Advocates Push For Cover Crop Expansion Funding

rm fields are uniting again this spring to urge legislators to provide more support for farmers’ use of cover crops to protect the state’s soils and water supplies.

Environmental advocates and experts are teaming up with Illinois farming organizations to push for $3.1 million in new state funding to support expansion of the highly popular Fall Covers for Spring Savings Program (FCSS), as state legislators debate and formulate Illinois’ next state budget.

The FCSS gives farmers whose applications are accepted a $5-an-acre subsidy on their next year’s crop insurance for every acre of cover crops they plant. These crops are proven to help prevent environmentally and economically damaging soil erosion and other climate and weather challenges. Unlike other similar programs, the more cover crops farmers plant over the years, the more benefit they yield.

Many Illinois farmers have voluntarily embraced this program, giving landowners the flexibility they need to make the best choices for their fields and farm operations to maximize their production and conservation efforts. The main challenge is that the program’s popularity far exceeds the funds available to meet the demand.

In Fiscal Year 2020-2021, 50,000 acres of cover crop benefit were provided under a $300,000 state budget amount. For the 2022-2024 Fiscal Years, the program was more than doubled to a $660,000 budget and 100,000 acres. But in all cases, immediate demand caused all the money to go almost as quickly as the program was opened for applications.

Now, advocates say the time is right to expand the program to provide the incentives for 500,000 acres of eligible land, at a $3.1 million program cost. They expect that will allow 400,000 more acres to take advantage of the powerful benefits of cover crops, including the removal of carbon dioxide that equates to more than 37,000 vehicles off Illinois roads each year, nearly 1,000 rail cars burning coal, and more than 21,000 homes’ energy use.

Cover crops also help build land resistance to floods, reduce the risk that drought causes crop yield losses, improve soil and water quality, and improve farmers’ long-term return on their investment.

The cover crop increased funding proposal is included in Senate Bill 3814 sponsored by Sen. Patrick Joyce, and House Bill 5757 sponsored by Rep. Janet Yang Rohr. Both bills have strong bipartisan support in the Legislature and are expected to be considered in the upcoming budget discussions.

“If we want to protect public health, support biodiversity, keep soil in place and ensure clean water for the people of Illinois, we have to change the way we farm. Until farmers receiving generous taxpayer subsidies are required to implement public health safeguards, we acknowledge the urgent need to accelerate the adoption of conservation practices. Under current circumstances, public money would certainly be better spent directly incentivizing cover crop adoption rather than continuing to throw millions at education and outreach events that have failed to produce results.” said the Director of Water Policy for Prairie Rivers Network, Robert Hirschfeld

“Expanding Fall Covers for Spring Savings to 500,000 acres will allow more growers to be supported in the transition to soil health management systems. This expansion sends a clear message to Illinois farmers that the state cares about improving water quality and wants to support farmers in one of the most powerful conservation practices they can adopt onto their annual row crop fields.” said Megan Baskerville, the Illinois Agriculture Program Director for The Nature Conservancy.

“Cover crops are a proven method of promoting soil conservation, a vital tool in protecting one of Illinois’ most valuable resources. With climate change threatening our landscape with increased instances of both flooding and droughts, it is more important than ever for our state government to give agricultural producers the resources needed to adopt these kinds of practices. The funding of 500,000 acres in the Fall Covers for Spring Savings program is a major step in affirming Illinois’ commitment to protecting our natural resources.” said Eliot Clay, the State Programs Director for the Illinois Environmental Council.

Liz Rupel, Lead Organizer for the Illinois Stewardship Alliance stated “Fall Covers for Spring Savings enables more farmers to take steps to protect our waterways, soil, and wildlife. We all benefit by making it more affordable and accessible for farmers to adopt sustainable practices, like cover crops. Funding the Fall Covers for Spring Savings program to cover 500,000 acres is a crucial step to reach the goals set out in the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy.”

Organizations supporting the funding increase include: American Farmland Trust; Delta Institute; Illinois Environmental Council; Illinois Stewardship Alliance; Prairie Rivers Network; and The Nature Conservancy.