idoa-set-to-launch-andydrous-ammonia-grower-training

December 10, 2020
An advertisement for the cover crop premium discount program

The Illinois Department of Ag (IDOA) Cover Crop Premium Discount Program gives farmers a $5/acre insurance premium discount on acres that are planted with a cover crop.

Applications open December 15th and close January 15th. Space is limited and fills quickly so be sure to gather all needed documents and apply close to December 15th. 

The program is offered for acres of cover crops installed outside of state and federal program incentives. Farmers interested can sign up for acres that are planted to cover crops in the fall of 2020 and will be planted to an insurable crop in 2021. They should contact their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office. 

Cover crops can improve the resiliency of Illinois farms by improving the soil’s ability to absorb and hold water for crops. Additionally, they prevent erosion. More resilient soils have less yield variation from year to year. 

Introducing cover crops into the crop rotation takes purposeful management. Often, many farmers start with cereal rye after corn harvest, before soybean planting. 

The Midwest Cover Crop Council
 is a group dedicated to the adoption of cover crops and serves as a resource on all thing cover crops including, selection, seeding rates, planting dates and more.

This program is part of a larger conservation effort within the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy. This strategy acknowledges cover crops as one of the most effective management strategies to prevent the loss of nutrients from corn and soybean fields. However, less than four percent of Illinois’ crop fields have cover crops annually.

In addition to directly benefiting farmers by keeping nutrients on their field, cover crops keep sediment out of waterways and remove carbon dioxide from the air. 

Only 50,000 acres are available through this program and all were spoken for in 2019. Make sure to have proper documentation ready to go by December 15th.

The sun is setting behind the capitol building in washington d.c.
By Lyndi Allen July 3, 2025
Illinois corn farmers will be impacted by many provisions in the Budget Reconciliation Bill that passed in both chambers this week.
By Tara Desmond July 3, 2025
Mid-Year Highlights: IL Corn Top 10 Read Stories
A map of the world with arrows pointing to trade countries
By Lyndi Allen July 3, 2025
Trade plays a critical role in driving demand for U.S. corn—not only as grain or feed, but also as fuel.
Top Videos of 2025
By Tara Desmond July 2, 2025
Harvesting the Best: A Look at IL Corn’s Top 10 Videos of 2025
By Lindsay Croke June 30, 2025
When we think of Independence Day traditions, sweet corn on the cob is as iconic as fireworks and often even more central to the celebration. According to Instacart, purchases of sweet corn surge by 380% over the annual average heading into July 4th, outranking other grilling staples like baby back ribs and burgers. But corn's role in your Fourth of July celebration goes far beyond your plate. In Illinois alone, 8,300 acres of sweet corn are harvested annually, averaging 155 cwt per acre. That’s more than 128 million pounds of locally grown sweetness fueling summer cookouts across the state. And while sweet corn makes a big impression on the grill, most of Illinois’ corn crop isn’t sweet corn - it’s field corn. Less than 1% of the state’s crop is sweet corn, while the rest is used in products that are often invisible to consumers but vital to everyday life: fuel, packaging, fireworks, and even spirits.
The sun is setting behind the capitol building in washington d.c.
By Lyndi Allen June 27, 2025
From Springfield to D.C., lawmakers are listening, and Illinois corn farmers are leading the conversations.
Show More