Illinois Cover Crop Premium Discount Program

This Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) Cover Crop Premium Discount Program is being offered to promote additional acres of cover crops that are not covered by other state and federal program incentives (e.g., EQIP, CSP and state cost share). The program is applicable for acreage in Illinois seeded to cover crops in the fall of 2025 that will be planted to an insurable crop in 2026. Eligible applicants will receive a premium discount up to a $5 per acre on the following year's crop insurance, depending on their crop insurance policy,** **for every cover crop acre enrolled and verified in the program.

This program is offered for acres of cover crops installed outside of state and federal program incentives (e.g., EQIP, CSP and state cost share). The 2025-2026 Fall Covers for Spring Savings program is funded for up to 190,000 acres, of which 40,000 acres are available via Illinois EPA Gulf Hypoxia Funding, and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis pending verification of meeting program rules. Applicants must certify their cover crop acres with their local FSA office before applying, and will need their current FSA-578 (with verified cover crop acres) and federal crop insurance policy number(s) for the 2025-2026 program cycle. There is no cap on the acreage an individual farmer can apply for beyond the total program-wide acreage limit.

• Continuing this year, users will be able to enter their information into the Cover Crop Premium Discount Program Application and validate it during a pre-enrollment period starting at 8:00 A.M. CST on** Wednesday, December 3, 2025**. Applications can be submitted once the program opens at 8:00 A.M. CST on Monday, December 15, 2025. Once available, applications can be saved at any time, prior to submittal, and must be completed in full prior to the program closing at 11:59 P.M. CST on Thursday, January 15, 2026, to be eligible. Application assistance is available through your local Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) office or the IDOA Bureau of Land and Water Resources at 217-782-6297.

• FAQs are on the bottom of the main description page