Cover crop funding now available to all Ohio producers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced a second round of funding through the Environmental Quality Incentives (EQIP) Cover Crop Initiative. Agricultural producers across the state of Ohio are eligible to apply for financial and technical assistance to plant cover crops. Interested participants must apply by the July 5, 2022 deadline.

“Cover crops provide producers with a flexible conservation tool to address multiple natural resource concerns including water quality, soil health and carbon sequestration,” said John Wilson, NRCS Ohio State Conservationist. “This initiative supports widespread practice adoption to accelerate those benefits on the landscape.”

The EQIP Cover Crop Initiative was first announced on Jan. 10, 2022. The program provides an investment of $38 million to 11 states, including Ohio, to help agricultural producers mitigate climate change through the adoption of cover crops. Though initially only available to producers in the Ohio Western Lake Erie Basin, this second round of funding expands program eligibility to all state producers.

Contact a local Ohio USDA service center or visit the Ohio NRCS EQIP Funding Categories webpage to get started. While applications for EQIP are accepted throughout the year, producers should submit applications by the deadline to be considered for the current funding period.