State’s ‘Fall Covers for Spring Savings’ program returns

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Illinois Department of Agriculture is implementing its sixth year of the popular Fall Covers for Spring Savings program.

The pre-enrollment period is underway and users can now enter their information into the application and validate it. Applications can be submitted once the program opens at 8 a.m. Dec. 16. Prior to submission, applications can be saved and edited at any time.

The program closes at 11:59 p.m. Jan. 15.

In 2024, this acreage allotment was met in less than an hour and a total of over 241,650 acres were requested by the time the application period ended. Funding of eligible acreage is on a first-come, first-served basis.

“The Fall Covers for Spring Savings program provides a jump start to initiate what may be a new practice for some producers,” IDOA Director Jerry Costello II said. “Cover crops are critically important for Illinois agriculture, creating a protective barrier that improves soil health, combats drought, reduces disease and decreases soil erosion.”

Illinois’ participation in the U.S. Gulf Hypoxia Task Force made it possible for the state to enroll an additional 40,000 acres in 2023, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Interim Director James Jennings said.

“We are thrilled to offer the additional acreage once again in 2024 to continually increase the number of producers implementing cover crops on their farms,” he said.

The program is applicable for acreage in Illinois seeded to cover crops in the fall of 2024 that will be planted to an insurable crop in 2025.

Eligible applicants will receive a premium discount up to $5 per acre on the following year’s crop insurance, depending on individual crop insurance policies, for every cover crop acre enrolled and verified in the program.

Applicants will be required to certify their cover crops through their local U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency office before applying. Applicants will also need their current FSA-578 and federal crop insurance policy numbers for the application.

The discount program was designed to promote additional acres of cover crops that are not covered by other state or federal incentives.

IDOA will use a combination of tools to verify that acres applied for through this program are planted in cover crops.

The program is only applicable for those with coverage through the USDA Risk Management Agency crop insurance program.

Confirmed applications will be forwarded to RMA for processing and for application of premium discounts to 2025 crop insurance invoices.

Pre-enrollment and applications are available at https://apps.agr.illinois.gov/BLWR_CoverCrop/ or by following a link on the IDOA website at agr.illinois.gov/.

Further information can be obtained by contacting the IDOA at 217-782-6297.