Today is the deadline for farmers to take advantage of cost sharing to help defray expenses associated with the installation of practices focused on protecting water quality. Practices eligible for funding include cover crops, no-till or strip-till or the use of a nitrification inhibitor during fertilizer application. Farmers can allocate up to 160 acres at a cost-share rate for first-time users of $25 per acre on cover crops, $10 per acre for no- or strip-till and $3 per acre for the nitrification inhibitor. First-time users who meet today’s (Monday’s) deadline will be the first applications funded. First-time users applying after Aug. 1 will still receive priority consideration, but funds will also be made available to farmers that have used cover crops in the past for crop-share assistance of $15 per acre. Farmers are also encouraged to visit their local Soil and Water Conservation District office to inquire about additional opportunities for cost-share funding. In the past three years, this program has seen 2,900 farmers put nutrient reduction practices on over 294,000 acres. The state has provided a match of $6.2 million in cost-share funding to help farmers introduce water quality practices.
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