News
Cover crop interest jumps in Missouri through EQIP
Curt McDaniel, Missouri NRCS Assistant state conservationist for programs, at Lincoln University Carver Farm
Interest is skyrocketing among Missouri farmers and landowners in the EQIP cost-share cover crops program, “Last year, we had about 80 applications for cover crops. This year it was well over 300 and almost double and triple the numbers that we’ve ever seen for cover crops,” says Curt McDaniel, Missouri NRCS assistant state conservationist. He tells Brownfield Ag News it ties in with soil improvement and efforts through the Soil Health Partnership. McDaniel says they won’t have the money to meet all of this years’ requests but encourages farmers to keep applying.
Darrick Steen, environmental director for the Missouri Corn Growers and Soybean Associations, says it’s something they’ve been pushing, “Well, first off, I think it’s a great thing. These sorts of practices, I think, are just front of mind for farmers right now and farmers are just seeing some of the real production benefits from soil health related practices like cover crops.”
Steen says farmers are looking more strongly at incentive-based programs but the increase also shows the popularity of cover crops among farmers who are seeing production benefits from soil-health-related practices.
Add Comment