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For Immediate Release: Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018
2,800 farmers commit more than $9 million to
plant cover crops, use no-till/strip-till or nitrification inhibitor
DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced today
that a record number of Iowa farmers again signed up to install nutrient
reduction practices on their farm through the Iowa Water Quality Initiative’s
statewide cost share program.
More than 2,800 farmers from all 99 Iowa counties signed
up to try cover crops, no-till/strip-till or nitrification inhibitor on more
than 300,000 acres. The state will provide
over $5 million in cost share funds to match the estimated $9.1 million
investment by Iowa farmers.
“We continue to see growing interest by farmers in using
water quality-focused practices on their farm. Together, we are building a
culture of conservation across the state and it is encouraging to see farmers
continuing to invest in these practices,” Naig said. “This is one of several programs
that are available to assist farmers as they work to protect water quality and
build soil health.”
Participants include more than 1,000 farmers using a
practice for the first time and nearly 1,800 past users that are trying cover
crops again and are receiving a reduced-rate of cost share.
Farmers not already utilizing the practice were eligible
for cost share for cover crops of $25 per acre, $10 per acre for trying no-till
or strip till and $3 per acre for using a nitrapyrin nitrification inhibitor when
applying fall fertilizer. Farmers that had used cover crops in the past were
eligible for $15 per acre in cost share.
Cost share was only available on up to 160 acres per farmer.
While sign up for this program has closed, farmers are
encouraged to still reach out to their local Soil and Water Conservation
District office as there may be other programs available to help them implement
water quality practices on their farm.
One program available through the Department farmers may
want to consider is an incentive that provides a crop insurance premium reduction
for farmers who use cover crops. Through this program, farmers who plant cover
crops this fall may be eligible for a $5 per acre premium reduction on their crop insurance in 2019.
Program information and the online sign-up and application process for farmers
and landowners to certify eligible land for the program can be found at https://www.cleanwateriowa.org/covercropdemo.
Over the past 5 years, 8000 farmers, including nearly 4,600
first time users, signed up to use a water quality-focused practice through the
Water Quality Initiative. These farmers invested more than $17 million to try
cover crops, no-till, strip-till or a nitrification inhibitor on their land.
“We understood from the start that this would be a
long-term process and it is great to see
farmers making an extended commitment to cover crops and understanding how to
use them in a variety of situations and conditions,” Naig said.
Background
on Iowa Water Quality Initiative
The Iowa Water
Quality Initiative was established in 2013 to help implement the Nutrient
Reduction Strategy, which is a science and technology based approach to
achieving a 45 percent reduction in nitrogen and phosphorus losses to our
waters. The strategy brings together both point sources, such as
municipal wastewater treatment plants and industrial facilities, and nonpoint
sources, including farm fields and urban stormwater runoff to address these
issues.
The Initiative
seeks to harness the collective ability of both private and public resources
and organizations to deliver a clear and consistent message to stakeholders to
reduce nutrient loss and improve water quality.
In addition to
the statewide cost share, a total of 64 demonstration projects are currently
located across the state to help implement and demonstrate water quality
practices. This includes 14 targeted watershed projects, 7 projects focused on
expanding the use and innovative delivery of water quality practices and 43
urban water quality demonstration projects.
More than 250 organizations are participating in these projects. These
partners will provide $42.2 million to go with the $31.5 million in state
funding going to these projects.
More than $420 million in funding has been documented for
efforts in support of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy last year. This
represents a $32 million increase of funding in support of Iowa water quality
programs and conservation efforts over the previous year
More
information about the initiative can be found at www.CleanWaterIowa.org.
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For more information, contact Dustin Vande Hoef, (515) 281-3375 or (515) 326-1616 (cell) or Dustin.VandeHoef@IowaAgriculture.gov
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