Fall cover crops could trim next year’s crop-insurance bill
A five-dollar-per-acre discount starts with this fall’s planting and next year’s insurance coverage.
Cover crops planted this fall could take a little off next year’s crop-insurance bill. Iowa’s discount program offers up to five dollars for each eligible acre.
The application window opens December 1, 2026, and closes January 22, 2027. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship says there is no cap on eligible acres, but acres already receiving other department or USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service cover-crop incentives do not qualify.
There is some paperwork to keep handy before signup: seed bills, crop-insurance policy numbers and field records. Field identifiers must match the acreage report used for crop insurance.
The discount covers eligible fall 2026 cover crops followed by an insured crop in 2027. Some insurance policies may be excluded, including Whole-Farm Revenue Protection and policies covered through written agreements.
Farmers should check their policy and spring cover-crop termination requirements with their insurance agent before counting on the savings.
Program details are available at https://www.cleanwateriowa.org/cropinsurancediscount . Questions can go to covercropdemo@iowaagriculture.gov or 515-281-5851.