Browse Ambrook’s collection of funding programs by Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA)

Landowners seeking cost-share assistance should contact their local SWCD office. Assistance is prioritized toward projects that save the most soil or benefit the most acres per dollar cost.

Deadline text on the page: No statewide deadline published; landowners apply through their local SWCD, which sets its own sign-up.

IDOA Bureau of Land and Water Resources

Michelle Curby

Agency contact, Partners for Conservation (PFC) - Cost-Share (CSFA 406-46-0552)

State cost-share for erosion-control practices on Illinois cropland, funded through the Partners for Conservation Program. IDOA distributes the money to soil and water conservation districts (SWCDs), which prioritize and select projects; construction costs are split between the state and the landowner. Eligible practices include cover crops, filter strips, grassed waterways, terraces, no-till, nutrient management, and water and sediment control basins.



- Land must be experiencing erosion at rates greater than one and one-half times the tolerable soil loss level.
- Landowner must be a cooperator with the local SWCD and have an SWCD-approved conservation plan on file.
- Each SWCD may limit eligibility to particular practices deemed appropriate for their district.
- Recipients must agree to maintain structural practices (and possibly some management practices) for at least 10 years.

A payment that requires some percentage of matching contributions by the recipient.

Cost Share

Up to 60% cost-share (SWCD-set per practice); per-project caps may apply; 10-year maintenance agreement. Eligible practices: cover and green manure crops, critical area planting, diversions, field border strips, filter strips, grade stabilization structures, grassed waterways, no-till planting systems, nutrient management planning/implementation, pastureland and hay land plantings, terraces, water and sediment control basins (some restrictions apply).

Published amounts: SWCDs also set maximum cost-share rates for each practice, up to a maximum of 60 percent. Maximum cost-share payments may also be established for each project. Cost-share payments are based on locally established average costs for similar conservation practices.

Contact your local SWCD or the Illinois Department of Agriculture; the SWCD sponsors the proposal.

Deadline text on the page: Grant recipients are selected by an independent committee in the fall of the year.

Partners for Conservation money for limiting stream bank erosion with vegetative and bio-engineering techniques. It funds demonstration projects statewide and provides cost-share assistance to landowners with severely eroding stream banks. Proposals go through the local SWCD and are selected by an independent committee each fall.



- Sites must meet assessment and selection criteria for successful stream bank stabilization using vegetative or other bio-engineering techniques.
- Proposals must be sponsored by the local SWCD.
- Recipients must agree to maintain stream bank stabilization practices for at least 10 years.

Funds may cover labor, equipment and materials; 10-year maintenance requirement.

Published amounts: Program funds maybe used for labor, equipment and materials. No rate or cap published on the page.

- 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 Monday, November 30, 2026. Applications can be submitted once the program opens at 8:00 A.M. CST on Tuesday, December 15, 2026. 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 Friday, January 15, 2027, 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.

This Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) Cover Crop Premium Discount Program is being offered to promote additional acres of cover&#x2004;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 2026 that will be planted to an insurable crop in 2027. 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 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 2026 that will be planted to an insurable crop in 2027. 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 2026-2027 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 2026-2027 program cycle. There is no cap on the acreage an individual farmer can apply for beyond the total program-wide acreage limit.

A reduction or waiving of fees for meeting a certain criteria.

Discount

Cover Crops

Other Commodities

- FAQs are on the bottom of the main description page

Irrigation

Water Quality

Waterway Protection

Wetland Conservation

Weeds

Carbon Capture

Certified Grassfed

Soil Health

Reduced Tillage

Regenerative

Water Management

Inputs

Nutrient Management

Conservation

Not a grant or a cash payment — a discount on next year's crop insurance premium. "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."

USDA-RMA applies it to your premium invoice, not IDOA: the discount is applied "based on the following year's crop insurance coverage and acreage report you file for federal crop insurance, taking into consideration the insured percent share." Your Approved Insurance Provider must have opted in — "Applicants that use AIPs that have not elected to participate, will not be eligible for this program."

No per-farm cap: "This premium discount program will not impose caps on eligible acres (absent state/federal program acres) for individual applications. For example, a farmer who applies with 800 acres of cover crops with no acreage enrolled in other state/federal programs is eligible for the entire 800 acres."

The two real limits are the program-wide pool and the no-stacking rule. Pool: "The 2025-2026 Fall Cover for Spring Savings Program will be funded up to 190,000 acres; 40,000 of those acres are available from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency via Gulf Hypoxia Funding. IDOA will select applications on a first come, first serve basis pending verification of meeting program rules." No-stacking: "Acres signed up through this program cannot be currently enrolled in other state and federal cost-share funding or incentives" — only your additional cover-crop acres beyond EQIP/CSP/state cost-share count.

No match, no fee, nothing to repay. You must certify cover-crop acres with your local FSA office (FSA-578) and have your crop insurance policy number before applying, and IDOA may ask for seed bills or seeding records to verify.

Pre-register in SAM.gov, the GATA Grantee Portal, and IL.amplifund.com (Euna Grants). Complete grantee pre-qualification (authentication, registration, fiscal/administrative and programmatic risk assessments) and maintain 'Qualified' status through the review date. Submit within Euna Grants. 2026 cycle: opens Feb 18, 2026, closes Mar 27, 2026, awards sent May 1, 2026, funds must be spent by June 30, 2026.

The FY2027 round has been announced ($1.8 million available); the application is coming soon.

Illinois Local Food Infrastructure Grant Administrator

Created by the Local Food Infrastructure Grant Act (505 ILCS 92) and administered by IDOA beginning Illinois FY2025. Assists Illinois applicants with purchasing, leasing, renting, building, or installing infrastructure to increase market access of Illinois agricultural products, including value-added processing, livestock processing, milling, dairy, refrigerated vehicles, food hubs, and community kitchens.



Illinois resident entities (registered to do business in Illinois, home-based in Illinois) that store, process, package, aggregate, or distribute value-added agricultural products, limited to: an Illinois farm, cooperative, slaughter/processing facility, food business, or food hub each with fewer than 50 employees; an Illinois nonprofit; or a unit of Illinois local government. Requires active GATA registration and SAM.gov qualification at time of application.

A lump sum of money for a specific purpose that does not need to be paid back.

Grant

Buildings

Construction

Fencing

Greenhouse

High Tunnel

HVAC

Lighting

Repairs

Storage

Farmers Market

Food Systems

Individual project grants: $1,000–$75,000. Collaborative project grants (lead entity receives funds): $1,000–$250,000. 25% match required except for high-need projects (match waived). $1.8 million available for Illinois FY2027. Ineligible costs: labor, marketing/promotion, production agriculture (hoop houses, irrigation, breeding, animal housing), wages, travel, building purchase/rental, land acquisition. Statutory authority: 505 ILCS 92; 8 Ill. Adm. Code 340.

Pre-register in SAM.gov, the GATA Grantee Portal, and Euna Grants (Amplifund). Complete the application within Euna Grants (Uniform Grant Application, USDA Project Profile Application, Illinois Funding Priorities section, budget, and attachments). Achieve GATA 'qualified' status and submit by the application deadline (2026 window: May 7 – June 5, 2026, 12:00 PM CDT). Competitive review by an independent panel; final award by USDA AMS.

Illinois Department of Agriculture — Specialty Crop Block Grant

ISCBG Grant Administrator

The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) administers USDA AMS Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) funds to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops (fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery/floriculture crops). Eligible project areas include food safety, FSMA compliance, specialty crop research and technology, nutrition/consumption, pest and disease control, food access in underserved communities and among veterans, pollinator health, distribution efficiency, and new/improved seed varieties.



Nonprofit organizations; local government entities; tribal governments; institutions (schools, universities, hospitals); and for-profit farmers or producers connecting the public and/or other farmers/producers to specialty crops with educational programs. Applicants must be registered and in good standing with SAM.gov and GATA, and registered on Euna Grants. Projects must benefit the specialty crop industry and/or the public rather than a single organization, institution, or individual.

Certification

Trials

Stewardship

Certified Organic

Public Health

Compliance

No match requirement. Federal award maximum $75,000 per applicant; IDOA may offer partial awards. Anticipated funding to Illinois: $796,255.11 (FY2027). Implementation/funding period January 1, 2027 – September 29, 2029. Reimbursement grant — recipients pay expenses up front and request reimbursement. Illinois priorities: beginning farmers/first-time specialty crop producers, nutrition/health education, sustainability/conservation. Ineligible: projects benefiting a single organization/individual, real property acquisition, activities already federally funded. FOA: USDA-AMS-TM-SCBGP-G-26-0004; CFDA 10.170.

List of Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) Funding Opportunities