(KIWA Staff Photo)Iowa (Sioux County Radio) — Iowa farmers planting cover crops this fall may qualify for a $5-per-acre discount on their 2027 crop insurance premiums.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig is encouraging farmers to consider the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s annual Crop Insurance Discount Program as they complete fall fieldwork. The program provides an additional incentive to plant cover crops that help improve water quality and soil health.
There is no cap on the number of eligible cover crop acres that can receive the discount. Farmers can plant now and apply when enrollment opens December 1.
Enrollment and Eligibility
The online application period runs from Dec. 1st, 2026, through Jan. 22nd, 2027.
To qualify, acres cannot also be enrolled in other cover crop cost-share programs through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship or the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Certain insurance policies, including Whole-Farm Revenue Protection and policies covered through written agreements, may be excluded. Farmers are encouraged to work with their crop insurance agents and follow existing policy requirements to maintain eligibility.
The program is jointly administered by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the USDA Risk Management Agency.
Cover Crop Participation Grows
Naig said Iowa is seeing record interest in cover crops this fall, with nearly 1.4 million acres enrolled in the state’s separate cover crop cost-share program. That is more than double the previous statewide record and includes more than 340,000 acres in the Greater Des Moines Watershed, more than triple last year’s total.
have enrolled nearly 1.4 million acres in the separate state cover crop cost-share program, more than double the previous statewide record. That includes more than 340,000 acres in the Greater Des Moines Watershed, more than triple last year’s total.
Naid also said the state is seeing increased participation from first-ever cover crop users and that the department hopes to continue building momentum by offering farmers additional conservation options.
Over the past decade, more than 2,500 Iowa farmers have enrolled more than 2.1 million acres through the Crop Insurance Discount Program. The department says the program has become a model for similar efforts in other states and at the federal level.
The program is part of Iowa’s implementation of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy.
Farmers can review program information and sign up for enrollment reminders at cleanwateriowa.org.
