Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig has announced that the sign-up for the state’s Crop Insurance Discount Program is now open and available. Farmers who planted cover crops this fall can apply for a $5 per acre discount on their spring crop insurance premiums. The sign-up period opened on Monday, December 2, and will close on Friday, January 24, 2025.
To date, nearly 2,000 Iowa farmers have enrolled more than 1.2 million acres of cover crops in the program. Iowa’s program has served as a model and has been replicated by USDA as well as the states of Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana.
To qualify for the program, the cover crop acres cannot be enrolled in other state or USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) cost share programs. Some insurance policies, such as Whole-Farm Revenue Protection or those covered through written agreements, may be excluded. Participants must follow all existing farming practices required by their respective policies and work with their insurance agencies to maintain eligibility.
Find more information here.
