N Rate Risk Protection Program

2025 N Rate Risk Protection Program Enrollment is Open!

On the fence about reducing your nitrogen rate to your 2025 corn crop?

The N Rate Risk Protection Program provides field-specific consultation from a PFI agronomist on what reductions may be feasible, while maintaining yields. Risk protection is provided in the form of a $35 per acre payment if a yield loss occurs from reducing your typical nitrogen rate.*

Farmers who are new to saving on inputs and farmers who’ve reduced nitrogen rates previously are eligible for the program.

This free-to-participate program helps you to reduce nitrogen expenses – saving you money and increasing your farm’s resiliency.

Enroll by April 30, 2025.

*See the Q&A section for more detail on payment.

Requirements

Raise corn in 2025
Be willing to reduce nitrogen application by at least 20 pounds per acre*
Farm in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska or southeastern South Dakota
Acres must be conventionally managed; certified organic acres are not eligible
Acres cannot overlap with any privately funded cost-share program, such as a carbon market (ex. Indigo, SWOF, TruCarbon, PivotBio’s N-OVATOR, etc.)
Acres must be already insured with Multi-Peril Crop Insurance Revenue or Yield Protection policy

*Farmers applying lower nitrogen rates may still be eligible with their already reduced nitrogen rate or a smaller reduction in nitrogen. PFI agronomists have some discretion with lower initial rates and can talk through reduced nitrogen rates with you during your initial consultation.

View program milestones and more details.

Questions?

Review our list of frequently asked questions.

Contact our field crops viability coordinator, Chelsea Ferrie, by emailing chelsea.ferrie(at)practicalfarmers(dot)org or by calling (515) 232-5661 ext. 1040.

Additional Resources

Find resources on how to plan for an economical nitrogen rate.

Find other stackable funding opportunities.

This webpage was developed to support Field to Market’s Climate-Smart Agriculture Innovative Finance Initiative under agreement number NR243A750004G023 using resources which are funded by the USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Grant Program and Pepsi. Practical Farmers of Iowa adheres to USDA’s Nondiscrimination Statement.