As I begin my new position as a Soil Health Specialist with Rice and Steele SWCDs, it’s humbling to see the challenges farmers face following this year’s heavy rains. Many, if not most fields in our area had standing water on saturated soil for extended weeks. Some of those flooded zones are standing bare still.
When soil is under saturated conditions for an extended period of time and is left unplanted to any crop or cover crop, the change in the biological health of the soil can be carried into the next season. Growing plants build up the microbial community in the root zone, which is essential to nutrient cycling, especially phosphorous. Cover crops can also prevent weeds from establishing in areas where the commodity crop failed.
In addition to unplanted areas, many fields had significant soil erosion representing a serious and costly loss of valuable topsoil and crop nutrients. Reduced tillage such as strip-till and no-till, along with cover crops, will prevent erosion and rebuild the soil.
Help is available for farmers to improve and protect their soil. Sign-up at Rice SWCD for cost-share incentives for strip-till, no-till, and cover crops is now open. This year, the cost-share for cover crops is $5 higher per acre than previous years and for the first time, Rice SWCD has cost share available for strip-till, no-till, and planting commodity crops into a green cover crop – “planting green”.
Fields that do not have a long history of cover crops, strip-till, no-till, or planting green (only received the practice three out of the last ten years) are eligible to be enrolled. The Rice SWCD Board established the Soil Health Incentive Program and set the following rates for a maximum of 80 acres per farm:
Cover crops: $30/acre for a 1-year contract (single or multiple species); $35/acre for a 3-year contract – single species, or $40/acre – multiple species
Strip-till or No-till: $15/acre for a 1-year or 2-year contract will allow using the practice on different fields; $25/acre for a 3-year contract will allow using the practice (or combination of the two practices) on the same field.
Planting green: $5/acre can be added to these cost share incentives when the commodity crop is planted into the cover crop ahead of, or within 7 days after, terminating the cover crop
Stackable: These cost-share incentives can be stacked together on the enrolled acres. Also, they can be stacked with other non-state funding sources such as NRCS EQIP and CSP cost share and the Minnesota Soil Health Coalition cover crop incentive ($10/acre).
In addition, the Rice SWCD has several scholarships for farmers (first come first served) who enroll acres to attend either the Premier Soil Health Event for free on December 3-4 in Mankato or the Soil Management Summit on January 29-30, 2025 in Mankato, MN.
The Rice SWCD Soil Health Incentive Program is an excellent opportunity for Rice County farmers to either get started or continue on their own soil health journey. Call the Rice SWCD Office at 507-332-5408 for more details and get your acres enrolled soon.
Learn More about Soil Health and Available Conservation Funding
Rice SWCD Soil Health Incentive Program
Rice SWCD Custom Interseeding Program
Visit our Cover Crops webpage
Visit our Conservation Tillage webpage
