Secretary Naig Encourages Iowa Farmers to Plant Fall Cover Crops to Save Money on Crop Insurance
Farmers who plant fall cover crops can save $5 per acre on next year’s crop insurance premiums through the Crop Insurance Discount Program
DES MOINES, Iowa (Oct. 15, 2026) - Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig is encouraging Iowa farmers to plant cover crops to improve water quality and soil health while saving money on next year’s crop insurance premiums. Through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s annual Crop Insurance Discount Program, farmers who plant eligible cover crops this fall can receive a $5 per acre discount on their 2027 crop insurance premiums.
The Crop Insurance Discount Program has no cap on the number of eligible cover crop acres that can receive the crop insurance discount. Farmers can plant cover crops this fall and then enroll those acres when the online application window opens December 1, 2026.
“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,” said Secretary Naig. “We have seen record interest in cover crops this fall, which is very encouraging as we work with farmers and partners to accelerate conservation and water quality progress across Iowa. Farmers have already enrolled nearly 1.4 million acres in our state cover crop cost-share program, more than double the previous statewide record, including more than 340,000 acres in the Greater Des Moines Watershed, which is more than triple last year. 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.”
The online sign-up period will open Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2026, and close Friday, Jan. 22, 2027. Farmers can learn more about the program and sign up to receive reminders about the upcoming enrollment period by visiting CleanWaterIowa.org/cropinsurancediscount.
The Crop Insurance Discount Program is jointly administered by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA). To qualify, cover crop acres cannot be enrolled in other Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship or USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) cost-share programs. Certain insurance policies, including Whole-Farm Revenue Protection or those covered through written agreements, may be excluded. Farmers should follow all existing farming practices required by their respective policies and work with their crop insurance agents to maintain eligibility.
For a decade, the Crop Insurance Discount Program has offered Iowa farmers an additional incentive to plant cover crops and has become a model for similar programs in other states and at the federal level. More than 2,500 Iowa farmers have enrolled more than 2.1 million acres of cover crops through the program to date.
The Crop Insurance Discount Program is part of Iowa’s ongoing implementation of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy and is one of many programs available to help farmers add conservation practices to their land.
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