Farmers for Soil Health

Farmers for Soil Health pays corn and soybean farmers $35 per acre, per year, for planting cover crops on up to 2,000 acres, with contracts renewable annually for the duration of the program. It is run by a farmer-led coalition of the corn, soybean, and pork checkoffs with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities behind it — farmer organizations paying farmers, rather than a carbon developer.

Beyond the payment, enrollees get dedicated local technical support through state technical advisors, and there are no carbon credits, registries, or long lock-ins involved — the commitment is the cover crop itself.

The program operates across 20 states covering the core corn and soybean belt.

• Corn and soybean acres in one of the program's 20 states: Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

• Plant cover crops on the enrolled acres; financial assistance covers up to 2,000 acres per operation.

• Contracts renew annually for the duration of the program.

$35 per acre, per year, for planting cover crops, on up to 2,000 acres per operation. Contracts are annual and renewable for the duration of the program. Funding flows from the corn, soybean, and pork checkoffs with NFWF and USDA climate-smart backing — no credits are generated and no carbon rights are transferred.

Enroll at farmersforsoilhealth.com. The 2026 enrollment period closes August 31, 2026 (Kentucky producers had an earlier August 1 deadline for compliance reasons). State technical advisors — listed in the site's directory — provide local support through enrollment and implementation.