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Cost share available to try cover crops, strip-till, no-till

By Staff | Jul 2, 2016

AMES (PRI) – Prairie Rivers of Iowa, in partnership with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, is offering cost share funds for farmers and landowners located in the Squaw Creek Watershed.

Cost share is available to install in-field practices this fall. Practices include: cover crops, strip-till and no-till practices.

Hanna Bates, PRI watershed coordinator, is urging farmers and landowners to contact her at (515) 232-0048 for more information about the program and to see if their land qualifies for this unique offer to the Squaw Creek Watershed.

The cost share for farmers planting cover crops is a flat rate of $25 per acre. A flat rate cost share assistance means farmers and landowners are reimbursed at this rate regardless of the amount spent on the practice per acre.

In the cover crop program, farmers and landowners can determine which cover crop species, mixes, and application methods work for them and their field to meet their goals.

Farmers applying for no-till or strip-till can receive cost share at a flat rate of $10/acre.

Overall, these practices support soil health due to increases in water infiltration, reduces soil erosion, and increases in soil organic matter, Bates said.

Applicants who qualify for this programming:

A). Must have farmland located within the Squaw Creek Watershed.

B). Are a new user of the practice.

C). Are scaling-up their use of the practice to new farm acres located in the watershed.

The simple sign up process for these conservation practices can be completed directly through the Prairie Rivers of Iowa office, 2402 South Duff Ave., in Ames.

Prairie Rivers of Iowa and the Squaw Creek Watershed Management Authority are the recipients of a Water Quality Initiative demonstration watershed projects from IDALS.