Iowa farmers planting cover crops this fall could 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.
“For the past decade, the Crop Insurance Discount Program has provided another way to help farmers save money while putting more cover crops on the land. Farmers can plant now, and then enroll those eligible acres when the application window opens in December,” Naig said.
Enrollment and Eligibility
The online application period runs from Tuesday, December 1, 2026, through Friday, January 22, 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 should work with their crop insurance agents and follow their policies’ existing farming requirements to maintain eligibility.
The discount 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. Farmers 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.
“We are also encouraged to see many first-time users getting started with cover crops. That kind of momentum is exciting, and we want to keep building on it by giving farmers more options to put conservation practices on the ground,” Naig said.
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/cropinsurancediscount.
