In partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA), the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) recently closed the third application cycle for its Crop Insurance Premium Rebates for Planting Cover Crops program on Jan. 28.
Through 2021 Wisconsin Act 233, Gov. Evers created the cover crop insurance program to help protect soil and water resources and support producers implementing cover crop practices. Since 2022, 160,000 acres of coverage, or $800,000, has been awarded annually on a first-come, first-served basis.
Program participants receive a $5 per acre rebate credit to their crop insurance premium for acres planted with cover crops, then subsequently planted to an insurable cash crop. All acres are verified for eligibility prior to the issuance of rebates.
To date, producers in 60 of the 72 Wisconsin counties have participated in the program, and each year, an increased number of cover crop acreage is submitted during the application period. This year, program applications exceeded 224,000 acres, with interest in the program far exceeding the funding available.
A copy of the web-based rebate application, information about eligibility, and FAQs are available here.
