agreement between Practical Farmers of Iowa and the contract holder; you sign it online. If for some reason the contract conditions cannot be satisfied, the contract will be canceled with no cost-share paid on the enrolled acres and with no penalty to the contract holder. Note that contracts can be canceled through December 1, 2025. After that point, payments are processed and any contracts previously signed will receive payment.  

4. Talk to a PFI agronomist if new to cover crops

Anyone with less than two years of cover crop experience is encouraged to book a cover crop consultation with a PFI agronomist to make sure you’re equipped to have a good experience with cover crops. Anyone can sign up for a consultation.  

5. Attend a learning event (connect with other farmers!) 

Examples of learning events: Field days, webinars, shared learning calls or other cover crop related events. 

*Note: If attending an event in person isn’t feasible, then viewing a recording of an event is satisfactory. See PFI’s YouTube channel for virtual options available. 

6. Receive complimentary one-year membership to Practical Farmers of Iowa 

Learn more about membership benefits on our website. If you’d like family members to be included on your membership, please ensure their names are listed on your application.  

7. If requested, complete a crop production questionnaire by September 5 

A subset of program participants will be asked to complete a detailed crop production questionnaire online or over the phone. The questionnaire asks for details on inputs and passes for corn and soybean production. Participants who complete the crop production questionnaire will receive a $200 rebate. 

8. Submit a wrap-up survey with program feedback and complete field level questionnaire (applicable only for $12/acre tier) no later than December 2, 2025 

9. Submit cover crop documentation no later than December 8, 2025* 

New in 2025! Payment rates are dependent on the documentation provided to PFI. You must choose one of the following payment rates by December 2: 

  • For $10 per acre, you provide cover crop seed receipts 

> Receipts must either show the amount of seed purchased or total acres seeded. 

  • For $12 per acre, you provide cover crop receipts and sign a release of information 

> Receipts must either show the amount of seed purchased or total acres seeded. 

> Participant must sign a release of information that allows PFI to contact their county FSA office(s) for PFI to collect documentation on the participants’ behalf. PFI will collect the producer subsidiary print, 578s, and tract maps of the anticipated cover crop fields.

10. Payments will be processed after all relevant paperwork is received and confirmed. All payments will be processed by March 31, 2026. 

* We are finalizing a platform for participants to easily submit program documents. This will be a self-serve portal where participants can upload and view documents, track progress through the program, and provide feedback. We’ll keep participants informed on how to access this resource when it is available. 

Eligibility Requirements

  • Participants must farm in Iowa or in eligible counties in Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Illinois, or Wisconsin. 
  • Participants must seed a fall cover crop that will precede a corn or soybean crop the following spring. 

> Cover crops can be a single-species or a multi-species mix.

> Species can winterkill or overwinter.

> Seeding rates are at the discretion of the farmer.

> Cover crops must be seeded by December 1.

  •  Acres must be conventionally managed; certified organic acres are not eligible. 
  • Acres can overlap with any publicly funded cost-share programs on a county, state, or federal level (ex. EQIP, CSP, etc.). See FAQ page for more guidelines. 
  • Acres cannot overlap with any privately funded cost-share program, such as a carbon market (ex. Indigo, SWOF, TruCarbon, ADM re:generations etc.). See FAQ page for more guidelines. 
  • Any farmer with any experience level with cover crops is eligible. 
  • Grazing or mechanical harvest of cover crops is allowed and encouraged. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are the guidelines for stacking other programs on the same acres that are in the PFI program? 

A:  Privately funded cost-share and carbon/ outcomes program payments are NOT stackable on acres enrolled in PFI’s cover crop cost-share. 

Acres enrolled in carbon programs or privately funded cost-share programs are not eligible for PFI cost-share on the same acres- even if the program is not paying for cover crops. For most programs, you can be enrolled in both programs, just not paid on the same acres. 

It is okay with PFI if you enroll in both PFI’s cost-share and a different privately funded outcomes program, so long as the same fields are not enrolled in both programs. For example, if you have 100 acres of cover crops, you can enroll 50 in the PFI program and 50 with the other privately funded program. If you are unsure of stackability, please reach out! 

Advancing Markets for Producers (formerly Climate Smart Commodities) program payments are stackable at the $10/acre payment level in the PFI program. Commonly stacked AMP programs include Farmers for Soil Health, Missouri CRCL, and U.S. Pork Sustainability Grant (in partnership with Ducks Unlimited). 

 Federal or state cost-share program payments such as EQIP or CSP are stackable on PFI’s cover crop cost-share. Stacking PFI cost-share on public programs is encouraged! 

Q: Do I have to submit an application and be approved before planting cover crops? 

A: Nope! You’re encouraged to apply before you seed your cover crop. Applications can be submitted before or after the cover crop is seeded. Estimated cover crop acres are acceptable at enrollment. You will confirm the final number of cover cropped acres in the wrap-up survey in November or December.  

Q: Are you buying and selling carbon credits if you are a private program? 

A:No, PFI’s cover crop cost-share is not a carbon credit program. The companies that fund the program are interested in making their corn and soybean supply chains more sustainable, which involves supporting farmers who implement cover crops. The funders are counting the “good” of the cover crop toward Scope3 emissions reductions.

Q: Why don’t you fund organic acres? 

A: The program funders do not buy organic corn or soybeans, so to be eligible, only non-organic land is eligible. Acres transitioning to organic are eligible. 

Q: Why do you have two different payment rates? 

A: Applicants can opt in to a payment rate depending on what documentation they want to provide to verify their cover crops. More documentation is required for the higher rate; thus, we want to compensate individuals with more cost-share for the extra time spent. 

Q: Can I get out of a long-term contract? 

A: Yes, contracts are non-binding and applicants can cancel at any time. However, within the program year, contracts must be canceled by December 1. After that point, payments are processed, and any contracts previously signed will receive payment.   

Q: Can you mail everything to me? 

A: Due to the reach of the program, all paperwork is completed electronically. Applications and surveys can be completed over the phone for additional assistance but are not mailed. Mailing exceptions for contracts are made on a case-by-case basis. 

Q: When is everything due? 

A: We have two hard deadlines – Applications are due October 1, 2025 (for new applicants enrolling after August 2025), and all paperwork/documentation (contracts, receipts, surveys, etc.) are due December 8th, 2025.

Q: Do you cost-share spring cover crops? 

A: We do not have a specific program for seeding a spring cover crop like the fall program; however, we have an extended rotations cost-share for anyone growing a small grain and following it with a legume cover crop. More information on PFI’s various cost-shares can be found here. 

Other resources: 

Looking for cover crop seed or services? Check out “Find Cover Crops” – PFI’s cover crop directory! 

For other cover crop information, visit our cover crop resource page.