Illinois farmers who plant cover crops this fall can once again qualify for a discount on next year’s crop insurance premiums through the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s (IDOA) Fall Covers for Spring Savings program.
The IDOA is offering a discount of up to $5 per acre on 2026 crop insurance premiums for verified cover crop acres seeded in fall 2025 and planted to an insurable crop the following spring. The application period is open until 11:59 p.m. on January 15th. Applications can be started, saved, and edited any time before submission.
Applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis until funding is exhausted. The program is expected to cover up to 190,000 acres across Illinois, including 40,000 acres funded by the Illinois EPA to help reduce nutrient loss in the Mississippi River Basin.
Farmers must submit their FSA-578 acreage report, crop insurance policy numbers, and field identifiers when applying. Acres already receiving state or federal cost-share payments are not eligible, as the program is designed to encourage new cover crop acres.
The discount is available only to farmers insured through the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA). Approved applications will be forwarded to RMA for processing, with discounts applied to 2026 crop insurance invoices.
Farmers seeking assistance with the application process can contact their local Soil and Water Conservation District office or the IDOA’s Bureau of Land and Water Resources at 217-782-6297.