Items Tagged with 'cover crop'

While thousands of producers line up for government assistance through CSP and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program each year, less than one-third have historically been able to get in. And that trend continued in 2023, despite both programs collectively being infused with $500 million in additional funding that year through the Inflation Reduction Act.

America’s airlines have ambitious plans for using more biofuel, and the feedstocks in their sights include obscure oilseed crops such as camelina. However, crop insurance policy stands in the way.

A nationalized version of a crop insurance discount program for farmers who plant cover crops in Illinois, Indiana and Iowa is one of the ideas the table for the next farm bill, as lawmakers and environmental groups look for new ways to incentivize cover crops.

In water-strapped states like Texas, producers are using irrigation to reap the benefits of cover crops. Producers in other states, while not directly irrigating cover crops, see a benefit in the water requirements of their cash crops. 

The Biden administration is testing an idea for promoting cover crop adoption that has proven popular in some states - offering farmers a subsidy on their crop insurance premiums.

In this opinion piece, Zenith Tandukar a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Minnesota discusses the role of agriculture in climate change, and his research on domesticating pennycress as a cover crop that will return revenue to the farm.

Chris Sayer, a lemon and avocado grower (along with some figs) in Ventura County, California, has been using cover crops in his 50 acres of trees since 2005, with some clear benefits.

Let’s just say it: I have always been a nerd. For non-nerds, this may not sizzle; but for those who understand the value of good farming for a better environment, this is going to be huge. This month, a bipartisan group of Senators worked together with the USDA to make a common sense fix on regulations for farmers, which will ultimately be a victory for clean water, cover crops (and nerds).