Small Grains Cost-Share: Steps and Eligibility

Small Grains Cost-Share


Program Steps

1. Have fields eligible for the program in 2025.

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

2. Enroll in the program by June 1, 2025. 

Use your personalized link sent from farmadmin@practicalfarmers.org. 

 3. Sign an electronic agreement reserving your acres by July 1, 2025.

Your agreement is non-binding; you can cancel until December 1, 2025. 

 4. Have an active PFI membership as of Sept. 1, 2025. Membership fees are $50- $75 per year.

Call 515-232-5661 to check on your membership status, or become a member here. 

 5. If requested, complete an extended rotation production questionnaire by Sept. 5, 2025. 

This is a program requirement for anyone participating in the nitrogen reduction portion of the cost-share, plus a few others. Participants opt to complete an online questionnaire or a phone questionnaire. 

Participants in this option receive a $200 rebate in addition to cost-share for completing this questionnaire. 

 6. Attend a PFI learning event such as a field day or webinar before the end of the year. 

 7. Complete a wrap up survey for the program by Nov. 14, 2025. 

This survey will ask you to confirm practices, markets, and payment information. 

 8. Payments will be issued by Dec. 19, 2025 


2025 Program Eligibility 

Participants must grow a small grain (barley, oats, rye, triticale, wheat) that will be harvested (grain or forage) in 2025 and follow it with an underseeded or summer-planted legume cover crop. The maximum number of acres you can enroll for this portion of the program is 100 acres, but we advise you to report all your acres in case we have additional funding. 

Examples of eligible scenarios: 

  • Small grain underseedings that include alfalfa  
  • Small grain underseedings or frost-seedings that include clover  
  • Solid seeding of clover, vetch or other legume after small grain harvest 
  • Diverse mixes that include at least one legume species (ex. clover, peas, beans, Sunn hemp, vetch, etc.) seeded after small grain harvest 

Note: Underseedings and cover crops may be grazed or mechanically harvested. 

Examples of ineligible scenarios: 

  • Double- or relay-cropped soybeans 
  • Solid-seeded stand of sorghum sudan grass or another annual forage that doesn’t include a legume species 
  • Certified organic acres 
  • Acres cannot overlap with a PFI fall cover crop cost-share program (ex. cereal rye sown in fall 2024 cannot count as both a fall cover crop and a small-grain crop for cost-share) 

Nitrogen reduction cost-share 

Participants must reduce nitrogen application by 40 units (compared to their typical nitrogen rate in a two-year corn-soybean system) OR apply no more than 100 units of nitrogen to corn that follows a small grain plus legume cover crop in rotation. Total applied nitrogen rate includes nitrogen from manure.  

The maximum number of acres you can enroll for this portion of the program is 100 acres, but we advise you to report all your acres in case we have additional funding. 

Both cost-share programs 

  • Participants must farm in an eligible county in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska or South Dakota OR sell wheat to ADM in Mendota, Illinois, or Lincoln, Nebraska. See map for eligible counties. 
  • Acres must be conventionally managed or in transition to organic (certified organic acres are not eligible). 
  • Acres cannot simultaneously be enrolled in a private carbon program (Bayer Carbon, etc), nor a USDA “Advancing Markets for Producers” (formerly “Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities”) program such as Farmers for Soil Health, ADM re:generations, Missouri-CRCL. Please inquire with PFI if you’re unsure about stacking programs. 

Nitrogen Reduction Frequently Asked Questions

What acres are eligible for the nitrogen reduction cost-share?

2025 corn acres that are following a small grain plus legume rotation. Acres must be non-organic or transition acres. Eligible scenarios would include:

  • Corn following a wheat crop harvested in 2024 that was followed with a cover crop mix including red clover.
  • Corn following alfalfa that was seeded with oats in 2024 or prior.

How much nitrogen do I need to reduce?

Reduction plans must satisfy one of the following two options:

  1. Reduce your typical application by 40 pounds of nitrogen (compared to your typical nitrogen rate in a two-year corn-soybean system) OR
  2. Apply no more than 100 pounds of nitrogen in total

What nitrogen is counted in my “typical application?”

Any nitrogen applied synthetically or through manure is counted in your application rates. If you do not have a manure analysis, we will use book values from Iowa State and University of Minnesota to estimate your applied nitrogen. Any nitrogen applied with any fall phosphorus and potassium spreads will be included in your nitrogen application rates. Biologicals or legume credits are not calculated into your typical or reduced applied nitrogen rates.

How will you verify my fertilizer reduction?

Each participant will be required to complete a consultation with PFI staff. During the phone consultation, PFI will note your typical fertilizer passes and your reduction rate for 2025. At your wrap up survey, you will be asked to confirm that you were able to reduce your nitrogen on your enrolled corn fields.

What happens if I am unable to reduce my nitrogen?

There is no penalty for dropping your corn acres if you are unable to reduce your nitrogen. However, as this year we have limited funding, please let us know as soon as possible if you plan to drop acres so we may allocate program resources accordingly.