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Illinois Fall Covers for Spring Savings program funding maintained

The executive director of the Association of Illinois Soil & Water Conservation Districts says farmers received some good news in the state’s latest budget.

Eliot Clay says funding for the Fall Cover for Spring Savings cover crop program was spared.

“The governor’s introduced budget included a $300,000 reduction in that fund, but luckily there was a lot of advocates in the capital that were pushing to have that funding restored, and we did manage to get that,” he says.

He tells Brownfield demand for the program has outpaced funding levels since its inception.

“That program has been wildly successful every year, and it’s great because I think it’s demonstrated a lot of value for the lawmakers and to the legislature’s credit they did get that part done.”  He says, “So, we were at least happy about that.”

Clay says the program, which offers $5 per acre crop insurance discounts for farmers who plant cover crops in the fall, has been key to spreading the conservation practice across the state.

AUDIO: Eliot Clay – AISWCD